COLUMBUS — Ohio State basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament last season, ending a three-year absence from March Madness. Now, head coach Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes are looking to build on that progress in 2026–27.
Ohio State finished 21-13 overall and 12-8 in Big Ten play before falling to TCU, 66-64, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes nearly erased a 15-point halftime deficit in that game, but came up just short.
The Buckeyes enter the new season with a different-looking roster following the departure of several important contributors, including longtime guard Bruce Thornton. Diebler has added experienced transfers and talented freshmen to a team that still has plenty of questions to answer.
Mobley Takes Over as Offensive Leader
With Thornton gone, junior guard John Mobley Jr. becomes the most established scorer on Ohio State's roster.
Mobley averaged 15.7 points and 2.8 assists last season while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. He made 97 three-pointers, the fourth-most in a single season in school history, and enters this season with 174 career three-pointers.
The Reynoldsburg native was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team earlier this month. His shooting will remain an important part of Ohio State's offense, but he'll also be asked to shoulder more responsibility with Thornton no longer running the show.
Sophomore forward Amare Bynum is another important returning player. Bynum finished his freshman season strongly, scoring in double figures in seven of Ohio State's final 10 games. He also recorded 12 points and nine rebounds in the Buckeyes' NCAA Tournament appearance against TCU.
New Faces Bring Experience and Size
Diebler added several transfers to help replace the production Ohio State lost during the offseason.
Guard Justin Pippen arrives from California, where he averaged 14.2 points and 4.6 assists last season. Pippen started all 32 games for the Golden Bears and earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition. His experience as a scorer and distributor should help Ohio State establish its backcourt rotation.
The Buckeyes also added Curtis Givens III, who previously played at LSU and Memphis, and Jimmie Williams, a Solon native who arrives after stops at South Florida and Duquesne.
In the frontcourt, Ohio State welcomes 6-foot-11 Andrija Jelavic from Kentucky. Jelavic averaged 5.5 points and four rebounds last season while appearing in 32 games for the Wildcats. He joins 7-foot-2 Ivan Njegovan and 6-foot-10 Josh Ojianwuna, giving the Buckeyes several options inside.
Ohio State also added 6-foot-9 Lee Aaliya, an international prospect from Argentina who was declared eligible for the 2026–27 season earlier this month.
Freshmen Anthony Thompson, Alex Smith, and LJ Smith add further depth. LJ Smith scored nine points and recorded two steals in Ohio State's exhibition loss to Cincinnati earlier this month.
The talent is there, but Diebler will need time to determine which combinations work best together.
Exhibition Loss Shows Work Remains
Ohio State's first public exhibition provided some early answers, along with a few concerns.
The Buckeyes fell to Cincinnati, 79-68, on October 7 at the CareSource Invitational in Mason. Ohio State led for much of the afternoon before the Bearcats took control late in the second half.
Mobley led the Buckeyes with 15 points and four assists, while Bynum added nine points and seven rebounds.
Cincinnati also outrebounded Ohio State, 45-35, and held a 48-32 advantage in points in the paint. Those numbers highlighted an area the Buckeyes will need to improve, particularly against the bigger teams on their schedule.
Ohio State has another opportunity to make adjustments Sunday when it hosts Butler in its final preseason exhibition.
A Challenging Schedule From the Start
The Buckeyes won't have much time to settle into the regular season.
Ohio State opens November 2 against BYU at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City before returning home to face Youngstown State and Marshall. A road trip to Connecticut follows November 13, with Vanderbilt visiting Columbus on November 24.
The Buckeyes will also face Kansas in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 19.
Big Ten play begins December 2 at Nebraska. Ohio State's conference schedule includes home matchups with Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan, along with road games against Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana.
The Buckeyes will also make a West Coast trip to face UCLA and USC in February before closing the regular season March 7 against Michigan in Columbus.
It's a schedule that should provide an early indication of whether Ohio State is ready to take another step forward under Diebler.
What Would Make This Season a Success?
After returning to the NCAA Tournament last season, Ohio State's next challenge is proving it can get there consistently.
Mobley gives the Buckeyes a dependable scorer, while Pippen and the other newcomers provide experience that should help offset the loss of Thornton. Bynum's continued development could also give Ohio State another reliable offensive option.
The bigger questions involve defense, rebounding, and how quickly the new players learn to work together. Ohio State cannot afford to rely entirely on outside shooting, particularly when facing the physical frontcourts common throughout the Big Ten.
A second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance would be a positive step for Diebler and the program. Competing for a stronger Big Ten finish and advancing beyond the tournament's opening round would show that last season's progress was only the beginning.
What's Next
Ohio State hosts Butler in its final exhibition Sunday, October 25, at the Schottenstein Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with the game available on B1G+.
The Buckeyes open the regular season Monday, November 2, against BYU at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
