Pressure is on Diebler, Ohio State to take the next step
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Ohio State coach Jake Diebler is under pressure to keep the program moving forward as he starts his third full season. The team features a mix of returning players and transfers. Junior guard John Mobley Jr. averaged 15.7 points and shot 41% on 3-pointers last season. Freshman forward Anthony Thompson is a top prospect. Ohio State opens the season on November 2 against BYU and faces tough opponents like UConn and Kansas. The Big Ten schedule includes games against Michigan and Michigan State.
Ohio State (21-13, 12-8 Big Ten)
The Buckeyes made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, but there remains pressure on coach Jake Diebler to continue to show he is steering the program in the right direction as he begins his third full season. Dieber has built a roster that features a nice mix of returning players and transfers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Junior guard John Mobley Jr. averaged 15.7 points and shot 41% on 3-pointers, which was third in the Big Ten. Sophomore forward Amare Bynum averaged 9.7 points last season and showed progress throughout his first sason. Freshman forward Anthony Thompson was a McDonald’s All-American and is the highest-rated Ohio State prospect since Jared Sullinger in 2010.
DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS
Bruce Thornton is with the Houston Rockets after leaving Columbus with the most career points in program history. Christoph Tilly ran out of eligibility. … Junior guard Justin Pippen transferred from California after averaging 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Forward Josh Ojianwuna arrived in Columbus last year but missed the season due to a knee injury. The senior averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds at Baylor in 2023-24. Guards Curtis Givens III (Memphis) and Jimmie Williams (Duquesne) as well as forward Andrija Jelavić (Kentucky) have also transferred in and will add some experience off the bench.
TOP GAMES
The Buckeyes open the season on Nov. 2 at No. 25 BYU and have a tough road test on Nov. 13 against fourth-ranked UConn. They also host No. 24 Vanderbilt on Nov. 24 and face No. 17 Kansas on Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden. The Big Ten slate features a home-and-home with No. 16 Michigan as well as road games against No. 3 Illinois, No. 21 Southern California and No. 22 UCLA. Ohio State gets No. 6 Michigan State at home on Jan. 23.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Mobley Jr. has made 174 3-pointers in his first two seasons, already the seventh-most in program history. … Thompson is the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with Ohio State out of high school since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. … Bynum averaged 12.3 points and shot over 60 % from the floor over the final six games.