The Buckeyes are one of four Big Ten schools listed as a ‘Tier 1’ program.
There’s no question the Ohio State football program is among the nation’s best, but it appears that college coaches from around the country also view the men’s basketball team on the same level.
In fact, an anonymous survey conducted by ESPN staff writer Jeff Borzello revealed the Buckeyes as a top-tier program “based on the quality of their enticements for men’s basketball recruits.”
The list of ‘"Tier 1" schools also included three other Big Ten schools in Indiana, Michigan State and Michigan State.
Ohio State is generally viewed as a football school, and rightfully so, but some of the things the coaches noted that work in the Buckeyes’ favor on the hardwood is the athletic department’s resources and enormous brand.
“I feel like they’re in a group of their own,” one assistant coach said. “They have prestige, brand name, brand recognition. You can pick up the phone and call any kid in the country and there’s gonna be interest because of the brand. There always seems to be NBA-level players in their home state, year in and year out.”
Another coach mentioned the size of Ohio State’s alumni and fan base, which spans the entire country.
“When they're good, the fans appreciate their basketball,” the coach said. “It's a basketball-rich state, they've got a tremendous basketball history. They've had some good coaching staffs. And when you go on an official visit to a football game, you experience a college football game day, you combine that with great facilities, a great city in Columbus, it's hard to turn down.”
On the other hand, Chris Holtmann and the rest of the coaching staff will always have to battle the perception that Ohio State is simply a football school. The lack of atmosphere at the Schottenstein Center leaves a lot to be desired, too.
“That's a challenge,” another coach added. “Some will say that's a really good thing because they won't talk about you until late January. But people don't really pay attention until you hit it big. Ohio State has one of the worst atmospheres in the league”
As for the rest of the Big Ten, Borzello’s Sales Pitch series has Maryland in the second tier; Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin in the third tier; Nebraska in the fourth tier; and Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers in the fifth and final tier.
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