Winter seemed to thaw temporarily this week across the state of Ohio, with temperatures peaking in the 60s after a harsh January and February. Warmer air around the Schottenstein Center foretold the return of a dormant hot hand in Ohio State’s time of need.
John Mobley Jr. missed three 3-point attempts early, then went Human Torch mode with a 5-of-8 mark from 3-point land and 21 total points in the final 32 minutes of play. He captured momentum in countless key moments of the Buckeyes’ 82-74 win over No. 8 Purdue, a victory that resurrected their NCAA Tournament hopes.
“It felt good,” Mobley said afterward. “Shout out to my teammates for finding me. Getting to the paint, kickouts, that's what we work on every day.”
It had quietly been more than a month since John Mobley Jr. caught fire when it mattered for the Buckeyes. A 25-point performance in a Jan. 26 win over Penn State was his last game with more than 15 points. He shot a combined 5-of-19 in Ohio State’s loss to No. 3 Michigan and win over USC in the second week of February, then missed two games with a hand injury.
Mobley returned from that ailment with two tape-wrapped fingers on his shooting hand and canned 3-of-4 3-point attempts at Iowa. It did little to change the outcome in a 74-57 blowout win for the Hawkeyes.
“That wasn't us,” Mobley said. “Came back, had individual meetings, knowing what was at stake this game. Came out, played our heart out. We had guys that were battling some injuries, but they came out, showed their toughness and came through.”
Ohio State fell behind 16-9 to Purdue after Mobley’s 0-of-3 shooting start. But with 11:15 remaining in the first half, Mobley hit star Boilermaker guard Fletcher Loyer with a jab step, pivoted, rose and fired for his first made 3-pointer of the afternoon to pull Ohio State back to within 16-15. When Purdue hit a triple to go up 19-16, Mobley fooled guard Omer Mayer with the same move to tie the contest.
A Mobley baseline jumper gave Ohio State a 21-19 lead thereafter, and that ultimately proved the last time the Buckeyes had to jump back in front of the Boilermakers. Another Mobley triple pushed their edge to 30-24, then five consecutive points from the shooting guard in the second half catalyzed an 8-0 run that pushed OSU ahead 48-34.
Purdue made multiple attempts to surge back into the game, but Mobley et al. hit a collection of tide-stemming shots that proved critical. With the lead sliced back to eight at 50-42, he crossed over and stepped back for a long-range 2-pointer that would be a bad shot for most players. But when Mobley is as hot as he was on Sunday, there are no bad shots.
Mobley’s final snipe of the night was his most impressive. As Ohio State led 62-51, he grabbed a pass from center Ivan Njegovan and rose high for a left-wing 3-pointer as Purdue forward Liam Murphy invaded his landing space. Mobley fell to the ground with no foul call, but buried the shot anyway.
JOHN MOBLEY CANNOT MISS.
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2026
What a shot for @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/cDGqjjzUcq
Ohio State held Purdue at arm’s length the rest of the way for an eight-point win. For a team that’s had trouble closing games at various points this season, it was a pleasant sight to see.
“We've been in that situation a lot of times this year,” Mobley said. “You live and you learn. So just knowing what the mentality is, just letting our guys know, keep the foot on the gas, do not let up. Stay, don't get comfortable. You got to keep going. I know it's three minutes left and we’re up 12, but just keeping that foot on the gas, making the right plays.”
Now up to 41.1% from three on the year, the Buckeyes are going to need more stretches of heat – even as a layer of snow is back upon Columbus Monday – from Mobley, with two regular-season games left to secure their now-advantageous position along the NCAA Tournament bubble. For now, his hot shooting against Purdue provided him with his first memory of a court-storming in college.
“Very thankful, very blessed to have a crowd that just cares so much about Ohio State basketball, and it was fun,” star guard Bruce Thornton said in closing.
“That was great. It’s Mr. Nonchalant over here,” Mobley said of Thornton to a laugh from the media contingent. “That was great. That was my first-ever court storm. I used to watch it on TV all the time. But, I mean, it was a crazy experience. I'm not going to lie.”
