Login to view embedded media
I don’t even blame him

Yeah, other than Gayle and Okpara, both of whom I believe left for more NIL elsewhere, I don't think any of those guys would have noticeably improved the Buckeyes on the court this season. Meechie obviously disliked his role at OSU and was not enthused about playing off the ball, and I think his play here suffered as a result.

Alabama's Aden Holloway arrested, facing felony marijuana charges​

Alabama star Aden Holloway was arrested Monday -- four days before the Crimson Tide begin play in the NCAA tournament -- and will face two felony drug charges, Tuscaloosa County police said.

Tuscaloosa County police spokesperson Stephanie Taylor said Holloway was arrested Monday morning and transported to the county jail after agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force searched a residence near Alabama's campus and "recovered more than a pound of marijuana, paraphernalia and cash."

Police said Holloway will be charged with first-degree possession of marijuana-not for personal use, which is a Class C felony, and failure to affix a tax stamp, also a felony. His bond was set at $5,000, and he was released from jail at 10:45 a.m. local time.

Per Alabama law, the possession charge can carry a penalty of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of $15,000.

Alabama star Aden Holloway was arrested Monday -- four days before the Crimson Tide begin play in the NCAA tournament -- and will face two felony drug charges, Tuscaloosa County police said.

Tuscaloosa County police spokesperson Stephanie Taylor said Holloway was arrested Monday morning and transported to the county jail after agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force searched a residence near Alabama's campus and "recovered more than a pound of marijuana, paraphernalia and cash."

Police said Holloway will be charged with first-degree possession of marijuana-not for personal use, which is a Class C felony, and failure to affix a tax stamp, also a felony. His bond was set at $5,000, and he was released from jail at 10:45 a.m. local time.

Per Alabama law, the possession charge can carry a penalty of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of $15,000.

Just sayin': If you are going to use marijuana maybe you should have looked into transferring to a school in a state where it is legal.

Four Former Ohio State Players Will Play in 2026 NCAA Tournament​

Michigan G Roddy Gayle Jr.​

It’s unlikely many Ohio State fans have forgotten about Gayle, considering where he transferred. They won’t be rooting for Gayle for the same reason, but the former Buckeye has a real chance to win a national championship in his final season of college basketball.

Gayle’s role has decreased a bit in his second season at Michigan, as he’s started just one game this year, but he’s still been a key player in the backcourt rotation for the Wolverines, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region with a 31-3 record. They enter the NCAA Tournament with the second-best odds (+370) to win the national championship.

A senior who played two years at Ohio State before transferring up north, Gayle is averaging seven points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals per game on 45.1% shooting.

The Wolverines will open NCAA Tournament play at 7:10 p.m. Thursday (CBS) in Buffalo, New York, vs. the winner of the First Four game between No. 16 seeds UMBC and Howard.

Tennessee C Felix Okpara​

Another member of Thornton’s Ohio State recruiting class who left the Buckeyes in 2024 after Chris Holtmann’s firing, Okpara helped lead Tennessee to a 22-11 record this season and the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region.

In his second year at Tennessee after two years at Ohio State, Okpara has averaged a career-high 7.7 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. Among all of Ohio State’s transfers in the NCAA Tournament, he’s the one the Buckeyes would most like to still have on their roster, as his size (6-foot-11 and 242 pounds) and defensive presence inside would provide a big boost to an Ohio State frontcourt that faces a daunting potential second-round matchup with No. 1 seed Duke and its superstar power forward, Cameron Boozer.

Instead, Okpara will play in his second straight NCAA Tournament with Tennessee, who’s made each of the last two Elite Eights. The Volunteers will be challenged right out of the gates in this year’s tournament, however, as they’ll play the winner of Wednesday’s First Four game between No. 11 seeds Miami (Ohio) and SMU at 4:25 p.m. Friday (TBS) in Philadelphia.

Akron F Evan Mahaffey and G Bowen Hardman​

The only team in college basketball with two former Buckeyes on its roster is also going dancing after winning the MAC Tournament.

Former Ohio State forward Evan Mahaffey has had a career year in his senior season after transferring to Akron last offseason. He’s started all 34 of the Zips’ games and tallied 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, all career-highs. He earned MAC All-Defensive Team and All-MAC honorable mention status for his regular-season play, and scored 34 points with 21 rebounds, nine assists and six blocks in their three-game run to a conference tournament title.

Bowen Hardman – who, like Gayle and Okpara, transferred from Ohio State in 2024 after two years with the Buckeyes – has also had his best season of college basketball as a senior, averaging career-highs of 7.9 points and 1.6 rebounds on 18.3 minutes per game, including 11 starts. The sharpshooter enters the NCAA Tournament with momentum, having made 18 of his 33 3-point shot attempts for an average of 12.2 points in Akron’s last five games.

Buckeye transfers who didn’t make the tournament​

• South Carolina G Meechie Johnson Jr.: After transferring from Ohio State to South Carolina for the second time, Johnson led the Gamecocks with career-highs of 17.2 points and 4.3 assists per game this season, but South Carolina went just 13-19 for the season.
• Memphis C Aaron Bradshaw: Bradshaw, who transferred to his third school in three years after one year at Kentucky and one year at Ohio State, averaged career-highs of 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for Memphis, but the Tigers also went just 13-19 on the season to fall well short of the NCAA Tournament.
• Oregon F Sean Stewart: Stewart, who also transferred to his third school in three years after one year at Duke and one year at Ohio State, saw a slight increase in production with a career-high 6.5 points per game for the Ducks to go along with 5.2 rebounds per game. His team went just 12-20, however, and tied for 15th in the Big Ten.
• Toledo C Austin Parks: Akron’s MAC Tournament win came at Parks’ expense, as Toledo suffered a heartbreaking 79-76 loss to the Zips in the conference championship game. That loss kept the Rockets out of the NCAA Tournament, but it was still a career year for Parks, who started all 34 of Toledo’s games and averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.
• Tulane F Scotty Middleton: Middleton, another former Buckeye who played for his third school in three years this season after one year at Ohio State and one year at Seton Hall, had his most productive season of college basketball to date with 6.9 points, four rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for Tulane. The Green Wave ended the season with an 18-15 record and a second-round loss in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

Just sayin': A few of these guys (i.e. Bradshaw, Okpara, Stewart, Gayle, and Meechie) definitely would have given the Buckeyes more depth, height, and/or scoring off the bench; however, I don't think any of them would have started over Thornton, Mobley, Royal, Tilly, and Bynum/Noel.

Mike80 said:

He needs to be in the Ohio State Hall of Fame no later than next year. The ultimate unicorn in Ohio State basketball history and the era that every coach who will be at Ohio State will be measured by going forward.

Click to expand...

This!

DaveyBoy said:

true.....it's remarkable that so many, me included.....me especially.....left this team and the Diebler Program for deal in early late January/early February. I'm so happy to be wrong and proud that an Ohio boy can make it here. At least for another couple seasons until he makes some noise in the B1G and the NCAA, then he'll have a longer leash.

It's such a shame this team was a mess when it lost to Pitt and Nebraska and it was injury plagued when it lost to Michigan State and Virginia.

Click to expand...

Part of personal growth is ownership of our deficiencies. Myself included, this year has been trying on most, if not all, of us. The apathy in years past is going to take a minute to cut out completely. I'm hoping we're taking the right steps, and I for one, have found some unexpected optimism!

Bestbuck36 said:

Might finally have a chance to settle and get right without being thrown to the wolves.

Click to expand...

Maybe he can actually get the coaching he needs

Well at least Oklahoma had good reason to decline the NIT, they are in the Crown instead.
Teams in the 2026 Crown tournament are (in alphabetical order):

• Baylor
• Colorado
• Creighton
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• Rutgers
• Stanford
• West Virginia

Mike80 said:

So....

They won the games they needed to win against Ped state, Maryland and Indiana. They beat Wisconsin's ass and upset Purdue. It sucks they couldnt have pulled out the Virginia or Sparty games. All in all, they did what was needed.

Click to expand...

true.....it's remarkable that so many, me included.....me especially.....left this team and the Diebler Program for deal in early late January/early February. I'm so happy to be wrong and proud that an Ohio boy can make it here. At least for another couple seasons until he makes some noise in the B1G and the NCAA, then he'll have a longer leash.

It's such a shame this team was a mess when it lost to Pitt and Nebraska and it was injury plagued when it lost to Michigan State and Virginia.

Mike80 said:

Cheering list for tonight:

Sharks over Senators
Ducks over Habs
Kraken over Florida
Minnesota over Toronto because fuck Canada....

Click to expand...

Thanks for nothing Sharks.
Ducks won.
Kraken lit Florida up.
piss off minnesota - you're a fraud in the west anyway.


Tonight's cheering order for the CBJ:

Calgary win over Detroit (Let's go Red Wings anyway)
Devils over the Bruins in regulation (fuck Boston)
Divealanche over Pittsburgh

I guess part of the reason I'm posting here because the morons in the fanbase are now in the process of moving the goalposts yet again. Consistency I guess

Mike80 said:

10 games left...6 wins to get to 20 on the season.

Wins I see: Maryland, USC, Iowa, Ped State

Toss-ups: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin

Unlikely to win: TCUN, Purdue

Not winning: @Sparty

@ Maryland

vs 3 Michigan

vs USC

vs 17 Virginia *

vs Wisconsin

@ 7 Michigan State

@ Iowa

vs 12 Purdue

@ Penn State

vs Indiana

I think if they can get to 20 wins against what they have left, and maybe win a game or two in the Big Ten tournament, they get in. We'll see - they could easily blow any of the 4 games they "should" win at the top too...

Click to expand...

So....

They won the games they needed to win against Ped state, Maryland and Indiana. They beat Wisconsin's ass and upset Purdue. It sucks they couldnt have pulled out the Virginia or Sparty games. All in all, they did what was needed.

Mike80 said:

Here's the thing though - that's NEVER been Ohio State historically, until Thad Matta that is. Thad Matta looks evermore like a complete unicorn in this program's history and since we're past 20 years since he was hired, and nearly 10 years since he was let go, the landscape of college basketball has changed entirely but Ohio State is still playing it like it's 2005.

To go full sports dork on you, I assigned a numerical value to every tournament appearance (25 out of 48 seasons if you were wondering and if you count O'Brien's 4 tournament years) from 1978-79 onward. This year was picked as it was the year of the Magic/Bird rivalry and the beginning of the modern era of College Basketball. The tournament expanded in 1985.

Anyway - of those 25 appearances, Matta REALLY stands out as the unicorn I keep saying he was with 9 of the 25 total appearances...I assigned each tournament result a number, from 7 (which is playing in the national final) to 1, which would be playing in but losing a play-in game, which hasn't happened yet. Here are the results:

Eldon Miller - 13
Gary Williams - 3
Randy Ayers - 12
Jim O'Brien - 14
Thad Matta - 40
Chris Holtmann - 11

It was an absolute stroke of luck (or genius) to hire Matta with the sanctions and whatnot that were ongoing at the time. As it is, he's the ONLY coach to elevate this program past its historical mean and he basically got run out of town. Without the Matta era, this program is moribund.

It's not that it can't happen - it's been proven it CAN. Should is another matter entirely. "Should" is earned, not a given. As far as that goes, there isn't a quick fix here - and anyone pretending that a new coach is going to magically fix everything is delusional.

It's going to take time, much increased NIL, a better or at least updated game atmosphere and a bigger national recruiting effort (international as well). All of it is going to take a much more aggressive focus from the AD to get it done.

Let us also remember that at Ohio State, if they are making money, the dog won't bark too loudly. That's just reality. Football is making money for the ENTIRE AD.

FWIW I don't think Diebler gets fired unless they somehow lose the rest of their games this year. I think they give him the 2nd full year (this is the 2nd full year) before putting on the pressure to win now in year 3. That said, if they DO pull the trigger, they cannot miss on the next hire and they absolutely must have a contingency plan (i.e. NOT what Ped State did when they fired Franklin)....and if they DO miss and that coach gets canned in 2 or 3 seasons, that rep of being a coaching graveyard at a football-focused school becomes harder to beat.

Click to expand...

Deibler - 2 (at least)

I plan to keep this going as long as BP exists, FWIW.

RB07OSU said:

Graham won yet another consecutive state title in DIII but the margin wasn't quite so wide. But for now, the streak continues.

Click to expand...

I saw Perrysburg finally broke through and broke St. Ed's 10x streak. I know St. Ed's has some real good young talent coming up though...Bradley Bauman is a freshman and finished runner-up at 120, Whitely is a soph and finished 3rd at 126, Davies placed as a freshman at 165 which was a packed weight. Some good and growing public schools given St. Ed's a tough time post-Urbas.

Monster!

In. This is the year my big underdog makes the Final Four! Oh wait, I never win this thing because I always try to be the smart guy who picks the upsets you say? Eff it, THIS is the year my big underdog makes the Final Four!

DZ83CK said:

He signed a 5-year contract, this is Year Two. I don't see anything wrong with giving him an extra year now but it's probably not a huge priority.

Click to expand...

gahh...I thought it was a 3 year contract...my bad