Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2024-25 season

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

2023-24 season record: 22-14 (9-11 Big Ten) 

In what ended up being a crazy coaching carousel overall, the most surprising move may have been Ohio State giving Jake Diebler the full-time head coaching gig after he turned around the season after firing Chris Holtmann midway through. It’s not a surprise though that player departures occurred, as Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Felix Okpara all transferred out.

The good news is that the Buckeyes were able to keep star guard and leading scorer/passer, Bruce Thornton. The point guard led the team with 15.7 ppg and 4.8 apg and will be an early contender for Big Ten Basketball Player of the Year if things go well enough for him and the team.

Ohio State also landed some notable transfers from the portal as well. Replacing Gayle is Meechie Johnson, who former Buckeye who at South Carolina, led them with 14.1 ppg and 2.9 apg en route to an NCAA Tournament bid. Micah Parrish is a 6’7 versatile wing who’ll be the replacement for Jamison Battle, while Aaron Bradshaw is a former 5-star prospect at Kentucky and could be a breakout star to watch at the center position.

With several top-100 underclassmen on the roster as well, there’s already good depth for Ohio State. The biggest question isn’t even the talent but whether Coach Diebler is truly the guy, or whether or not the last month of the season was a fluke.