Wright State Transfer Tanner Holden

We are still not over the buzz of Tanner Holden transfer news from the Wright State Raiders to the Ohio State Buckeye. The homegrown 6-foot-6 guard Ohio native from Wheelersburg, weighing 185 pounds, made the in-state transfer to the Buckeyes’ from Raiders, which might go down as one of the best college transfers to the team and for coach Chris Holtmann in 2022.

Tanner Holden Career at Wright State

After playing High School basketball in Wheelersburg, where he graduated 2019, Holden’s next career phase is at Wright State college, where he played for the Raiders. His Raiders spell lapsed between the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 seasons, where he had his best season in his last year with them. As a junior guard in his last season at Wright State, he averaged 20.1 points alongside 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists, ranking top 5 in the nation. His season was highlighted by the First Four NCAA win against Bryant, scoring 37 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 11 from 15 shots from the floor in a 93-82 win. Holden’s legacy as a Raiders will be remembered with being a two-time league honoree in the Horizon league and guiding them to the NCAA Tournament. Other personal records include starting 91 out of 92 games played, where he averaged 16.1 points with 6.9 rebounds on 53% shooting.

Transfer to Ohio State

Ohio State made this much needed transfer after some turbulent period in their squad. The transfer of Holden came at the back of his spectacular spell with the Raiders. He was snapped up by the Ohio State after entering the transfer portal on March 29, 2022. The announcement was made via his social media accounts when he made the Buckeye team. He has two seasons of eligibility to continue his college career.

What Does it mean for the Buckeyes this coming Basketball Season?

It is no secret that Tanner Holden is one of the best college basketball players and a good bargain. Offensively, he will break into most college basketball teams, not the least a team passing through a tough phase. The transfer of Holden to Ohio State is partly necessitated or fully by the departure of forward EJ Liddell and Malaki Braham, who just declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. These departures opened up gaps for attacking and playmaking needs, which Holden could fill. EJ Liddell and Branham used to make up their attacking threat, being Buckeyes’ top-two scorers, averaging 33.1 points per game combined. The good news is, the transfer of former Raiders’ guard, Holden, can improve this already depleted attack, giving them another versatile threat on the perimeter. And with the success he had with Wright State, nothing to say he cannot replicate it with the Buckeyes or better it. He should be able to bring as much contributions as his predecessors or more, starting as the shooting guard or second offense option. It is going to be a long competitive season for the Buckeyes, but the transfer of Holden is a step in the right direction for Ohio State. He will help them challenge at all fronts, one of the things he knows how to do best.