Tonight’s Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball game against New Orleans at Value Center Arena will proceed without their head coach, Chris Holtmann. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein revealed Holtmann’s absence due to illness, with assistant coach Jake Diebler stepping in for the game.
According to Rothstein’s tweet, Holtmann’s illness prevents him from coaching in tonight’s matchup, with Diebler taking his place. Additionally, Felix Okpara will also be out due to illness.
The game, which commenced around 6 p.m. ET, sees the Buckeyes (9-2) facing the Privateers (5-6). Ohio State recently secured a 67-60 victory over UCLA and has navigated a challenging non-conference schedule, commencing Big Ten play at 1-1. Their only defeats this season were a narrow loss against Penn State and a 73-66 defeat against then-No. 15 Texas A&M on November 10.
Earlier in the week, Holtmann provided updates on injuries affecting Roddy Gayle Jr. and Scotty Middleton. Fortunately, both players are set to participate in the game against New Orleans.
“Roddy and Scotty are progressing well,” Holtmann stated. “Their evaluations are day to day, but they’re showing good progress, which is encouraging for Saturday’s game. Taison has been sidelined due to an injury unrelated to his knee, which is in good health. His availability for Saturday remains uncertain.”
