15. Ohio State Buckeyes
Last Week: No. 20
One of the more surprising teams in the nation so far this season (again), Ohio State once again made a significant leap in the rankings this week following wins over Minnesota and Illinois. And because so many teams in the middle of these rankings lost last week, Ohio State’s two major conference victories warrant a major jump in the top-25+.
In terms of a scouting report, Ohio State is one of the more well-balanced teams in the country. On any given night, the Buckeyes can win in a high-scoring shootout or a defensive struggle. To this point, the Buckeyes have been led by Kaleb Wesson (14.3 points) and C.J. Jackson (12.7 points) but eight different Buckeyes are scoring at least five points per game. Ohio State has recorded assists on 57.8% of their total made shots so far this year, a mark that ranks 58th in the nation and shows how unselfish the team is.
The Buckeyes will face off against Bucknell (H), Youngstown State (H), UCLA (N), and High Point (H) to conclude their non-conference slate. Ohio State will be favored in each of these games and should be shooting up these rankings even further in the coming weeks.