Buckeyes Must Replace A Lot
Ohio State made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons this past year. The Buckeyes, who earned a No. 8 seed, finished with a 21-13 record and 12-8 in the Big 10. While the Buckeyes ended eighth in the conference, it marked their best Big Ten record since 2020-21. The Buckeyes have reached the NCAA Tournament in five of the last 10 years, though they have not made it to the second weekend since 2015.
Ohio State is 46-31 under coach Jake Diebler, who took over the program towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign. The Buckeyes were outstanding on the offensive end this past season, ranking 38th in efficiency and one of the top shooting teams in the nation. They also did an excellent job limiting turnovers to just 10.6 per contest.
However, the Buckeyes were in the bottom third of the country defensively. The Buckeyes guarded decently well, but they struggled on the glass, forcing turnovers and fouling.
Diebler must replace three starters this offseason, including leading scorer Bruce Thornton Jr. Devan Royal, another Buckeye starter, has entered the transfer portal and is expected to land at UConn.
The Buckeyes, who went nine deep this past season, also saw reserve guards Gabe Cupps and Taison Chatman, along with backup forward Colin White, enter the transfer portal. Additionally, John Mobley Jr. is testing the NBA waters, though he is expected to return.
