Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA Basketball Betting
It’s a new era for Ohio State basketball, as Jake Diebler takes over the program after a successful 8-3 stint as interim head coach to end last season. An in-program hire, Diebler was able to retain a handful of players while also adding to the roster in the transfer portal. The Buckeyes should have the talent to compete at the top of the Big Ten in year one under Diebler.
Six players return to the program after the departure of Chris Holtmann, including three players heavily involved in the rotation last season. Bruce Thornton (16 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg) is the headline returner, returning after a standout sophomore campaign. Thornton does a bit of everything at point guard, a three-level scorer, and a great playmaker. With Thornton back, the Buckeyes have a clear leader in the backcourt, something necessary for a deep tournament run.
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Devin Royal (5 ppg) should be another impact returner for the Buckeyes, coming back after a strong finish to his freshman season. Even at just 6-6, Royal’s big frame allows him to compete at the four in the Big Ten, and with another offseason under his belt could be ready for a breakout year. Evan Mahaffey (4 ppg, 4 rpg) will be another guy who can help out at the three or the four, starting 35 games last season as a sophomore for the Buckeyes. Bench forwards Austin Parks (1 rpg) and Kalen Etzler (1 ppg) will also return, looking for more minutes with another year under their belts. Taison Chatman (1 ppg) is the final returner for the Buckeyes but will miss all of 2024-25 due to injury.
Seven players followed Chris Holtmann out the door this offseason. In the frontcourt, the Buckeyes lost Jamison Battle (15 ppg, 5 rpg), Zed Key (7 ppg, 4 rpg), and Felix Okpara (6 ppg, 6 rpg). In the backcourt, the Buckeyes lost Roddy Gayle Jr. (14 ppg, 5 rpg), Dale Bonner (5 ppg), Scotty Middleton (4 ppg), and Bowen Hardman (2 ppg).
Jake Diebler made sure to use the transfer portal to recoup from a handful of key players and did a great job landing high-major talents. The pair of incoming sophomore forwards, Aaron Bradshaw (5 ppg at Kentucky) and Sean Stewart (3 ppg at Duke), both have a year of high-major basketball under their belt and should slide into the frontcourt rotation. Standing at 7-1, Bradshaw is very athletic for his height and should give the Buckeyes’ frontcourt a boost on both ends. Sean Stewart is another athletic guy for the frontcourt, showing off his elite rebounding ability during his freshman year at Duke.
Three guards transfer in as well, perhaps none more exciting than former Ohio State guard and South Carolina transfer Meechie Johnson (14 ppg, 4 rpg at South Carolina). Johnson spent his first two seasons at Ohio State but struggled to see many minutes and wound up at South Carolina. There, he broke out as a star for the Gamecocks, averaging 12+ ppg in each of two seasons. Johnson’s return lines him up to start next to Thornton in the backcourt, creating one of the more dynamic backcourts in the country. Micah Parrish (9 ppg, 4 rpg at San Diego State) will be another important player in the Buckeyes’ backcourt, providing a defensive presence that can cover the gaps left by Thornton and Johnson. Ques Glover (15 ppg at Samford in 2022-23) is the final transfer portal addition by Diebler, joining the Buckeyes after spending a year out due to injury at Kansas State. Glover didn’t see many minutes during two years at Florida but looks ready to make an impact at the power conference level after two years of elite scoring numbers at Samford, provided the injury didn’t set him back.
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2022 |
Lost Second Round vs. (2) Villanova, 61–71 |
| 2021 |
Lost First Round vs. (15) Oral Roberts, 72–75 (OT) |
| 2019 |
Lost Second Round vs. (3) Houston, 59–74 |
| 2018 |
Lost Second Round vs. (4) Gonzaga, 84–90 |
| 2015 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (2) Arizona, 58–73 |
| 2014 |
Lost Second Round vs. (11) Dayton, 59–60 |
| 2013 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (9) Wichita State 66–70 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
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