Ohio State's top bench scorer is out indefinitely.
Power forward Brandon Noel, a redshirt senior and Wright State transfer, injured his foot during the Buckeyes' loss to No. 10 Nebraska and did not return to the game. He was placed in a walking boot, per an Ohio State spokesperson.
Then, on his radio show Wednesday, Ohio State coach Jake Diebler broke the bad news that Noel's injury will hold him out long-term. "Probably for an extended period of time," Diebler said.
Senior Forward Brandon Noel will be out indefinitely with a foot injury that he suffered during Monday's game vs. Nebraska.
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 7, 2026
Noel started the first 10 games of the year for Ohio State, but after freshman Amare Bynum emerged as a star at power forward, he's come off the bench the last three contests. Noel averages 8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. No other player on the Buckeyes' current bench averages more than 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds.
Consistency has been an issue at times for Noel – 60 of his 103 points come from just three combined outings – but he carried Ohio State to a win with 29 points at Northwestern and kept the Buckeyes alive with 14 first-half points at Rutgers, preempting a 15-point comeback win.
With Noel out, Ohio State's next option to relieve Bynum and center Christoph Tilly in the frontcourt will be sophomore center Ivan Njegovan, who averages those above-mentioned 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. The Buckeyes need more scoring at-large from their bench, however, after it finished with 0 points for the second time this season in a big game. Diebler noted that Ohio State could experiment with more small-ball lineups, likely featuring Bynum at center and small forward Devin Royal at his former power forward position to give Tilly a rest.
"It's something that we're searching for there," Diebler said. "And, listen, I think we have some guys who have had some better moments. Brandon was really good last game. He's been more aggressive. ... Gabe (Cupps) has done better. He's done a better job of not fouling there, but he's gotta be aggressive offensively. And we've got to find a way, certainly, to get some more production out of our bench."
