Chris Holtmann is “Going to Count On” Top Four Freshmen to Play Significant

Given that 11 players from last year’s Buckeye roster have departed from the program, Ohio State’s six total freshmen – five scholarship recruits and one walk-on – make up nearly half of the 2022-23 team. At the program’s media day last month, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann made no effort to hide how important the play of several of his first-year Buckeyes will be this season, and he named four in particular.

Roddy Gayle, Bruce Thornton, Brice Sensabaugh and Felix Okpara – all four-star prospects and top-65 overall recruits in this year’s class – won’t just get opportunities in garbage time this season. Holtmann will rely on all of them to contribute on a nightly basis for the Buckeyes.

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“I think we have four freshmen that are all going to play. They’re all going to play a role in this group, for sure. Bruce, Roddy, Brice and Felix are all capable of helping this team and playing,” Holtmann said. “They’ll go through some ups and downs, they’ll have some challenges, but all four are gonna play. You’re gonna see them a part of every game, for sure. And we’re excited about that. We’re excited about the potential of that group, for sure.”

Last season, Holtmann had nine seniors in another unique roster makeup. This year, the challenge is blending together a group that includes 10 new faces in total, with more than half of those being first-year Buckeyes. In fact, with Kalen Etzler redshirting a year ago, the Buckeyes technically have seven freshmen on the roster.

But as far as first-year players, Holtmann’s never had to lean on as many as he will this year.

“I’ve not coached a team that’s probably counted on four freshmen as much as this group is going to. And again, there’s some real positives to that,” Holtmann said at Big Ten Media Days Wednesday. “And, you know, what can we grow into? If we encounter some bumps along the way, what can we grow into? But I think there’s a mixture of feelings. There’s certainly some anxiety but it’s certainly some excitement, too.”

In a sport that has become increasingly guard-centric in recent years, Holtmann said the play of Gayle and Thornton – the No. 46 and No. 47 overall prospects in the country – will be central to the success Ohio State is able to achieve.

“I think that will be as key as anything to our season this year, is not just the development of our four freshmen but the development of those two young guards (Thornton and Gayle) and the growth that they take,” Holtmann said. “We know how…