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LGHL If Ohio State was serious about men’s basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts
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If Ohio State was serious about men’s basketball, Cal and Bronny would already be eating Buckeye Donuts
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Promoting from within and letting half the roster walk shows a lack of commitment.
This week, news broke that John Calipari is/was finalizing a deal to leave his post at Blueblood Kentucky for the chicken-fueled juggernaut that is Arkansas basketball. The news caught many off guard, as Coach Cal recently received a vote of confidence from Kentucky’s athletic director, despite the team’s embarrassing tournament loss to Oakland and 30-year-old private shooting coach Jack Gohlke.
But according to several insiders, Calipari’s shocking move may have been months in the making. There were rumors that the Hall of Fame coach had grown unhappy in Lexington, prompting him (or his agent, wink wink) to search for an escape route. And per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, said escape route may have led to Columbus, Ohio if not for... poor timing?
Sunday night — as we were all coming down from our WrestleMania high — Norlander tweeted out that Calipari had expressed “significant/serious interest” in the Ohio State job; a job that eventually went to Jake Diebler. But apparently, the timing wasn’t right for a serious Cal conversation, whatever that means. My guess is that “timing” translates to money and fear of upsetting the proverbial apple cart which potentially costing OSU a shot at landing a HOF coach with 800+ wins and a national championship.
Now, does Calipari come with some baggage? Sure. But when was the last time a truly legendary coach expressed interest in coaching the basketball Buckeyes? Has it ever happened? Who cares if he wants $8-9 million per year and influence over NIL allocations? Is Ohio State (admin/boosters/donors/etc.) serious about men’s basketball or not?
The school’s apparent refusal to seriously engage with Calipari implies that they are not. Their inability to land (pay for) big-time transfers also implies that they are not. Even their indifference toward creating a good (give me above average!) gameday environment tells me that OSU’s decision-makers are not serious people when it comes to improving the state of men’s basketball affairs.
**To be clear, I am primarily talking about Ohio State men’s basketball. The women’s team garners plenty of interest and excitement, so I don’t know how much help they need. But since we’re on the subject, Kevin McGuff’s team would also benefit from an improved gameday environment and some NIL cash to throw around in the transfer portal, and they deserve it.
Promoting from within and potentially turning down both Calipari and Dusty May implies an internal desire to be good, not great. Now look, I like Diebler, so I don’t love saying this. But if Ryan Day were to ultimately fail as OSU’s head football coach, there is absolutely no chance in hell that somebody like Brian Hartline is getting promoted before/without an exhaustive search process. The latter seems like a good-to-great candidate to potentially succeed Day, but you’re crazy if you think he’s getting the job before Ross Bjork (and an entire Scarlet and Gray tribunal) calls every active coach with a championship ring.
Gene Smith essentially handed Day the job when Urban Meyer “retired”/was forced out, and that decision has come with significant highs and lows, it’s doubtful that the new AD would want to blindly go down that road again.
Now say I’m wrong, and that money was not a prohibitive factor (even though it definitely was). Why did Ohio State ultimately choose Chris Holtmann’s former assistant to be his successor, even though said successor is/was largely responsible for the players on the underperforming roster?
Again, I like Diebler, but he shoulders some of the blame for how things went.
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Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
One of the main selling points of the move was roster retention. Since Diebler recruited most of these guys, conventional wisdom led OSU to believe that he could and would convince most of them to continue their careers in Columbus. About that...
Thus far, four presumably former Buckeyes have entered the transfer portal: Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Bowen Hardman, all of whom have/had Jake Diebler listed as their primary recruiter. So how’s that whole retention thing going?
But perhaps Diebler is not to blame for the mass exodus. Perhaps it comes down to money, which (as we’ve established) Ohio State has been hesitant to throw around. See: Head Coach.
OSU has also shown little interest in spending big on players/transfers, which brings me to my other point. If the program is serious about being great — or even getting better — then it needs to show a monetary commitment to roster construction. Kind of like, I dunno, the football program did. Maybe not the same commitment, but a commitment nonetheless.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25383416/usa_today_22695981.jpg)
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is there a basketball version of Caleb Downs out there?
In recent years, when Ohio State has utilized the transfer portal, it has not exactly gone big-game hunting. No offense to the Andrew Dakiches, Jamari Wheelers, and Evan Mahaffeys of the world, but bringing in role players from inferior Big Ten programs isn’t what I would call a power move.
One might be tempted to throw the Jamison Battle addition in my face as evidence to the contrary, but remember that he was coming off a bad season at Minnesota. Also as he played for the Buckeyes, they likely plucked him off the clearance rack. The same goes for Cedric Russell and/or Tanner Holden, both of whom were big-time scoring additions for OSU but from lower-level programs. And then Holtmann had no idea how to use them, so... yeah.
The point I am trying to make is that if Ohio State wants to become relevant again in the world of men’s basketball, they need to spend in the portal; something I’m not sure they are willing to do. I’m not suggesting they go out and invest tens of millions in an entirely new roster, but at least make the effort to reel in a top-5 or top-10 transfer. Go get French phenom Maxime Raynaud, formerly of Stanford. Or make Brandon Garrison, formerly of Oklahoma State, say no.
Or — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — break the bank for Bronny James! This would sort of go against some of my previous complaints/arguments, but at least it would show a willingness to swing for the fences.
And that’s what this all comes down to, the question I am left asking is whether Ohio State is ready and/or willing to go all out for the men’s basketball team. Recent moves scream “No,” but I hope that I am proven wrong in short order. Go Bucks.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Promoting from within and letting half the roster walk shows a lack of commitment.
This week, news broke that John Calipari is/was finalizing a deal to leave his post at Blueblood Kentucky for the chicken-fueled juggernaut that is Arkansas basketball. The news caught many off guard, as Coach Cal recently received a vote of confidence from Kentucky’s athletic director, despite the team’s embarrassing tournament loss to Oakland and 30-year-old private shooting coach Jack Gohlke.
But according to several insiders, Calipari’s shocking move may have been months in the making. There were rumors that the Hall of Fame coach had grown unhappy in Lexington, prompting him (or his agent, wink wink) to search for an escape route. And per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, said escape route may have led to Columbus, Ohio if not for... poor timing?
Sunday night — as we were all coming down from our WrestleMania high — Norlander tweeted out that Calipari had expressed “significant/serious interest” in the Ohio State job; a job that eventually went to Jake Diebler. But apparently, the timing wasn’t right for a serious Cal conversation, whatever that means. My guess is that “timing” translates to money and fear of upsetting the proverbial apple cart which potentially costing OSU a shot at landing a HOF coach with 800+ wins and a national championship.
Now, does Calipari come with some baggage? Sure. But when was the last time a truly legendary coach expressed interest in coaching the basketball Buckeyes? Has it ever happened? Who cares if he wants $8-9 million per year and influence over NIL allocations? Is Ohio State (admin/boosters/donors/etc.) serious about men’s basketball or not?
The school’s apparent refusal to seriously engage with Calipari implies that they are not. Their inability to land (pay for) big-time transfers also implies that they are not. Even their indifference toward creating a good (give me above average!) gameday environment tells me that OSU’s decision-makers are not serious people when it comes to improving the state of men’s basketball affairs.
**To be clear, I am primarily talking about Ohio State men’s basketball. The women’s team garners plenty of interest and excitement, so I don’t know how much help they need. But since we’re on the subject, Kevin McGuff’s team would also benefit from an improved gameday environment and some NIL cash to throw around in the transfer portal, and they deserve it.
Promoting from within and potentially turning down both Calipari and Dusty May implies an internal desire to be good, not great. Now look, I like Diebler, so I don’t love saying this. But if Ryan Day were to ultimately fail as OSU’s head football coach, there is absolutely no chance in hell that somebody like Brian Hartline is getting promoted before/without an exhaustive search process. The latter seems like a good-to-great candidate to potentially succeed Day, but you’re crazy if you think he’s getting the job before Ross Bjork (and an entire Scarlet and Gray tribunal) calls every active coach with a championship ring.
Gene Smith essentially handed Day the job when Urban Meyer “retired”/was forced out, and that decision has come with significant highs and lows, it’s doubtful that the new AD would want to blindly go down that road again.
Now say I’m wrong, and that money was not a prohibitive factor (even though it definitely was). Why did Ohio State ultimately choose Chris Holtmann’s former assistant to be his successor, even though said successor is/was largely responsible for the players on the underperforming roster?
Again, I like Diebler, but he shoulders some of the blame for how things went.
One of the main selling points of the move was roster retention. Since Diebler recruited most of these guys, conventional wisdom led OSU to believe that he could and would convince most of them to continue their careers in Columbus. About that...
Thus far, four presumably former Buckeyes have entered the transfer portal: Roddy Gayle, Zed Key, Scotty Middleton, and Bowen Hardman, all of whom have/had Jake Diebler listed as their primary recruiter. So how’s that whole retention thing going?
But perhaps Diebler is not to blame for the mass exodus. Perhaps it comes down to money, which (as we’ve established) Ohio State has been hesitant to throw around. See: Head Coach.
OSU has also shown little interest in spending big on players/transfers, which brings me to my other point. If the program is serious about being great — or even getting better — then it needs to show a monetary commitment to roster construction. Kind of like, I dunno, the football program did. Maybe not the same commitment, but a commitment nonetheless.
Is there a basketball version of Caleb Downs out there?
In recent years, when Ohio State has utilized the transfer portal, it has not exactly gone big-game hunting. No offense to the Andrew Dakiches, Jamari Wheelers, and Evan Mahaffeys of the world, but bringing in role players from inferior Big Ten programs isn’t what I would call a power move.
One might be tempted to throw the Jamison Battle addition in my face as evidence to the contrary, but remember that he was coming off a bad season at Minnesota. Also as he played for the Buckeyes, they likely plucked him off the clearance rack. The same goes for Cedric Russell and/or Tanner Holden, both of whom were big-time scoring additions for OSU but from lower-level programs. And then Holtmann had no idea how to use them, so... yeah.
The point I am trying to make is that if Ohio State wants to become relevant again in the world of men’s basketball, they need to spend in the portal; something I’m not sure they are willing to do. I’m not suggesting they go out and invest tens of millions in an entirely new roster, but at least make the effort to reel in a top-5 or top-10 transfer. Go get French phenom Maxime Raynaud, formerly of Stanford. Or make Brandon Garrison, formerly of Oklahoma State, say no.
Or — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — break the bank for Bronny James! This would sort of go against some of my previous complaints/arguments, but at least it would show a willingness to swing for the fences.
And that’s what this all comes down to, the question I am left asking is whether Ohio State is ready and/or willing to go all out for the men’s basketball team. Recent moves scream “No,” but I hope that I am proven wrong in short order. Go Bucks.
Continue reading...
LGHL With Marcus Johnson’s commitment to Ohio State, Jake Diebler is officially off and running
- News
- 0 Replies
With Marcus Johnson’s commitment to Ohio State, Jake Diebler is officially off and running
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo courtesy of Alexi Shigio - USA Basketball
Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State men’s basketball program history.
When Jake Diebler was hired as the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team last month, one of the concerns some people had was if the first-time head coach would be able to recruit at the same level as the CEO as he did when he was an assistant.
Rest assured, that fear has been assuaged. On Wednesday afternoon, Diebler and the Buckeyes got a commitment from 2026 five-star guard Marcus Johnson, the younger cousin of Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson and a longtime Ohio State target.
Diebler has been the lead recruiter on Johnson for years now, and that relationship was the biggest reason Johnson committed to Ohio State. He called OSU his “dream school” in an interview with On3, but also said that his relationship with Diebler played a big part. Johnson and his father, Sonny, were in attendance for Ohio State’s win over rival Michigan on March 3, and were also in the house for the Buckeyes’ NIT win over Cornell on March 19 and their NIT loss to Georgia one week later.
Sonny Johnson said that he and Marcus were at the Michigan game “in support of Coach Diebler.” Diebler was still the interim head coach at the time, but the Johnson family was very much in Diebler’s corner. Now that he is the head coach of the program, the decision came quickly. Johnson is the first recruit in the 2026 class to commit.
“It’s easy to make a decision like this when a coach has been the one coming to your practices, coming to all your games, who has been the one communicating with you and built that relationship and now he becomes the head coach,” Johnson’s father told the Columbus Dispatch. “One thing my son wanted was to always feel loved and wanted. You want to go where you’re loved and wanted and somebody has a plan for you, and we think coach Diebler is that guy.”
Currently, Johnson is the No. 24 player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports. He is the No. 4 point guard in the cycle, and the top-rated player in the state of Ohio. This is just the third time since 2020 that Ohio State has secured a commitment from the top player in the state — Malaki Branham was the top Ohioan in 2021, and Devin Royal was the top Ohioan in 2023.
Johnson is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and is finishing up his sophomore year at Garfield Heights in Cleveland. He also had offers from Alabama, Illinois, Villanova, and a handful of other schools. But with the family connections he has to the program, plus the handful of games he attended once Diebler was promoted to interim head coach (and later head coach), it began to look like a formality that Ohio State was going to eventually lock up its highest-rated recruit in over a decade.
Per 247Sports recruiting rankings, Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State history, behind Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens, Jared Sullinger, and William Buford. He is the highest-rated commitment for Ohio State since Sullinger, who signed in 2009 and played at Ohio State from 2010-2012. Johnson is ranked higher than any commitment during the Chris Holtmann era, so Diebler took all of three weeks to land a bigger recruit than Holtmann did in seven years (with respect to Holtmann, he was a big part of Johnson’s recruitment as well — the commitment just did not happen until after he was gone).
When Diebler was first hired, incoming athletic director Ross Bjork said that the standard for the men’s basketball program had to be higher. That applies on all fronts — regular season wins, tournament wins, and on the recruiting trail. Locking in a commitment from a five-star guard within the first three weeks isn’t a bad place to start.
One of the expected benefits of hiring Diebler was the fact that he already has relationships with many high-level recruits in the 2025 classes and beyond, especially right here in Ohio. Johnson was a big get, confirming that Ohio State’s head coach has his finger on the pulse of the Ohio prep circuit right now. With players like Darryn Peterson, Jerry Easter Jr., and Niko Bundalo still uncommitted, it’s hard to believe that this will be the only recruiting splash Diebler will make in the next several months.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo courtesy of Alexi Shigio - USA Basketball
Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State men’s basketball program history.
When Jake Diebler was hired as the head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team last month, one of the concerns some people had was if the first-time head coach would be able to recruit at the same level as the CEO as he did when he was an assistant.
Rest assured, that fear has been assuaged. On Wednesday afternoon, Diebler and the Buckeyes got a commitment from 2026 five-star guard Marcus Johnson, the younger cousin of Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson and a longtime Ohio State target.
Diebler has been the lead recruiter on Johnson for years now, and that relationship was the biggest reason Johnson committed to Ohio State. He called OSU his “dream school” in an interview with On3, but also said that his relationship with Diebler played a big part. Johnson and his father, Sonny, were in attendance for Ohio State’s win over rival Michigan on March 3, and were also in the house for the Buckeyes’ NIT win over Cornell on March 19 and their NIT loss to Georgia one week later.
Sonny Johnson said that he and Marcus were at the Michigan game “in support of Coach Diebler.” Diebler was still the interim head coach at the time, but the Johnson family was very much in Diebler’s corner. Now that he is the head coach of the program, the decision came quickly. Johnson is the first recruit in the 2026 class to commit.
“It’s easy to make a decision like this when a coach has been the one coming to your practices, coming to all your games, who has been the one communicating with you and built that relationship and now he becomes the head coach,” Johnson’s father told the Columbus Dispatch. “One thing my son wanted was to always feel loved and wanted. You want to go where you’re loved and wanted and somebody has a plan for you, and we think coach Diebler is that guy.”
Currently, Johnson is the No. 24 player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports. He is the No. 4 point guard in the cycle, and the top-rated player in the state of Ohio. This is just the third time since 2020 that Ohio State has secured a commitment from the top player in the state — Malaki Branham was the top Ohioan in 2021, and Devin Royal was the top Ohioan in 2023.
Johnson is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and is finishing up his sophomore year at Garfield Heights in Cleveland. He also had offers from Alabama, Illinois, Villanova, and a handful of other schools. But with the family connections he has to the program, plus the handful of games he attended once Diebler was promoted to interim head coach (and later head coach), it began to look like a formality that Ohio State was going to eventually lock up its highest-rated recruit in over a decade.
Per 247Sports recruiting rankings, Johnson is the fifth-highest rated recruit in Ohio State history, behind Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens, Jared Sullinger, and William Buford. He is the highest-rated commitment for Ohio State since Sullinger, who signed in 2009 and played at Ohio State from 2010-2012. Johnson is ranked higher than any commitment during the Chris Holtmann era, so Diebler took all of three weeks to land a bigger recruit than Holtmann did in seven years (with respect to Holtmann, he was a big part of Johnson’s recruitment as well — the commitment just did not happen until after he was gone).
When Diebler was first hired, incoming athletic director Ross Bjork said that the standard for the men’s basketball program had to be higher. That applies on all fronts — regular season wins, tournament wins, and on the recruiting trail. Locking in a commitment from a five-star guard within the first three weeks isn’t a bad place to start.
One of the expected benefits of hiring Diebler was the fact that he already has relationships with many high-level recruits in the 2025 classes and beyond, especially right here in Ohio. Johnson was a big get, confirming that Ohio State’s head coach has his finger on the pulse of the Ohio prep circuit right now. With players like Darryn Peterson, Jerry Easter Jr., and Niko Bundalo still uncommitted, it’s hard to believe that this will be the only recruiting splash Diebler will make in the next several months.
Continue reading...
2026 TX RB Javian Osborne (Notre Dame Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 3 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: RB
School: Forney(TX) Forney
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 190lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: RB
School: Forney(TX) Forney
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 190lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The Spring Game Is Near, college hoops crowns its champs
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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The Spring Game Is Near, college hoops crowns its champs
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Plus, Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entered the transfer portal, and John Calipari had an interest in what?
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
On this episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, Josh and Justin recap the two national champions, South Carolina and UConn, and the similarities between the two national championship games.
Then, we pivot to the Ohio State men’s team and discuss Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entering the transfer portal. Should we be worried about the way the roster is shaping up? Or is it too early to tell? Plus, did Ohio State drop the ball by not pursuing John Calipari more aggressively?
We end the episode with a talk about the upcoming spring game and make some Master’s predictions. Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Plus, Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entered the transfer portal, and John Calipari had an interest in what?
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, Josh and Justin recap the two national champions, South Carolina and UConn, and the similarities between the two national championship games.
Then, we pivot to the Ohio State men’s team and discuss Roddy Gayle and Zed Key entering the transfer portal. Should we be worried about the way the roster is shaping up? Or is it too early to tell? Plus, did Ohio State drop the ball by not pursuing John Calipari more aggressively?
We end the episode with a talk about the upcoming spring game and make some Master’s predictions. Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
