John Mobley Jr.’s been shooting basketballs through nets before the sun peaks above the horizon every morning he can for the last few weeks.
He gets up most days in time to hit the gym by 5 a.m., putting up shots.
“It's why I have such trust and belief in him, because I know the work he puts in,” Diebler said after Ohio State’s 86-74 win over UCLA. “And I'm kind of cut from the same cloth. That's how I was brought up. You're shooting it well, you get in the gym. You're not shooting it well, you get in the gym. You're playing great, get in the gym. Maybe you struggle, get in the gym. And he's the same way. He's been raised that same way. So he had been playing so much better that I knew and I told our staff, this is going to be kind of a blip on the radar, this Washington game, because I knew how he's been working.”
Mobley’s extra efforts solicited perhaps the best, most efficient game of his one-and-a-half-year career against UCLA on Saturday. On top of a career-high 28 points, he hit a career-high six 3-pointers on an efficient 6-of-12 shooting record from behind the arc. His effective field goal percentage for the game was 73.3%, and he dished out three assists with zero turnovers.
It’s a peak example of how Mobley has elevated his game – outside of a lapse at Washington – in the month of January with Ohio State trying to stay on track for an NCAA Tournament berth.
“I’ve been getting in the gym, 5 a.m., every day,” Mobley said. “I knew it was gonna be a turnaround (for me). Just a matter of time. And just sticking with it, doing what I do.”
The aforementioned lapse at Washington occurred just one game before Mobley torched UCLA. He finished 1-of-5 shooting with three points and three turnovers as Ohio State fell 81-74 on the road. Husky defenders pressed him relentlessly and shielded his vision, whether he had the ball or not. The star shooting guard played timidly, as he described it. But after a conversation with Diebler and more hours in the gym, he answered with his showcase against UCLA.
“I let my teammates down,” Mobley said. “I wasn't as aggressive as I was today. I was shying away. I was getting face-guarded, so that affected me a little bit. So just having that conversation with (Diebler), that’s what happened to me. Stay aggressive, always stay aggressive, and do what I do best.”
Mobley often had an answer whenever UCLA made a run. The Bruins were within three of the Buckeyes with less than 10 seconds to play in the first half, but Mobley capped an 18-point bonanza in the opening period by taking the ball straight the floor, shouldering away from his defender and burying a deep 3. Then he came out and hit another triple on Ohio State’s first possession of the second half, the Buckeyes led by nine, a lead they held by at least that margin for the final 19:38 of game time.
John Mobley Jr. ends the half with triple No. 4
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 17, 2026
He's got 18 first-half points for @OhioStateHoops.
: CBS pic.twitter.com/aTLVh2bImI
When Mobley’s on, he stretches defenses to areas they aren’t used to covering. An open Mobley catch-and-shoot from six feet beyond the arc marked a good offensive possession for Ohio State on Saturday.
As great as his scoring numbers were, Mobley handled and distributed the basketball at a similar level with his three assists and zero turnovers. Excluding the Washington game, he’s had 10 assists with just four turnovers across four contests this January. He shot 47.3% from downtown in that same sample.
“I thought he played with tremendous poise,” Diebler said. “And he controlled the pace when he had the ball in his hands. That's what he's capable of. Against a team who's really good at turning teams over, and we certainly had a couple too many, he didn't have any, and he was in some compromised situations. But I thought his poise was really impressive.”
“It’s a lot of film,” Mobley said. “If I’m gonna be a complete player, I gotta see other things besides putting the ball in the basket. Trying to find my teammates, making the right play, having poise in the paint. And also, on the other hand, just playing hard and getting those 50-50 balls. If bigs are in there tipping it out, I gotta go get it. So it's stuff like that.”
When Mobley stays aggressive and replicates performances like the UCLA game and the ones he’s posted most of January, he’s one of the best guards in the Big Ten. Ohio State needs him to be as conference play wears on.
“I think when he plays with a free mind and is aggressive, he's really gifted,” Diebler said. “I think at times when he's pressed and plays sped up, some defenses have been able to give him some problems. But the great thing about John is he's really coachable, and he's a really talented player who works extremely hard. So, you combine all those three things, you're going to have more really good days than not, and I think that's what we're seeing. A guy who’s in his sophomore year, has made some adjustments, that’s shown some growth.
“And that's what you want from a player and a guy that we anticipated coming into this season having a big year. And he's doing that because he's earned the right to do it. So it's been really impressive to watch his maturation as a player this year.”
