Jake Diebler often talks about joy as a calling card of his program. There’s been a warranted outpouring of joy for Bruce Thornton breaking Ohio State’s all-time scoring record and making his first NCAA Tournament.
But there’s another player who shows infectious joy on the basketball court and is gradually bringing more and more joy to Buckeye fans: Freshman forward Amare Bynum.
As Ohio State enters its first NCAA Tournament in four years, Bynum is showing the potential to be a superstar next season. For now, however, the Buckeyes are hunting another strong performance from their budding youngster against No. 9 seed TCU in the first round of the Big Dance.
“I love coaching him,” Jake Diebler said after Ohio State beat Indiana on March 7. “I see so much in the way he approaches each day, and the joy he has. I see a lot of – it reminds me a lot of Bruce when he was a freshman. He’s gonna have his own career, and it’s not about, we’re not comparing players. Just (Bynum’s) approach and joy. And I think that’s why we’re seeing growth almost by the week.”
Bynum’s path to becoming an impact player charted a familiar course for talented Ohio State freshman hoopers.
John Mobley Jr. grabbed a starting spot in the Buckeyes’ lineup in the 11th game of his freshman campaign last season, and Bynum did the same in 2025-26, overtaking then-starting power forward Brandon Noel ahead of Ohio State’s game against North Carolina on Dec. 20. He posted double-figures in his first two outings in the starting lineup, then collected a season-high 20 points in a loss at Washington on Jan. 11.
A three-game lull followed, including a zero-point performance against Minnesota on Jan. 20, but then Bynum found some consistency. Always a threat to score on the interior with his blend of high-flying athleticism and skill finishing around the rim, Bynum added a 3-point component to his game, shooting 13-of-28 (46.4%) from downtown in the Buckeyes’ last nine contests entering the NCAA Tournament.
“Being more poised, taking open shots and having confidence,” Bynum said of what’s caused him to improve in an interview with Bucknuts and the Columbus Dispatch after Ohio State’s Big Ten Tournament win over Iowa on Thursday. “I see all my other guys have confidence, so keep having confidence, they’re gonna have confidence in me, so just keep moving.”
Speaking of that Iowa game, a flashback to one of Ohio State’s craziest highlights this year, featuring Bynum:
On the season, Bynum averages 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 50.2% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. But he brought his best sustained level of play during Ohio State’s four-game winning streak to lock up a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He picked up 12.7 points and six rebounds per game in that stretch, shooting at a 66.7% clip. His defense kept taking leaps, too, a versatile cog in the Buckeyes' team-wide improvements on that end of the floor.
The most memorable performance of Bynum’s season came in an 18-point, nine-rebound effort on Senior Night to help defeat Indiana and effectively clinch Ohio State’s Big Dance bid. He created separation for the Buckeyes with a 14-point first half, draining both his 3-point attempts and adding his usual sensational dunk.
Bynum usually pops off with a big celebration after big plays. He's having fun on the hardwood. He's finding joy.
“I love Ohio State,” Bynum said. “It’s been great. Learning from everybody, it’s been fun out there, all the games are fun, just learning something new every day.”
Bynum’s hot stretch stopped in the Buckeyes' close loss to No. 1 seed (both for the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments) Michigan in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney, as he managed just five points on 1-of-5 shooting against 7-foot-3 center and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aday Mara and the Wolverines’ stout frontcourt. Diebler felt his freshman phenom could have attacked more. He wants him to do so in the Big Dance.
“I had to pull him aside, I think, on his way over to the huddle at a timeout and just say, ‘Hey, man, stay aggressive. We need you to be aggressive,’” Diebler said on Monday. “I think he's been playing at a really high level. We've seen a maturation in his game as the season's progressed. We obviously have a great deal of belief in him. He's earned everything that he's gotten this year, and he's earned the ability to impact winning for this team like he has. And so I just want him to keep being himself. I think that's the message to him.”
There could be opportunities to be aggressive against TCU. The Horned Frogs have a physical frontcourt with respectable defensive metrics with power forward David Punch and center Xavier Edmunds, but although Punch averages two blocks per game, no major contributor for TCU stands above 6-foot-8. Bynum matches that height at the 4 for Ohio State. And he’s eager for his first NCAA Tournament.
“It's amazing,” Bynum said. “I heard Ohio State hasn't been in a while, so my first year, it’s going to be fun at March Madness. ... So it's going to be fun. We're going to make a big run.”
With an offseason to pack on some muscle and refine his game, Bynum could become one of Ohio State’s biggest stars. For now, he’ll focus in finding joy in victory over TCU. Tipoff between the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs is at 12:15 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
“As far as his ceiling goes, I think he's got pro potential,” Diebler said. “I think he's got an ability to be a huge impact player next year. And I'm confident he's going to reach those heights at some point in the near future because of how he approaches things and how he works. But the thing that's special about him is he's just focused on getting better and helping us win right now, and he does that by working on his game. And as long as he continues to do that, the sky's the limit for him.”
