Fuck you Lyle
Lyle and Loving spurring on a solid L to 2-5 Florida Atlantic...
They personify the lack of player development that has been startling for many years now. So many guys leaving with the exact same weaknesses that they entered with.
Such a dumb team for being a very veteran group by today's standards.
2015 was the killer not only because of the transfers (which, in reality, all the guys who left suck, but it's never good to lose that much of your current roster) but because of who they missed on. There were *two* five star players in Ohio for the 2015 cycle (Luke Kennard and Carlton Bragg) and they lost out on both because those guys chose more traditional blue blood programs (Duke and Kansas, respectively).
I just don't know how it gets better. They're recruiting Ohio much harder now, but the guys who are committed in those classes are going to require a great deal of development, which we know is also an issue. The program is spinning its wheels right now and it's hard to be at all positive or optimistic.
It's a tough balancing act, but Ohio State needs to find a way to keep kids in state (in fairness, Kennard was always going to Duke), while also expanding their efforts nationally. This is Ohio State we're talking about. With their resources, they shouldn't be resigned to hoping for some stud kids who are Ohio State all the way (Sullinger/Russell). Go find the best players in the nation, and get them here. It doesn't have to be on Kentucky/Duke levels, but if you pull in top 20 classes year in and year out mixed with 1 stud class from time to time, your program will look pretty good.
They've noticed this flaw too, look out a few years and you'll see they're trying to put a wall up around the state.
Kaleb Wesson in 2017
Darius Bazely, Justin Ahrens and Dane Goodwin in 2018
Then attack the national guys.
I'm less concerned with in-state, and more concerned with their national efforts.