CHRIS HOLTMANN SAYS DALE BONNER SHOWED “CRITICAL” GROWTH IN SHOOTING, TRANSITION FOR OHIO STATE AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN
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Andy Anders on November 19, 2023 at 9:12 pm
@andyanders55
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Dale Bonner’s 11 points and two assists against Western Michigan symbolized much more than a contribution to Ohio State’s 73-56 win against the Broncos on Sunday.
One of the storylines somewhat lost in the shuffle early in the season for the Buckeyes is their lack of depth at guard. Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. are both expected to be – and so far have been – stars for the squad in 2023-24, but there’s a stark lack of ballhandlers off the bench for Ohio State.
That’s why Bonner’s development as a showrunner and shooter in relief is so vital.
“Until Taison (Chatman) gets fully healthy and we see how he’s coming along, you’re right, it’s critical,” Chris Holtmann said. “He’s important for us, he knows that. He’s got to keep developing, he’s got to keep getting better. He’s got to keep playing to his strengths and impacting the game as we know he can. So yeah, he’s a really important part of this group.”
Bonner collected his 11 points primarily through an efficient 3-for-5 performance from three, two of those makes coming during a
7-for-10 start for the Buckeyes from distance that helped them jump out to a 30-9 lead that kept Western Michigan at bay the rest of the way.
“I don’t think anything was different, I just continued to play with confidence,” Bonner said. “Just play hard every time I step on the floor. Today I hit shots, it was a good day.”
His other major contribution, Holtmann said, came in Ohio State’s transition game. The Buckeyes scored 10 fastbreak points and 16 total off Bronco turnovers, fueled in part by 10 steals on defense.
“I liked his pace today, his speed’s terrific,” Holtmann said. “I liked his shot prep and shot readiness today off of some of their gaps. (As a former) Michigan State assistant (Western Michigan head coach Dwayne Stephens) does a great job, it’s a highly gapped-up defense. I thought (Bonner) punched some gaps and he also had a great shot prep and playing off penetration.”
Bonner added that the Buckeyes’ improved transition offense against Western Michigan came as a result of improved chemistry as the team’s new faces – himself included after he transferred to Ohio State from Baylor this offseason – have jelled through the first two weeks of the season.
“I just think (we were) finding each other,” Bonner said. “The more we play with each other and get comfortable, we’ll show that even more. Our coaches always tell us to push the ball whether we make or miss, just fly around and try to find each other and get each other going.”
Scoring 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from three and fueling a strong night in transition, Dale Bonner showed growth that is “critical” as Ohio State’s top bench ballhandler.
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