Chris Holtmann previews Ohio State's matchup vs. Villanova

Ohio State’s defense delivered. Even after losing three of their final four games before the start of the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes stepped up on that end of the floor and defeated Loyola Chicago 54-41.

That victory puts the seventh-seeded Buckeyes into the Round of 32 where they’ll play No. 2 seed Villanova with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

The return of Kyle Young and Zed Key were undoubtedly huge factors in Ohio State’s 13-point win on Friday. The Buckeyes had struggled defensively without those two on the floor — especially Young’s style of play.

On Saturday, head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media to talk about Sunday’s Round of 32 matchup against Villanova. He knows the defensive effort needs to continue to be there and that his team needs to shoot better from the floor for a chance to win.

Here’s what Holtmann had to say on Saturday:

Holtmann on Jay Wright: "I just really, really, really like the guy and have tremendous respect for him."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann on E.J. Liddell's career coming to a close and his impact on the team: "I lose sleep over it. he's gonna be leaving us in a little bit. … His consistency is remarkable."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann on the size discrepancy between Ohio State and Villanova's guards: "That is a concern. We're small and also slight at some of those spots. It's very much a concern. … They post their guards."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann on examples of things he's lifted from Jay Wright: "The fundamentals of footwork, the fundamentals of playing on balance on drives and on the interior, the idea of an offensive rebound being an immediate kickout for a three."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann says he's had to be a little more "plain-spoken" with recruits about what role they might have in their first or second years in the program in the age of the transfer portal.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann: "There's a place for being on edge and having some nerves, and a tournament like this (is one of them)."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

Holtmann says if Kyle Young had played every game for the Buckeyes this year, they might have been "a game out" from winning the Big Ten.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022

"Villanova can do a lot of the same thing" defensively as Loyola, Holtmann says.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 19, 2022