As the calendar now turns to May, the 2026-27 Ohio State men’s basketball team is still more than five months away from playing meaningful games, but the roster for next season has mostly been settled. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of rumors and reports about which players were transferring where and for how much money, but the chaos that the transfer portal brings each spring has become a much slower, more boring hum, and we can finally start evaluating many teams’ rosters.
Ohio State broke a three-year NCAA Tournament drought last season, earning an at-large bid to the dance thanks in large part to a late-season surge that saw the Buckeyes win four of their final six regular-season games, including qualifying wins over Wisconsin and Purdue. They then fell behind TCU by a huge amount of points early in that first-round NCAA Tournament game, attacked all the way back, and ultimately lost in the final five seconds. The season is over, just like that.
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Several players graduated and were left without college eligibility, including the program’s all-time leading scorer, Bruce Thornton. Several others, including three former Ohio Mr. Basketball award winners (Gabe Cupps, Colin White and Devin Royal), opted to transfer out of the program.
To replenish the roster, head coach Jake Diebler and his staff, which as of today still has one vacancy, brought in four players through the transfer portal, as well as two freshmen in the 2026 recruiting class. While it remains possible that Ohio State could bring in an additional player before the team reports, it seems more likely that the group currently assembled will be the group we see on the court against BYU on November 2 in Salt Lake City.
That said, here’s my current prediction for Ohio State’s depth chart next season, which (obviously) includes a starting lineup.
Something to keep in mind: Several players will be playing multiple positions this year. Versatility and flexibility are good qualities to have. I will include a player in multiple positions if I think he will play multiple positions with some regularity.
point guard
Starting motor: Justin Pippen
Other options: Curtis Givens, John Mobley Jr.
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Analysis:
Pippen led Cal in both assists and assist rate by a wide margin last season and will now be surrounded by even more talent than he did out west. Improving last season’s poor shooting numbers (37% field goals, 32.7% three-pointers) is non-negotiable for Pippen to remain the starting point guard throughout the year. He should also be one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big Ten this year.
Givens had the team’s second-best assist rate and total assists last year playing for Memphis, despite being used primarily as an off-ball guard. Givens was recruited out of high school as a point guard and will be the primary backup behind Pippen. His shooting numbers (43.1% from the field, 36.5% from 3-point range) were more efficient than Pippen’s last season, and he will have every opportunity to pressure Pippen for minutes as the season progresses. Givens faced a lower level of competition last year in Memphis than he did as a freshman at LSU, so it will be worth monitoring how capable he looks against Big Ten teams.
Mobley showed some skills as a floor general last season. He was more willing to push a faster pace than Bruce Thornton, which also came with more high-risk, high-reward passes that turned into a flashy assist or a stunning turnover. Mobley has been a better shooter in catch-and-shoot situations than off the dribble, but he will be used to bring the ball up the court a lot, even if he is not the de facto point guard.
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shooting guard
Starting motor –John Mobley Jr.
Other options – Jimmie Williams, Curtis Givens
Analysis:
Mobley finished last season ranked 26th in the country with 3.1 three-pointers made per game. Of those 26 players, he was one of 11 who also shot 41% or better from long range. Mobley’s reputation for burning defenses from virtually anywhere on the court makes him irreplaceable, and his specific skill set isn’t something that could have been replaced simply with an out-of-the-box transfer. Mobley is currently training for teams in anticipation of the 2026 NBA Draft, but is not projected to be selected in either round. The most likely outcome is his return to Ohio State before the May 27 deadline.
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Williams is the biggest and biggest guard on Ohio State’s roster at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds. He shot 57.7% on two-pointers last season and 62.4% at the rim, which is much better than anyone else in Ohio State’s backcourt. Because of his size, I expect Williams to spend a lot of time on the court in different positions.
Givens was primarily used in an off-ball role in Memphis, while Penny Hardaway had Dug McDaniel as a running point for nearly 35 minutes per game. He will play both guard positions for Ohio State, but if Mobley plays more than 30 minutes as expected, Givens may not play as much at this spot.
Small forward
Starting motor -Anthony Thompson
Other options -Jimmie Williams
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Analysis:
Thompson will play as many minutes as he is physically capable of, considering small forward is probably the weakest spot on Ohio State’s roster. Diebler and the coaching staff expect his three-point shooting and rebounding to immediately translate to the college level, and while he won’t be a crazy blocker, it’s also an area where they feel he will contribute. Thompson has the highest individual ceiling of any player on the 2026-27 roster — he’ll be a favorite for the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and will also be in the conversation for All-Big Ten honors.
Williams is really the only other player on the roster that I realistically see eating up some minutes at small forward, aside from Thompson. His size would hypothetically allow the Buckeyes to play some three-guard lineups with some combination of two of Pippen, Mobley and Givens at the two traditional guard spots, with Williams at the traditional third guard/small forward position. Ohio State couldn’t do that last year because they simply didn’t have the size to do it.
power forward
Starting motor – Amare Bynum
Other options –Andrija Jelavic, Anthony Thompson, Alex Smith
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Analysis:
Bynum was a rock star down the stretch at Ohio State last season and will be on every “hot candidate” list you read as we head into November. In Ohio State’s last six games, beginning with its upset win over No. 8 Purdue on March 1, Bynum averaged 12.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also averaged just over 32 minutes per game during that stretch. Unlocking his three-point shot, which improved as the season progressed, is the final key to Bynum becoming a star.
Jelavic moves more like a small forward or power forward than a center, but his size (6-foot-11, 225 pounds) makes him look more like a center. The Kentucky transfer will also have a chance to earn the starting center job, but if he ends up coming off the bench, I think he’ll also play a decent amount of power forward alongside Josh Ojianwuna. Furthermore, if Bynum plays more than 30 minutes per game, the “backup power forward” position will not be too relevant.
Thompson may not have the size or athleticism to play power forward at the collegiate level, but if injuries occur or Dibler struggles, I could see the freshman, who is not small at 6-foot-9 and 205, playing power forward.
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Smith will likely find a few minutes here and there during his freshman season, but like Thompson, he needs to put on some muscle and prove he can match the physicality level required at the college level. He has a rock-solid jump shot, but that alone won’t get him a big role.
Center
Starting motor –Josh Ojianwuna
Other options – Andrija Jelavic, Ivan Njegovan, Amare Bynum
Analysis:
This is the murkiest and most vulnerable position in the state of Ohio. The leading candidates to start at center against BYU on opening night are two guys with big question marks.
Josh Ojianwuna was absurdly efficient at Baylor two seasons ago, shooting 77% overall, but he hasn’t played a game since February 2025 and spent all of last season rehabbing from knee surgery. By the time the season rolls around, he won’t have played in a college game in 20 months. Ohio State would love for him to come back and average 25 minutes per game like he did two years ago at Baylor, but it’s highly doubtful he can dive back in and carry that much of a workload right away.
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As noted above, Jelavic is a guy who will likely play a bit of power forward and center this season. He was super efficient on two-point field goals last season, shooting 67.5% and splitting his shot attempts pretty evenly between 2 and 3. Not unlike Christoph Tilly, Jelavic was more of a driver and slasher than a back-to-the-basket center that you threw the ball to.
Njegovan feels like the odd man out here, with the starting centre-back spot going to either Ojianwuna or Jelavic, and the other taking up a good portion of the minutes that don’t go to the other guy. Njegovan had a few games where his rebounds were instrumental for Ohio State, including six in wins over Purdue and Wisconsin that were instrumental in the Buckeyes reaching the NCAA Tournament. At the same time, Njegovan is very vulnerable on defense because he basically can’t switch and doesn’t convert at a high enough rate when he gets the ball close to the basket.
Bynum has shown the ability to play small-ball center if needed, and that need will inevitably arise at some point this season in very small bursts. However, there is something very, very wrong if the season reaches a point where Bynum becomes the starting center over the three actual centers on this roster.
I’m unlikely to play
Myles Herro, Braylen Nash