Ohio State’s Joey Lane is the type of player every coach wants

Eight games. Eight points. Three rebounds. Two assists. One steal. One turnover. A mere 25 percent field goal percentage.

The stat line doesn’t appear to be one from a player that has done much through 19 games for the Ohio State Buckeyes, does it? Well, a player’s importance to a team—no matter what sport it is—doesn’t always come down to what they provide in the box score. Ohio State guard Joey Lane is a perfect example of that. He provides so much, most of which will never end up on a stat sheet and can’t be counted.

No matter what sport, every player has his own role; a role that they can succeed in and help the team, whether they are the star or the last player on the bench. Lane’s role isn’t to fill up the stat sheet, the former walk-on knows that he isn’t on the team to provide something that people will see in the box score or in see in a game recap. To the average fan, a player like Lane may seem pointless in terms of the team’s success. But that’s far from true for the junior guard.

His freshman year, Lane was a walk-on for the Buckeyes. While putting in as much time in practice, traveling, and whatever else he had to do with the team, the guard wasn’t doing it on a scholarship. Keep in mind, the Deerfield, Illinois native was one of the best players on his basketball team in high school. Now, he’s a walk-on while the majority of his either teammates were going to school for free, but you would have never known that he was paying his way through school just like every other non-athlete was.

He never made his teammates feel any pity for him. Instead, Lane began helping his team in whatever way he could both on and off the court, in practice or during a game. Luckily for him, his hard work was recognized by former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta when Lane was place on a full scholarship prior to his sophomore year. That moment, along with just being on the team, is why Lane is grateful for the opportunity that was given to him. He explained his emotions following being given the scholarship while talking to Buckeye Grove’s Andrew Zoldan last May.

“I honestly still don’t believe it,” Lane said of the scholarship. “I feel that the stuff I did not on the basketball court for this team paid off, and to know the coaches saw all my hard work means a lot.

“This is my dream and I’m super happy and super thankful every day that I’m where I love, doing what I love, and my future is very bright because of this university.”

Lane even took to Twitter to show how grateful he is to be a Buckeye,

If Ohio State is a possibility for you, don't turn down the opportunity of a lifetime at the greatest university in the world…

— Joey Lane (@JoeySmoke14) August 8, 2017

He could have went to a Division II or III school and received plenty of playing time. Instead, he chose to come to Columbus and be part of one of the most recognized programs in the country. Prior to this season, Lane opened up to Zoldan about how lucky he is and how he’s living the dream as a member of the Buckeyes.

“It’s my dream to be playing here, at a program with tons of former NBA Players, amazing coaches and being able to travel around the country,” Lane said of being on the Buckeyes. “It’s a once in a lifetime thing and I’m thankful I didn’t turn it down,” Lane said.

The only numbers that matter to him are the amount of wins his team has. But whether it’s in practice or on the bench during games, Lane’s ability to cheer on his team is something that can’t be counted. Unless you’re at the game and actually see him do it or the television cameras catch him on the sidelines, the things Lane does may even go unnoticed to much of the world, too. But head coach Chris Holtmann notices, and there’s a reason why Lane is rewarded with playing time late in a game that the Buckeyes are either up big or down by a lot, the former seems to be the case so far this season.

That became most apparent during Ohio State’s 91-69 thrashing of Maryland Thursday night in Columbus. With the Buckeyes having such a big lead, Holtmann put his team’s biggest supporter in the game to receive some much-deserved playing time. Just seconds into his appearance, the guard got an opportunity to score and he made the most of it. After receiving a pass, Lane shot-faked his defender, opening up a wide-open three-pointer. In what was a perfect way to finish the night, he knocked down the three, a moment when fans inside the Schottenstein Center seemed to be the loudest they had been all game.

Ohio State just dominated Maryland to improve to 5-0 in the Big Ten, but the loudest the Schott was all night was when @JoeySmoke11 knocked down a three with two minutes left. Maryland was so scared of what he’d do next that they double-teamed him on Ohio State’s next possession.

— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 12, 2018

https://twitter.com/AllaireMatt/status/951636105052479488

Sometimes it’s not all about the numbers on the box score. Lane is supportive of his teammates, whether it’s in good times or bad. When a big play happens, you can immediately look over to the sidelines and see him jumping up and down, waving a towel, or just celebrating with other team members, showing how excited he is. He doesn’t hold anything back, and that’s what makes him special.

Lane knows that—unless something drastic happens—he will never play any significant minutes. In his third season with donning the scarlet and gray, he has totaled 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 19 games during his career. Even though that’s the case, it doesn’t bother him. He plays his role, a role that is to make his teammates better even though he’s on the sidelines. His energy, enthusiasm, work ethic, and ability to stay positive brings more to the team than many realize. He knows that he won’t get some of the opportunities the other players on the team receive, but he doesn’t let that bother him.

“There may be times when I get a couple less practice reps or a little less attention from the coaches, but I know my place and my part on the team,” he said of his role on the team.

“In the games, I have to be an energy guy and be people to help the players understand how the game is being played,” he said. “In the huddle I need to keep everyone positive. Sometimes players don’t want to hear from the coaches, so sometimes I need to put my arm around a player and tell him he’s fine.”

Somehow, while rarely ever seeing the floor and not wanting to be in the spotlight, he has turned into one of the most vocal leaders on the team while continuing to bring plenty of humor, energy, and happiness to the Buckeyes. Although Lane will never fill up the stat sheet, his enthusiasm, support, and energy on the bench makes him one of the most important players on the team—a player that every coach would love to have on his team.

Whether it’s on Twitter, where he started the #TowelGang movement, celebrating on the sidelines, or knocking down a three-pointer when given the opportunity, Lane is a fan-favorite in Columbus simply because he has fun, a fan favorite that may just be a coach’s favorite as well.