The Buckeyes will have a three-day window in which they could schedule a game before the Feb. 19 matchup with the Hoosiers, and a four-day window afterwards, as they aren’t scheduled to play again until Feb. 24 .Freshman guard Meechie Johnson has missed the past three games due to what was previously described as a, but Holtmann said Johnson actually suffered both a facial fracture and a concussion after taking a blow during practice.
When Johnson does return, he might look a bit different, as Holtmann said he’ll have to wear a protective mask to cover his face. While the mask might be somewhat restrictive, Holtmann said he’s a fan of the look. , and while Holtmann said the senior still isn’t necessarily close to returning, he has been doing “some things” in practice.
“Justice, as we all know, has been a really good player, really came into his own in the stretch run last year when we won all those games in a row in league play and then played well in the Big Ten Tournament. We’ve missed him this year, but our guys have stepped up and we’re optimistic we’re gonna get him back at some point here, for sure.”
Keyshawn Woods, who played the 2018-19 season with the Buckeyes as a grad transfer, returned to the Schott to give his former team an extra body in practice. Originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip, ESPN almost delayed the start of the game by more than an hour before Holtmann and the Buckeye program expressed some pushback to the idea. The parties settled on 8 p.m., although Holtmann said it could have been even later than that.