When Jake Diebler has discussed the Ohio State men’s basketball team this offseason, two words come up more than most: chemistry and depth.
Despite the graduation of all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton and the transfer portal departures of star forward Devin Royal along with four teammates, Diebler believes Ohio State has the talent – and the bodies – to compete at the highest level in 2026-27.
Following a practice open to Eleven Warriors and other Ohio State media outlets on Thursday, Diebler touted the Buckeyes’ hard work this offseason, both in the weight room and on the court.
“It’s been a great summer so far. Really love this group,” Diebler said. “We’re really intentional about who we invite into the program. The character of the guys we bring in, trying to project their ability to buy into what we’re doing and building a team and playing with chemistry and all that stuff. So far, we thought it was gonna be good, but it has exceeded expectations.”
Ohio State returned just three contributors from last year’s NCAA Tournament team: star guard John Mobley Jr., breakout freshman Amare Bynum and backup center Ivan Njegovan. Baylor transfer center Josh Ojianwuna also returns after missing all of last season recovering from a knee injury, as do walk-on guards Myles Herro and Braylen Nash.
With eight roster spots to fill, Diebler and his staff attacked the transfer portal in search of experience and proven production. They landed four veterans: guards Justin Pippen (Cal), Curtis Givens III (Memphis) and Jimmie Williams (Duquesne), as well as forward Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky).
The Buckeyes also reshaped their incoming class with four freshmen, including five-star forward Anthony Thompson, five-star guard LJ Smith, three-star forward Alex Smith and center Vuk Lazarevic.
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— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) June 18, 2026
Smith arrived on campus earlier this week after reclassifying from the 2027 class, where he was ranked as the No. 25 overall prospect. He has been able to participate in workouts but did not take part in Thursday’s 5-on-5 scrimmage. Diebler said Smith will become a full participant once he completes “a bunch of tests” with new strength coach Dave Richardson.
Smith represents the final addition to Ohio State’s 2026-27 roster, giving the Buckeyes a late boost to an already reshaped group. Diebler said the new-look team has meshed well this summer, and that the process has been quicker and more seamless than in his first two years leading the program.
“We’ve got a great group of guys,” Diebler said. “The chemistry has been organic. We’re certainly doing things to try to speed it up as fast as we can, but we’re even starting to see some of that stuff carry over in between the lines, probably earlier than we have in the first two seasons, so that’s really encouraging.”
Diebler hopes that chemistry amplifies a roster that now features size, versatility and depth across both the backcourt and frontcourt.
“You saw we’re a little bit bigger, right?” Diebler said with a smile. “I think our depth is significantly better, and we’re kind of building right from there and moving forward. What you saw today was — it’s really early — but I’m excited about where we are and where we’re headed.”
Mobley shares Diebler’s optimism. After testing the NBA draft waters, he chose to return to Ohio State for a third season, driven by both individual growth and the chance to compete on a roster he believes is built for a postseason run.
“I know what it takes to get there. We got there last year and obviously came up short,” Mobley said. “We know what it takes to get there. There are guys on this team who have been there before. So it’s just staying in the gym and keep working hard. And when the season comes, we’ve got to show what we can do.”
