Taison Chatman’s opportunity may finally be here for Ohio State basketball

For most of the season, Taison Chatman has existed on the fringes of Ohio State’s rotation. Visible on the bench, active in warmups, but rarely part of the nightly plan. That changed against Penn State.

With Gabe Cupps sidelined, Chatman was thrust into real minutes, and for the first time all season, he made them matter.

In 17 minutes, the redshirt sophomore guard scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc. The production wasn’t flashy, but it was efficient, timely, and came within the flow of Ohio State’s offense.

This was not a breakout in the traditional sense. It didn’t redefine the rotation overnight or demand a permanent reshuffle. But it may have been something more important that Jake Diebler has been looking for all season from the bench unit, proof of concept.

Ohio State’s issue all season has not been its starters. The Buckeyes’ top five have carried the load offensively, often to the point of necessity. The problem has been everything behind them, a bench that has struggled to score, struggled to create advantages, and too often struggled to simply keep the offense afloat.

Chatman offers something rare on this roster outside the starting group, natural scoring instincts. He is comfortable shooting in rhythm, willing to attack closeouts, and capable of creating just enough separation to keep defenses honest.

Against Penn State, he didn’t force possessions or hunt shots. He let the game come to him, spacing the floor, cutting with purpose, and capitalizing when the defense collapsed elsewhere.

That matters. Ohio State does not need Chatman to be a primary creator. They need him to be a stabilizer, someone who can come off the bench, knock down an open three, punish overplays, and prevent the offense from stalling when the starters need a break. Even modest production in that role would represent a meaningful upgrade for a team fighting for postseason positioning.

Defensively, Chatman held his own. He wasn’t a stopper, but he competed, stayed connected, and avoided being targeted. For a player trying to earn trust in a short rotation, that alone is significant. Jake Diebler has consistently prioritized defensive reliability from his guards, and Chatman did nothing to jeopardize that standard.

The looming question is what happens when Cupps returns. The safe assumption is that Chatman’s minutes shrink again. But performances like this complicate that decision. When a team lacks bench scoring, and a player shows he can provide it without breaking structure, coaches tend to find ways to keep him involved.

Ohio State’s margin for error remains thin. Every possession, every rotation decision, every offensive drought matters. Chatman may not be a solution, but he could be a release valve.

For a team that has spent much of the season searching for one, that alone makes his emergence worth watching.