GREENVILLE, S.C. — The whiteboard inside Ohio State’s locker room bore a remnant from Jake Diebler’s halftime speech. Scrawled in all capital letters with black dry-erase marker was the word “FIGHT!” The Buckeyes hadn’t shown enough of it in the first half of their NCAA Tournament first-round game against TCU. They needed more of it to survive.
The imagery illustrates a frustrating dichotomy with Diebler, with any young coach.
He needed to dig into his players after the first 20 minutes because they showed up looking unprepared for TCU’s defensive tenacity and put themselves in a 15-point hole at the break. The early lackluster play was a reflection of coaching. Those same players responded well to the messaging after the break, playing more inspired for most of the next 20 minutes, briefly taking a lead, and nearly pulling off the comeback. That, likewise, reflects coaching. Diebler didn’t nail the pregame prep, but he pushed the right buttons to rally his team.
It reeks of inexperience. That, more than anything, cost Ohio State a longer stay in March Madness.