Last Year: 22-14; 9-11, Ninth in the Big Ten Conference, lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT
Head Coach: Jake Diebler (First full season; 8-3 as interim coach last year)
Projected Starting Lineup
PG Bruce Thornton – 6’2″, 215 Junior
G Meechie Johnson, Jr – 6’2″, 185 Senior
W Micah Parrish – 6’6″, 205 5th-year Senior
F Sean Stewart – 6’9″, 220 Sophomore
C Aaron Bradshaw – 7’1″, 215 Sophomore
Experienced Reserves
G Ques Glover – 6’0″, 185 5th-year Senior
G Taison Chatman – 6’4″, 175 Sophomore
W Evan Mahaffey – 6’6″, 200 Junior
F Devin White – 6’6″, 220 Sophomore
Freshmen
G John ‘Juni’ Mobley, Jr – 6’1″, 175 / Top 50 recruit
W Colin White – 6’6″, 205
C Ivan Njegovan – 7’1″, 250 / Croatia
After a couple of frustrating seasons, things are starting to look up for Ohio State basketball. And not just because their alumni team won the million-dollar prize as champions of this summer’s The Basketball Tournament.
It’s been an up-and-down decade for Buckeye hoops. Chris Holtman, the guy brought in after legendary head coach Thad Matta’s star faded, won 25 games in his debut, but stumbled to a 30-30 record since the 2022-23 campaign. He was let go in mid-February of last season, and the reins were handed off to his assistant, Jake Diebler.
Wouldn’t you know it, Ohio State went right out and beat second-ranked Purdue to celebrate the coaching change. Under Diebler, the Buckeyes finished strong. They went 5-1 to finish the regular season, and won a pair of contests in the NIT as well. Diebler had his interim tag removed, got a new contract, and hit the transfer portal to re-mold the team that’s now his. There are going to be plenty of prominent new faces – some more familiar than others – this time around, as Diebler and his new staff attracted both proven stars and promising youngsters. The best thing Diebler did, though, was keep Bruce Thornton, Ohio State’s MVP the past two seasons and a rising star at the point.
A starter since the moment he donned a Buckeye jersey, Thornton has done nothing but impress during his first two seasons. Now, the junior is poised to become one of the Big Ten’s best players. Through his first two years, Thornton has done it all for Ohio State offensively. He stepped out as a serious scorer last winter, hitting for 24 or more points seven times and ranking ninth in the league in points. Thornton is a powerful guard who’s difficult to stop from getting downhill. He’s got a dangerous pull-up jumper, and Thornton can get to it a variety of ways. Last year, he shot a reliable 42.9% on all off-the-bounce jumpers, per Synergy Sports. What’s more, the threat of Thornton stopping his dribble and sticking a quick shot consistently lures defenders away from other Buckeyes. As a ballhandler and decision-maker, Thornton has been outstanding; he ranked second in America with a sparkling 4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio as a sophomore. Thornton halls done all of that with opposing defenders keying on him incessantly. If Diebler has indeed found more help for him up and down the lineup, Thornton should shine like never before.
Last year, one of Ohio State’s primary problems was that they really only had three scoring threats: Thornton, departed guard Roddy Gayle, and graduated wing Jamison Battle. This year, Diebler is hoping that he can get more of the guys cooking at the same time more often. Thornton’s top running mate figures to be someone that Buckeye fans already know, former Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson. After spending his first two seasons as a reserve in Columbus, Johnson transferred to South Carolina and became an integral part of the Gamecocks’ revival. While he may not be a tremendous volume scorer, Johnson is a great blend of qualities coaches look for in a veteran guard. He can shoot the three, makes big shots, passes crisply and intelligently, and Johnson showed a flair for making head’s-up plays at South Carolina. Now, Diebler is looking forward to that maturity and leadership from Johnson this year.
“I’ve been really impressed with his consistency in those areas since he’s been here,” Diebler marveled this summer. The coach has an ulterior motive in bringing Meechie Johnson back; he’s got a highly-regarded cousin still in high school named Marcus Johnson, and Diebler would love to see both talented guards suit up for his Buckeyes. For his part, Meechie Johnson is focused on the here and now – and the future he’s anticipating alongside Thornton is as bright as can be.
“Me and Bruce will be one of the best backcourts in the nation this year,” Johnson enthused at a press conference in June. He will bring a tough mindset and intensity on the defensive end, and like the departed Gayle, Johnson is a strong playmaker who should allow Thornton to hunt his looks off the ball on occasion. He wasn’t quite on Thornton’s level, but Johnson took good care of the ball with 95 assists and just 52 turnovers in his 33 games last winter. This year, the Buckeyes would love to get the best outside shooting that Johnson can do. As strong a two-way presence as he is, Johnson has never made 40% of his shots over the course of a full season, and his career rate from downtown of 32.8% could stand to improve. Johnson has shown that he can operate as a top scorer, but has remained streaky despite the growth from the rest of his game. How consistently he can take the pressure off of Thornton will go a good way towards measuring the impact of his homecoming.
“Me and Bruce will be one of the best backcourts in the nation this year.”
– Meechie Johnson, Jr
Up front, there have been nearly wholesale changes. The talent that’s been brought in, though, was ranked near the top of last year’s freshman class, and Diebler has big expectations for sophomore bigs Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw. At Duke last year, Stewart debuted off the bench and struggled to expand that role. Still, he produced when he saw the floor, and Stewart flashed some skills that will play immediately. Like Texas A&M forward Henry Coleman III, Stewart left the Blue Devils an energetic rebounder who hadn’t quite figured out the rest of his game. Now, like Coleman, Stewart is looking to blossom elsewhere.
A high-energy rebounder who can make a highly disruptive impact defensively, Stewart will earn the minutes to develop his offensive repertoire on the job. With tremendous athleticism, length, and a high-revving motor, Stewart can guard a great range of post players. He’s not a big who has to be hidden in drop coverages, either – Stewart can move, and even checks some wing players. As an impact defender who also gets his mitts on all sorts of passes and shot attempts, Stewart can swing momentum – and get quickly to the other end of the floor to cash in a bucket.
Last year, he piled up 44 offensive rebounds and 16 putback tries in an average of just over eight minutes per contest. In fact, in his limited run, Stewart produced a host of numbers which look elite; his 19.3% offensive rebounding rate and 24.4% mark on defensive rebounds would have landed Stewart among the nation’s best if posted over considerably more minutes. Stewart also made 57.1% of his shots, and he threw down 14 dunks among his 36 made field goals. If he can maintain such efficiency for upwards of 25 minutes as a sophomore, Stewart should emerge as a consistent double-double guy and one of the Big Ten’s most abrasive defenders.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 76.7% – Team Free Throw Percentage (30th) |
| 7.1 – Team 3FG Made Per Game (217th) |
| 46.9% – Opponent 2FG Percentage (43rd) |
| 5.6 – Steals Per Game (282nd) |
| 4.6 – Blocks Per Game (40th) |
Some of that same potential to make a major impact lives inside Bradshaw. At a lanky 7’1″, Bradshaw has unbelievable reach and can influence the play well outside of his area. He can also shoot the three, has soft hands and sometimes Bradshaw shows a veteran’s feathery touch near the rim. It all just needs to come together, and for Bradshaw to find consistency. His effort level has been questioned both in high school and with the Wildcats last winter, not the tag which young bigs like to be saddled with. An injury to begin his UK career didn’t help to get Bradshaw on track immediately as a rookie, and now, Bradshaw will look to put questions about his tenacity and desire to rest. Outdoing Stewart, an even higher percentage of Bradshaw’s made field goals (16 of 37) last year were dunks. The face-up talent which saw him try 14 triples, though, sets Bradshaw apart from most players at his size. If he can play assertively in the lane while demonstrating the most effort of his career, the sky will be Bradshaw’s only limit. This year, Diebler & Co are hoping to have front row seats to Bradshaw’s breakout.
With the arrival of San Diego State veteran Micah Parrish and return of Evan Mahaffey, there is experience and a whole lot of defense on the wing. Both players have done their best work thus far by playing mostly a support role, but each brings a similar type of unselfish mentality and desire to do whatever’s needed to win.
A Michigan native who played for Oakland before heading out to the West Coast, Parrish has established his reputation as a quick, lithe, sticky defender. With the Aztecs, he had hoped to emerge as a consistent deep threat to go along with all of his defensive skills, but that never quite materialized. He can certainly make triples; Parrish has rattled home at least 47 three-pointers each of the past three seasons. It’s just that his percentage from distance, which had been a combined 35.2% over his first three years, sank to 29.2% last winter, and Parrish hasn’t really had a go-to secondary offensive skill. If he can nudge that rate back over the 35% mark, Parrish will be a valuable addition as an offensive floor-spacer. A savvy passer who rarely gives away a possession at either end of the floor, Parrish is the sort of smart, reliable veteran that Diebler can count on to already understand what’s needed in any situation.
Similar things can be said of Mahaffey, who is a slightly more physical jack-of-all-trades on the perimeter. He’s not as accomplished an outside shooter as Parrish, but Mahaffey still started 35 games last year. That’s largely because he can cover a wide range of offensive players, doesn’t make bone-headed plays, and always goes full-bore. He’s got good vision and will make slick passes on occasion, but Mahaffey needs to find something that becomes his go-to thing offensively. A wing defender who can block shots or start the break with a steal, Mahaffey does make impact plays, they’re just somewhat few and far between. He may lose out on some minutes with Parrish’s arrival, but if Mahaffey keeps bringing all of those intangibles and guarding, he will play.
There’s real potential in a lineup built upon those players, but the need for scoring remains. Given that Diebler was staring down the barrel of having only two proven scorers after three weren’t enough last season, something more was needed. That extra pizazz won’t be Taison Chatman – at least until next year. The ballyhooed young combo guard was hurt most of his freshman year, and now he’ll miss the upcoming season after tearing his ACL. So, this summer, Diebler went back to the portal, where he hopes to have found ‘something more’ in former Samford scorer Ques Glover.
Two years ago, Glover was coming off back-to-back All-SoCon seasons for BuckyBall. He’s a scoring guard who can play on or off the ball, and as a junior had made great strides as a point guard. His fourth year featured injury and inconsistency, though, and Glover hit the portal in anticipation of using his fifth year of eligibility elsewhere. After committing to BYU but then switching to Kansas State, Glover ended up not playing at all last year due to a lower-body injury. So what exactly will the Buckeyes be getting? Entering his sixth year, Glover has the potential to play big minutes as the top reserve at either guard spot, depending on how things shake out. He can shoot, but Glover’s deep ball was largely streaky in the past. He has been more comfortable off the bounce, and like Thornton, Glover’s pull-up jumper can be a weapon – he made a strong 46.1% from mid-range as a Bulldog. Diebler will need to see smart passes and good shot selection from his newest veteran, and hopes that Glover can return to his high-scoring form from Samford.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N Auburn – December 14 |
| N Kentucky – December 21 |
| N Texas – November 4 |
| @ Texas A&M – November 15 |
| vs Pittsburgh – November 29 |
With Chatman shelved, John ‘Juni’ Mobley, Jr, will get his chance to be the young guard who shines. Helpfully, Mobley is a Top 50 recruit, and has the talent and confidence to play immediately. An accomplished shooter in the prep ranks, Mobley can get his shot whenever he wants and has the deep range to change the flow of a game on just a couple of possessions. If he can take a cue from Thornton, making smart reads and good decisions right off the bat, Mobley could wind up playing quite a bit. Mobley’s addition rounds out a core-four of guards which should be able to withstand the loss of Chatman. If sharpshooting freshman wing Colin White is ready to help out quickly, too, it will be a bonus. Diebler is excited to see what they can do, and said so this summer. “I’m so excited about what our backcourt can be. It’s going to drive our season all year long.”
Also hoping to give the Buckeyes some scoring punch off the bench will be sophomore Devin Royal. The 6’6″ freshman has added noticeable strength since arriving on campus, and is beginning to put together a few different skills offensively. After playing 10+ minutes just four times before late January, Royal got his chance to play later in the year, and under Diebler, he began to show growth. Over Ohio State’s final nine games, Royal averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 boards on 51.8% shooting. He’s got some genuine savvy and patience near the basket, and that’s a foundation he can build upon. While he couldn’t extend his range effectively out to the three-point arc as a rookie, Royal has put in considerable effort on his jumper this summer. Freshman Ivan Njegovan, from Croatia, and sophomore Austin Parks, who barely played last year, will also look to carve out minutes, but Diebler and his staff are hoping they won’t have to rely upon them too much.
The Buckeyes don’t have the same ridiculous depth of proven players that some power conference teams have piled up. What they have is experience and winning pedigree on the perimeter and tremendous, top-rated potential in the frontcourt. What’s more, guys like Johnson and Parrish haven’t just been on winning teams; they’ve helped their side to reach new levels of success. There will be plenty of opportunities for résumé wins before B1G play begins, also, as the Buckeyes face heavyweights like Kentucky, Texas, Auburn, and Texas A&M away from Columbus.
With those opportunities and advantages, is this the right blend to help Diebler and his staff get back into the NCAA Tournament after a recent history studded with frustrating campaigns? Not just the players, but Diebler & Co will be out to prove themselves this winter. If injuries strike – or Stewart and Bradshaw don’t take significant steps – things could get dicey, but if all goes to plan, Ohio State could make a move back towards the right side of a tougher, deeper Big Ten.
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