Despite whatever nonsense Jim Harbaugh may think on the subject, no one is born on third base.
Rather, no matter what someone chooses to do in life, it takes time to become good at it. Nothing is simply handed to you. It takes patience, effort, trial and error, and perhaps most importantly, the willingness to learn from mistakes until competency—and eventually mastery—begins to emerge.
Coaching is no different.
Ohio State hopes last season's competency becomes this season's mastery as Jake Diebler enters his third full year leading the Buckeyes. He'll do so with what appears to be his deepest—and perhaps most talented—roster since taking over the program.
Returning contributors John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum provide continuity in the backcourt. The Buckeyes also added several experienced transfers, including Justin Pippen, while welcoming five-star freshmen Anthony Thompson and LJ Smith. Add in the late signing of Argentine forward Lee Aaliya, and Ohio State has assembled a roster capable of taking a meaningful step forward.
The same could be said for its head coach.
As every Buckeye fan knows, getting here hasn't been a perfectly smooth journey.
Diebler energized the program by going 5-1 after replacing Chris Holtmann on an interim basis late in the 2023-24 season, earning the full-time job in the process. Expectations understandably rose, but his first full season ended in disappointment as Ohio State finished 17-15 and missed the NCAA Tournament for a sixth consecutive year.
That's the part many fans remember. What they may not remember is that the season wasn't without progress.
As the year unfolded, Diebler leaned heavily into Ohio State's nationally respected sports science program, searching for ways to keep players healthier and performing at a higher level as the season wore on. The Buckeyes looked fresher down the stretch than they had early in the year, and the coaching staff now has a full offseason to build upon what it learned.
That's what good coaches do. They don't simply repeat what didn't work. They adjust. They evolve. They become better. The question now is whether those lessons will translate into wins. The roster certainly suggests they might.
Ohio State has more depth, more athleticism and more competition for playing time than it has had under Diebler. There are legitimate scoring options across the floor, experienced veterans to steady the lineup and talented freshmen capable of making an immediate impact. On paper, the ingredients are there.
Of course, games aren't played on paper. Every preseason is filled with optimism, and every fan base convinces itself that this year's team is different. Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it isn't.
What makes this season intriguing isn't simply that the Buckeyes appear more talented. It's that Jake Diebler now has enough experience to match that talent. His first year was about survival. His second year was about learning. Now comes Year Three.
Now comes the most important part. Winning.
