The losses, in a vacuum, could prove to be much ado about nothing. On a Saturday night at Assembly Hall, most teams won’t win when their two primary guards combine to go 7 for 34 from the floor and miss all 12 of their 3-point attempts. Then on a Wednesday night, an unranked team took a loss to the No. 15 team in the nation.

The problem for Ohio State, among a few others, is that those losses come with context and baggage. Most pressingly, the Buckeyes are a season removed from a January that submarined any postseason hopes when they lost seven of their final eight as part of a longer stretch of sustained losing.

It wasn’t much fun for anyone involved, and the offseason was filled with talk of lessons learned, of scar tissue earned and the belief that brighter days were ahead. Wednesday night, though, Ohio State dropped its second straight game, this one an 11-point loss to the Badgers. It followed a weekend loss to the Hoosiers, meeting the bare minimum definition of a losing streak.

Ohio State has lost two straight and is staring at a road game at Michigan next on the schedule. The Buckeyes haven’t won a road game since New Year’s Day last year. Is there reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last?

“I have a high-level belief in this team, I really do,” coach Chris Holtmann said after the 71-60 loss to the Badgers. “I’m being completely honest: I have a high-level belief in what we’re doing and the fact that we’re going to grow. Last year is last year. This is a different group. The leadership is different.”

The task at hand is to turn that into something that puts last year’s spell of 14 losses in 15 games in the past. Holtmann has not officially named captains this season, but sophomore Bruce Thornton and fifth-year Minnesota graduate transfer Jamison Battle have represented the team for pregame captain’s meetings and seem to share the title even without the name.

In two years at George Washington and two more at Minnesota, Battle’s teams have accumulated a record of 39-71. In the Big Ten, Battle had gone 6-33 with the Golden Gophers before transferring to Ohio State largely for an opportunity to reach March Madness for the first time. These two losses haven’t changed his views on the likelihood of that happening, and the veteran said he'll be using his voice more going forward.

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“The group of guys we have, we’re all willing to challenge each other and push each other,” he said. “That’s what’s special about this group. When things are getting tough, we have to come together and want it more. That’s what the challenge is for us to step up for this next game, and I think we’re all going to be ready and hungry for that challenge.”

The record through 16 games is two games better than last year’s 10-6 start to the season and the adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ratings are better than they were last season as measured by KenPom.com. The Buckeyes are shooting a little worse (45.0% compared to 48.2%) and teams are shooting a slightly better percentage against the Buckeyes (41.6% compared to 40.8%) compared to a year ago, but Ohio State is assisting on 55.8% of its makes compared to 45.1% at this point last year.

There’s obvious room for improvement. Roddy Gayle is battling some sophomore growing pains. Ohio State’s bench has produced little offensive production. Wisconsin posted an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 119.3 points per 100 possessions, the worst mark allowed by the Buckeyes this season. Ohio State has lost 11 straight road games.

Fifteen Big Ten games remain. Each is a chance for the Buckeyes to show that they aren’t an echo of last year’s 16-19 team. The next one arrives Monday in Ann Arbor.

“We’ve got to be able to finish plays, but I’ve really got a high-level belief in this group,” Holtmann said. “I can’t emphasize that enough. Doesn’t mean we’re not going to have some struggles, but I really do think the challenge for us now as coaches and players is to learn from this, take some of the positives that were real in this, feel the disappointment and have it challenge us in the areas we need to be better in.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Chris Holtmann: 'I have a high-level belief' Ohio State will improve