When Preparation Meets Opportunity

Lessons Learned With Joey Lane

This past week, I was able to catch up with my friend and former classmate, Joey Lane. Joey has an interesting story – one that I know so many of you will benefit from reading about. He is a walking example that with hard work and dedication, we can achieve our dreams. He proved the theory surrounding how crucial it is to take advantage of opportunities as they’re presented to us. We discussed the former walk-on’s childhood, recruitment, time playing basketball for Ohio State, and everything in between.

TM: So for everyone that doesn’t know who you are, tell us a bit about yourself — where you’re from, the sports you played growing up, and how your healthy obsession with Ohio State started?

Joey: “Yeah, so I’m from Deerfield, Illinois, one of the northern suburbs of Chicago. Grew up playing just around everything but really gravitated towards basketball, baseball, and soccer. I always wanted to play more baseball than soccer; baseball and basketball were the major ones. After my sophomore year [at Deerfield High School], I decided to focus more on basketball. [I realized that] I have a lot more fun playing basketball year-round; I was more happy playing basketball.”

“I grew up with my sister [, and we were raised with my mom and dad. Our extended family are all really close, so it was fun growing up around a tight-knit family. I grew up a huge Ohio State [Buckeye] fan. I was born a Buckeye fan, [so it was] always the dream to go there. I realized pretty early on it wasn’t really attainable to play sports at Ohio State — I’m still trying to put the pieces together two years out how I ended up playing there.”

TM: Your upbringing- the area we grew up in, I’m sure being around so much success influenced you. Your parents are great people, and you have a great support system — what role did they play while growing up and helping you figure out “who Joey Lane is?”

Joey: “Yeah, it really shows the perfect example of how ‘luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ [I was able to learn that life is] all about the controllables. I took a few things from my dad and coaches to help [me] be successful and come to grips with how things are happening because you’ve done everything you could [in that moment]. I still use everything I learned in the real world (Joey is now a Sales Consultant for the private flight provider powerhouse, NetJets).”

TM: You made the Academic All-Big Ten three years in a row (in 2017, 2018, & 2019); how did your surroundings in Deerfield and around the North Shore influence you on and off the court? Did you have a favorite subject growing up?

Joey: “I took school seriously because I liked learning. My favorite subject was math because I was really good at it. I remember in 4-th grade, we got multiplication tables to see who could solve the problem the fastest. We took it as a class, and I won. I didn’t get any wrong. I remember being like, dang, I love math.”

TM: What about any life lessons that you learned from traveling to other cities or meeting/playing against other teams?

Joey: “Greatest thing that ever happened to me was that I played ball with guys from all over the state. I had a grasp of life outside of the North Shore bubble.’ I knew from an early age I wasn’t growing up in a normal place—[I was] very fortunate and knew I was going to have a meal every night. We lived in a bubble for 18 years. All the negativity that can come with growing up in that place? I was able to keep humble thanks to my parents.”

TM: So, now that the people know you were born to go to Ohio State, how did that dream become a reality? Can you talk about your recruiting process — did you have your heart set on a D1 program?

Joey: “I played on a really good AAU team; there were seven d1 players [on that team]. I played [on the] freshman [basketball team during my freshman year at Deerfield High School]. As a sophomore, I played on [the sophomore team]; I was an under-recruited guy. Playing on the sophomore [team was] probably the best thing that happened. I made varsity as a junior but didn’t play much. I was playing at showcase camps, mostly for high-level D3 colleges. Going into senior year, I didn’t want to leave gas in the tank, [I wanted] to play at the highest level. I went to high academic showcase camps and had become one of the highest regarded guards in D3 basketball.”

“The last camp I went to was the OSU camp [with Deerfield High School]. We went 8-0. At the end of the camp, some of Ohio State’s coaching staff wanted to meet the team from Illinois who beat all these Ohio teams. [My coach] Coach McKendrick told them about me and said, ‘here’s our guy. He’s the reason why we had such a great weekend.’ I stayed in touch [with a member of their coaching staff] and got a D2 level offer with their help — they reached out to a ton of coaches. [One day, I was like] ‘I would love to play for OSU, is that a possibility?’ One of the coaches said, ‘I’ll show the [other] coaches, and we'll see if that makes sense.’ I had a lot of momentum and ended up having a really, really good year (Joey was now a senior at Deerfield High School). Eventually, I had some really great opportunities, but turned them down to be a walk-on at OSU.”

TM: So, now you’re a member of Ohio State Men’s Basketball as a walk-on. Can you talk a little about what your mindset was as you transitioned from playing at Deerfield to having a different role on Coach Matta’s squad? What was your role on the team as a walk-on in general?

Joey: “[My mindset was] work just as, if not harder than everyone else. You’re not here for any other reason. The expectations were that I ‘gotta do really well in school, don’t expect any time on the court, [and that I] better make the guys better in practice. I took on being a great teammate because I wanted OSU to win really bad. I took it as a huge honor to represent the university. [Those] junior and senior years, you become a role model. You try to win every single drill and sprint, showing how to work hard. Always work your butt off, on and off the court, [but especially] don’t get in any trouble off the court.”

TM: Can you talk about your relationship with Coach Matta? It seems like you two have a pretty great one.

Joey: “He was a coach, but we understood our relationship was beyond basketball. He’d ask me my opinion on things like ‘hey, what do you think of this play?’ [Coach Matta] was more like a father or uncle figure. We talked about life outside of basketball. It was different than the relationship [he might have with] a 5-star point guard. Now it’s like adult-adult [type] talks about his kids and my parents. I grew up idolizing [Coach] Matta, so it’s even cooler. I’m forever indebted to him; he gave me the opportunity to live out my dreams. He deserves another chance [at coaching].”

TM: What was running through your mind when Coach Matta stepped down & Coach Holtmann got hired in 2017 — each coaching staff has their own vision of the “masterplan.” Did the change in coaching affect the locker room or mentality of the team?

Joey: “It was very clear they wanted to change the culture for the better. They were so collaborative with us. They made it clear that everything they wanted to do was going to be what was the best for us. It started at the top, especially with the players. Everyone bought in from the beginning. [The coaching staff] eased the pain and tension [that comes with a new coaching style]. When they said, ‘we’ll do everything in our power to allow you guys to leave a legacy and be successful’? That was probably the greatest thing that happened to us.”

TM: Can you go through what you were thinking about as soon as you were awarded a scholarship? It’s rare enough as it is for a walk-on to be awarded a scholarship, but it really says a lot about the player when a brand-new head coach not only honors a walk-on’s status on the team but allows you the chance to retain your scholarship.

Joey: “The first thing I thought of was ‘I gotta call my parents.’ I Could have gone somewhere closer and cheaper, but I got to say thank you in the form of ‘you don’t have to pay for college.’ Seeing that my hard work didn’t go unnoticed and that they respected me meant a lot.”

TM: How did getting named captain come around?

Joey: “I was 1 of 3 seniors. I had been very vocal my junior year. [When I got to my senior year, they were like] ‘here’s the steering wheel.’ The younger guys respected us. No tweet was put out to announce it or anything. It was very cool to be a guy who contributed in other ways, besides on the court.”

TM: You’ve mentioned before that you think that 2017-18 team was the best you played on; can you go into some more detail? Keita Bates-Diop was the Big Ten Player of the Year, so we know that definitely helped get some separation, but what was the feeling like in the locker room during that time?

Joey: “It was the only time in 4 years when before every game we were super prepared, but the difference was we were super talented. We went into games believing that we were going to win. There were guys that worked their butt off to be in their position, and we had guys who were really, really good and guys with chips on their shoulders. [There was also a] really good coaching staff. Our best players were our best leaders who trusted and believed in everything. Everything they did, they did for the team — we wanted each other to do well, [nobody had] hidden agendas. We knew we belonged.”

TM: Did you notice any similar qualities from other successful teams you’ve been part of with that 2017-18 Ohio State team?

Joey: “Everyone buying in, being happy for other guys [and their] success, and not being selfish. When I scored, I would see the bench go nuts — the bench going nuts was really cool. Seeing other guys be happy for others and doing whatever it takes for the team’s success were the big ones for us.”

TM: How did you manage the stress that comes with playing in front of so many people live, knowing there are even more watching on TV?

Joey: “I had nothing to lose; I had a unique luxury. I went in games wanting to prove something, and that all comes back to trusting myself in my preparation. I had a lot of confidence — every time I shot, I thought it was going in. You have to trust that you’re outworking everyone else and that it was going to work out because ‘I deserved it.’ In terms of basketball, ‘I’m gonna do something to the best of my ability; otherwise, it’s a waste of time.’ [You] don’t take it for granted [because] you love doing it.”

TM: What’s your relationship with Mental Skills Training been like? Ohio State has always been pretty advanced in their methods of ways to make their teams successful.

Joey: “My junior year [of high school], there was a lot of frustration. My dad helped me make a mantra: ‘P.H.-P.H.’ — ‘Positive & Healthy-Preparation & Hard work.’ I took it into sales too — you’re not gonna make every single one [of your sales]. [I was taught to] put in the time to make sure you’ve exhausted all your options. ‘Control what you can control. [For us, that meant we] ‘can control the defensive assignment [we were given] and how we prepare for it.”

TM: Any common characteristics of the high performers that you’ve been able to play with over the years?

Joey: “There’s hard work, and then there’s HARD WORK. The unique group of guys that take any time they have and take advantage of it, like Jalen Brunson (2x NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament champion and Lane’s childhood friend). There’s only 1 % of people that are really outworking [other] people.”

TM: How have you managed your transition away from sport?

Joey: “It’s not been easy. You lose that sense of direction which is hard. It’s hard to replicate what a sports team is. You feel more alone; you just don’t feel like in the trenches [with your teammates]. But, there are still early mornings and opportunities to work out [or get better at something].

TM: Any words of advice can you give any student-athletes who might be going through it right now?

Joey: “Take pride in your journey because everyone is different. Look yourself in the mirror because you’re the best you can be. Control what you can control. You want to be so prepared that when the opportunity comes up, you’ll do a good job. Take pride in your work, your journey. What you’re doing — take pride in that.

I cannot stress enough how much of a class act Joey has always been to everyone he meets. It stems from his parents teaching both Joey and his sister to do the right thing and be good people. Joey’s parents, Scott and Nancy, should feel extremely proud of the type of person Joey turned out to be. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then to learn that Joey had almost a cult-like following during his reign at Ohio State. The fans at most schools love seeing walk-ons get playing time, but with Smoke, it always seemed different. Ohio State’s fans went nuts whenever there was an opportunity for Joey to get in the game. “Towel Gang” was something that blew up, with him always wearing a towel around his neck on the bench, to the point where his “Towel Gang” t-shirts are still a hot commodity (check out the link on our Instagram bio to snag one!) almost two years after playing in his final game. It’s because of his passion for Ohio State and for being the best teammate he can be. People recognize that. There’s a reason why he was the first preferred walk-on in the history of Ohio State Men’s Basketball. Somebody doesn’t just get that handed to them. O-H.

You can listen to Joey as a co-host on both podcasts Drive The Lane and on Inside TBT. You can find them on all major streaming platforms.