Ohio St. goes with Holtmann
In a surprising move last week, the Ohio State Buckeyes made a switch to their coach of the men’s basketball program. Will the switch lead to a successful 2017-18 season?
After 13 seasons, the Buckeyes elected to part ways with Thad Matta last week and then quickly hired Butler’s Chris Holtmann to replace him. Matta had a 337-123 record while at Ohio State, including a Final Four appearance in 2012and an Elite Eight appearance in 2013. Still, Matta went just 17-15 this past season and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
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According to the latest oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the latest odds for Ohio State to win the NCAA Tournament in 2018 are set at 325/1. Currently, Michigan State is an 8/1 favorite while Arizona and Duke are both listed at 10/1 to win.
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Holtmann is leaving Butler, where he spent the past three seasons, racking up a 70-31 record with NCAA Tournament appearances all three years. He had big shoes to fill at Butler, replacing current Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens. Now he replaces Matta at Ohio State. Holtmann will have to step up in recruiting right away, as Matta’s recruiting struggles recently contributed to his release.