Ohio State’s 2025-2026 Basketball Season

Ohio State beats border rival West Virginia in Cleveland

Out-of-conference wins, no matter who the competition has been, have been hard to come by for Ohio State. That was true of this season, too. The Buckeyes fell at Pitt on a Panther buzzer beater, lost to North Carolina 71-70 in the CBS Sports Classic, and to Virginia by four. So, getting another win, even against another program struggling to return to their better days, was a big deal. In double overtime, behind 23 points from Bruce Thornton and Amare Bynum’s 17 in his first huge game as a Buckeye, Ohio State prevailed 89-88.

Buckeyes batter Bruins

Ohio State was in desperate need of a quality win when they welcomed UCLA to Columbus. The Buckeyes’ three best went off, and every basket of theirs was needed. Bruce Thornton had 21 points, Devin Royal had 22, and John Mobley Jr. led the team with 28. Ohio State would get the win, 86-74, over Mick Cronin’s UCLA squad.

Ohio State Pays Back Wisconsin

The Buckeyes had lost to the Badgers a few short weeks before they welcomed them to Columbus for round two. They fell 92-82 to Wisconsin in Madison and had lost four of their last seven games. Their hopes of being able to be part of the Road to the Final Four were on the bubble and on the verge of bursting. It didn’t look good with John Mobley Jr. being out of the game with an injury, but Devin Royal and Bruce Thornton led the charge. Thornton’s 27 and Royal’s 25 points led Ohio State to the 86-69 upset.

Ohio State Upsets Eventual Big Ten Champion Purdue

Just like the game against Wisconsin, Ohio State came into this clash in dire straits. They had dropped six of their last ten, and a loss in this game would probably have sunk their season. Say what you will about Jake Diebler, but you have to give the man credit for having Purdue and Matt Painter’s number. Diebler would improve to 3-0 against the Boilermakers with Ohio State’s 82-74 win.

Thornton Sets Ohio State Record Against Indiana

On Senior Night and in the final home game of the season, Ohio State’s Super Senior, Bruce Thornton, made history. Thornton’s 25 points had him surpass Dennis Hopson for career points as a Buckeye. Hopson’s record stood for nearly 40 years at 2,096 points. Thornton surpassed him, ending the regular season with 2,110 points and a new Ohio State record. The Buckeyes finished the regular season 20-11 and entered the postseason with some momentum.

Ohio State Leaves No Doubt They Belong with Victory Over Iowa

The Bucks’ case for the Big Dance was solid coming into the Big Ten Tournament. Even with an early exit, Ohio State would have likely been in. But, Ohio State wanted to remove all doubt. They also needed to pay back Iowa who was the last team they had lost to. Ohio State avenged their 74-57 defeat with a 72-69 victory that punched the Buckeyes’ ticket to March Madness.

A Legend at Ohio State

An all-time Buckeye great played his final season for Ohio State. Bruce Thornton was a four-year starter and a four-year team captain in his time in Columbus. Thornton shattered and rewrote the Ohio State record books, too. In the era of the transfer portal and a time of turmoil and struggle for Ohio State basketball, Bruce Thornton showed unprecedented loyalty to the scarlet and gray. Thornton finished his time at Ohio State as the all-time leading scorer in Buckeye history with 2,164 points. He also finished third all-time in assists with 541. They just don’t make them like Bruce Thornton anymore.

Why to Believe in the Buckeyes

This team finished their season 21-13 (12-8 in the Big Ten) and ended a March Madness drought of four years. The Buckeyes finished the season with a 14-3 record at home and had some marquee wins. Ohio State wins over four teams to make the tournament to the Final Four (Wisconsin, Purdue, Iowa, and UCLA), including two teams that made the Elite Eight (Iowa and Purdue). So, the Buckeyes under Jake Diebler, with these players, have done something right. It’s not beyond reason that they can keep progressing, doing this consistently, and becoming a competitive basketball program again.  

2026-2027 Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball

In the upcoming year, Ohio State will return three of their five top scorers from this past season. John Mobley Jr. (15.7 points per game), Devin Royal (13.7 ppg), and Amare Bynum (9.7 PPG). Royal (5.7 rebounds per game) and Bynum (4.9 RPG) are also two of their top three rebounders. Mobley was this past season’s team leader in three-pointers and free-throw percentage. Ohio State will also add five-star freshman forward Anthony Thompson to the roster this coming season. The star from Lebanon and Hudson, Ohio, is Ohio State’s first five-star recruit since Jared Sullinger.

With other incoming freshmen, returning players, and the transfer portal, Ohio State should have a good roster and the depth needed to take the next steps in bringing Buckeye basketball back to where it should be. The minimum standard is 20 wins and a bid to the Final Four tournament. That’s what they got done this year; next year, they’ll need to get back to their realistic expectation of around 25 wins and making it past the first weekend of the tournament. There’s no reason Ohio State can’t be at or around that latter goal every year. Next season, it will be time to get it done or open a new era of Ohio State hoops.