Pressure is on Jake Diebler to push Ohio State to the next step after reaching NCAA Tournament

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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