You’re Nuts: How can John Mobley Jr. improve next season?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Mobley was one of two Big Ten freshmen to average 13 points per game and shoot 38% or better from three last season.

John Mobley Jr. had one of the better freshmen seasons in program history this past year. He averaged 13 points per game, knocked down 77 three-pointers in 32 games, and scored in double-digits in each of his first six college games.

When Meechie Johnson left the team in December, he blended into the starting lineup almost seamlessly, providing comparable offense to what the Buckeyes expected to get from the more experienced Johnson had he played all year.

Unfortunately for Mobley, it was a stacked year in the Big Ten for freshman. His 13 points per game was only good for the sixth-best in the B1G, and his 38.5% three-point percentage was second among Big Ten freshmen behind USC’s (now Washington’s) Wesley Yates.

In a lot of other seasons, Mobley would have been B1G Freshman of the Year. This past year, he had to beat out Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey Kasparas Jakucionis, Yates, who won the award.

Last week, Connor and Justin debated what we should reasonably expect from incoming freshman A’mare Bynum this season. It was a fairly even spread of votes, but the most readers sided with Justin, who is predicting Bynum to average six points and four rebounds per game — 44% of readers agreed with him. 27% of readers liked Connor’s prediction, which had Bynum averaging nine points and five rebounds per game. 17% of readers thought that Bynum would be worse than either of those guesses, and the remaining 12% think Bynum is going to be even better than Connor’s optimistic guess.

After 206 weeks:​

Connor- 93
Justin- 87
Other- 20​

(There have been six ties)​

This week, we’re looking at Ohio State’s stud freshman guard who will soon be a sophomore guard, John Mobley. What does he do for an encore after busting onto the scene and establishing himself as one of college basketball’s best deep shooters? Where will we see improvements in year two?

This week’s question: How can John Mobley Jr. improve next season?​

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Connor: Consistent production ​

6'1 G John Mobley Jr. vs. Youngstown State:

• 16 PTS
• 3 AST
• 5/9 FG (55.6% FG)
• 3/4 3PT

The Ohio State freshman is one of the most talented rookie guards in the COUNTRY! Had 14 PTS in his first game against Texas and is looking like one of the most dangerous shooters in… pic.twitter.com/SfmANEfWBO

— Workin It Hoops (@workinithoops) November 12, 2024​

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Ohio State was 4-8 last season when Mobley scored fewer than 10 points.

Ohio State was 13-7 last season when Mobley scored 10 or more points.

Ohio State was 10-15 last season when Mobley shot below 50%.

Ohio State was 7-0 last season when Mobley shot 50% or better from the floor.

Translation: The Buckeyes went as Mobley went last season. Maybe it’s because they relied on the freshman a little too much, but when he struggled, so did the team. When he was efficient and scoring often, the Buckeyes were tough to beat. He showed a ton of potential, but there were times when he was not too terrible consistent.

I believe that is the next step for Mobley — consistent production with no fall-off.

Mobley started the season scoring in double-digits in each of his first six collegiate games before scoring seven points on 2-of-7 shooting against Pitt — an Ohio State loss.

He also had a brutal stretch from late December to late January, going 15-for-53 from three-point range over an eight-game stretch from Dec. 21, 2024 to Jan. 18, 2025. The Buckeyes went 4-4 during that stretch.

Mobley also finished the season shooting 3-for-16 from beyond the arc in losses to Indiana and Iowa. A win in either of these two games may have put Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament.

In summary, Ohio State would really benefit from a more consistent John Mobley Jr. Instead of going 1-for-4 from three on Monday, 2-for-9 on Thursday, and 4-for-6 on Sunday, what if he knocked down two or three of them per game? Ohio State clearly struggled during the season when Mobley went into any type of prolonged cold period.

Instead of getting blazing hot one day and struggling the next, Mobley would benefit from more consistent shooting as a sophomore.

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Justin: Two-point field goal efficiency​

John Mobley Jr. was put into a really tough situation last season when the midseason departure of Meechie Johnson forced him into a starting role as a freshman guard. For the most part, he handled it phenomenally, even popping up on draft boards throughout the season as a possible second-round pick.

However, his two-point efficiency is the one thing he can improve upon to help take his game to the next level.

Mobley is a sharpshooter and one of the conference’s best three-point shooters. Even in high school, national scouts said he was one of the best shooters in the recruiting class.

Despite a couple of freshman slumps, he shot 39 percent from deep on 6.3 attempts per game. That is impressive for a freshman as the main piece on the scouting report. However, he shot just 40 percent on 4.3 attempts per game from inside the arc.

If he can get that number up to 45 or 50 percent, it will make defenses respect his dribble and drive game more, creating more outside looks for him and his guard counterpart Bruce Thornton.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

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Founded in 1951 by the National Football Foundation, the College Football Hall of Fame immortalizes the greatest of the amateur gridiron. 5.1 million people have coached or played the game and less than 1,300 are inductees in the Hall. This makes the College Football Hall of Fame an extremely selective group of individuals.

Originally slated to be built on the Rutgers University campus – home of the first college football game in 1869 – the Hall ultimately found its first home in Kings Mills, Ohio in 1978. The Ohio location closed in 1992 and the Hall relocated to South Bend, Indiana where it resided from 1995 to 2012.

In 2014, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in Atlanta, a major hub of college football activity, a convention and tourist destination, and home of one of the nation’s busiest airports. It’s a $68.5 million, 95,000 square foot, state-of-the-art tribute to 977 players, 211 coaches, and countless fans.

Located in the heart of Atlanta’s sports, tourism and entertainment districts, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame is steps away from the iconic Centennial Olympic Park and surrounded by other attractions including the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center, and much more.

In addition to celebrating the best of college football, the Hall serves as one of the most unique and popular private event spaces in Atlanta. The Hall also provides a platform for character development initiatives, community outreach and education throughout the city.

Three floors, five themed galleries and over 50 interactive exhibits, including a 47-yard football field and a three-story wall of over 750 college football helmets, awaits visitors.

College Football Hall of Fame Criteria:

• FIRST AND FOREMOST, A PLAYER MUST HAVE RECEIVED FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION BY A SELECTOR RECOGNIZED BY THE NCAA AND UTILIZED TO COMPRISE THEIR CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICA TEAMS.
• A player becomes eligible for consideration by the NFF's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his last year of intercollegiate football played.
• While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and fellow man. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.
• Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2024 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1974 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
• A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years old. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.

* Players who do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet First Team All-America requirement.

Voting Procedure:

• NOMINATIONS MAY ONLY BE SUBMITTED BY THE CURRENT ATHLETICS DIRECTOR, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH OR SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR (SID) OF A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE’S COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION. NOMINATIONS MAY ALSO BE SUBMITTED BY THE PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A DUES-PAYING CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION.
• Statistics, newspaper/magazine clippings, records and personal recommendations by coaches, fellow players and opponents are all considered.
• The National Football Foundation staff will screen each candidate. After ascertaining that the nomination satisfies all requirements, FBS nominees are submitted to the District Screening Committee (DSC) nearest to the institution where the nominee played. New nominees as well as individuals who appeared on the previous year's ballot will be included in this process each year.
• Only the top vote-getters (approx. 60 players) from the DSC are forwarded to the National Football Foundation staff for inclusion on the ballot. The ballot also carries names of candidates held over from the previous year. These carryover names are referred to as "automatic holdovers" and are decided upon by the Honors Court. Please note: even though your player is nominated, his name WILL NOT appear on the national ballot if he does not first pass through the DSC.
• The national ballot of players and coaches is emailed to all dues-paying NFF chapter members, NFF academic members and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) members for a vote. The results are compiled and provided to the Honors Court, which determines the final class members, to be used as a reference.
• Any candidate not selected to the current year's Hall of Fame class will automatically go through the voting procedures again the following year. Candidates do not need to be re-nominated, but additions/updates to a candidate’s file are always welcome.

The Buckeyes announced on Friday that, for the third consecutive year, fans will have the opportunity to watch the Buckeyes practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center during fall camp as part of the Ohio State Football Kickoff Week. Additionally, Scarlet and Gray fans can attend a kickoff luncheon featuring Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, members of his staff, and current players. Fans will be able to purchase viewing periods for three specific practices during the Buckeyes' preseason, as well as tickets to the luncheon. The Ryan Day Kickoff Luncheon will take place on Friday, Aug. 1, after practice. The event will give fans the opportunity to hear from Day and participate in a question-and-answer session with the head coach, his assistants, and players.

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Ohio State’s First Three Practices of Preseason Camp Will Be Open to Fans​

Ohio State will open the start of preseason camp to fans for a third straight year.

Ohio State announced Friday that it will sell tickets to its first three practices of preseason camp on July 31, August 1 and August 2 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

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Ticket sales will begin Monday. Ticket prices will start at $30 for general admission and $135 for VIP, which includes a private viewing area, food and non-alcoholic beverages. Those prices will increase to $45 for general admission and $150 for VIP on July 14.

Ohio State charged $50 per ticket to attend one of its first four practices last year after selling tickets for $30 for each of its first two practices in 2023, the first year it sold tickets for fans to attend preseason practices at the WHAC.

750 tickets will be sold for each practice with a limit of 10 tickets per order. Gates for each practice session will open at 8:30 a.m., with practice beginning at approximately 9:15 a.m.

The practices on July 31, August 1 and August 2 will serve as Ohio State’s first three of 25 preseason practices leading up to its Aug. 30 season opener against Texas at Ohio Stadium.