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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Croatian Center Ivan Njegovan Signs With Ohio State
Ohio State men’s basketball rounds out its roster for the 2024-25 season by signing 7-foot-1 Croatian center Ivan Njegovan.
Croatian Center Ivan Njegovan Signs With Ohio State
Jake Diebler filled his final scholarship spot for his first season as Ohio State’s men’s basketball coach.The Buckeyes filled their last available roster spot and scholarship for the 2024-25 season by signing 7-foot-1 Croatian center Ivan Njegovan from KK Bosco of Favbet Primijer Liga, the top level of Croatian professional basketball.
At 19 years old, Njegovan spent this past season with a Bosco squad that featured players with a mix of ages from 16 all the way up to 43. Njegovan bested them all in both rebounds and blocks, averaging 4.8 and 1.6 per game, respectively. No other Bosco player averaged more than 0.4 blocks per contest.
On the whole, Njegovan accounted for 31 of his team's 78 swats on the season (39.7%) despite playing in just 20 of Bosco's 33 regular season games. He shot 53.3% from the field and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from 3-point range.
Njegovan also played for Croatia's U20 national team at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championships, scoring nine total points across four games as Croatia lost in the round of 16.
He'll enter with a full four years of eligibility in 2024-25 and will compete for playing time off the bench behind Sean Stewart, Aaron Bradshaw and Devin Royal in the frontcourt. Sophomore center Austin Parks will also be in the mix for minutes off the bench.
ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
CBS Sports' Rothstein predicts strong finish for OSU in Big Ten basketball race
CBS Sports basketball expert Jon Rothstein has Ohio State finishing as high as fourth in the new 18-team Big Ten race.
CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein seems to be bullish on Ohio State and its prospects for the 2024-25 season, which will be its first full season under new head coach Jake Diebler.On Monday, Rothstein released his early Big Ten Breakdown. He had Ohio State ranked fourth in the new look 18-team Big Ten race.
The Buckeyes, coming off a 22-14 season and a ninth-place finish in the Big Ten in 2023-24, have only finished fourth or higher once in the last six seasons under previous head coach Chris Holtmann. That was a fourth-place conference finish in 2021-22.
Diebler took over as OSU's interim head coach when former athletic director Gene Smith fired Holtmann in mid-February. Diebler led OSU to a 5-1 finish in Big Ten play and was eventually named by new athletic director Ross Bjork as the fulltime head coach in mid-March. OSU ended the season with a 2-1 showing in the NIT. Diebler was 8-3 in his working audition as the OSU coach.
He welcomes back to starters from last season in guards Bruce Thornton and Evan Mahaffey. Forward Jamison Battle exhausted his eligibility as a fifth-year senior, while two other starters, guard Roddy Gayle Jr. and center Felix Okpara transferred out to Michigan and Tennessee, respectively.
Diebler overhauled the roster with several impact transfers, including guards Meechie Johnson (South Carolina) and Micah Parrish (San Diego State), forward Sean Stewart (Duke) and center Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky). Guard Ques Glover joined the team as a transfer from Kansas State on Monday.
He added two incoming freshmen in guards John Mobley Jr. and Colin White. Returnees rounding out the roster include guard Taison Chatman (out this year due to a knee injury), forwards Devin Royal and Kalen Etzler and center Austin Parks.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Jake Diebler's Final Roster Possesses Great Top-End Guard Play With Depth Questions at the Position, Massive Upside at Forward
There are, at last, no pieces left to be named for Ohio State basketball.
With the addition of Kansas State guard transfer Ques Glover and Croatian center Ivan Njegovan, Jake Diebler’s first Ohio State roster is complete four months after the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season ended. Njegovan took up the last scholarship slot for the Buckeyes while Glover is having his attendance costs covered by NIL and is considered a scholarship-level player.
Nothing is left but to continue developing the pieces Diebler has at his disposal and build chemistry between them all. There are more than three months remaining before Ohio State opens its season against Texas on Nov. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Now that Njegovan is in tow, it’s the optimal time to look at what Ohio State’s final roster looks like and grade each spot. Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the talent assembled to play at Value City Arena this winter, with marks that could certainly fluctuate as the season plays out.
Guard: B+
Wing: C+
Forward: B
Just sayin"; The two proven starters are at "guard"; however, I believe that there is really a high upside at "forward" with the acquisition of two 5 star players.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Two guys from Land-Grant Holy Land predict the scoring averages for all the players:
www.landgrantholyland.com
Meechie Johnson - 13.1 PPG - Meechie will take a minor step back in scoring from last season, but the tradeoff will be worth it when he helps lead a deep Ohio State team back to the NCAA Tournament.
Aaron Bradshaw - 10.1 PPG - It’ll be a breakout season for the former five-star recruit, nearly doubling his minutes per game and nearly tripling his points per game.
Devin Royal - 8.4 PPG - He averaged nearly 9.0 PPG and shot over 60% from two-point range over the final eight games of last season.
Sean Stewart - 8.0 PPG - Stewart will get tons of opportunities to score, and this number could be higher if he can keep people honest with a jumper every now and then.
Micah Parrish - 7.3 PPG - Parrish will be a useful but inconsistent offensive player, but a very flexible and versatile defender for Jake Diebler’s first team.
John Mobley Jr. - 5.0 PPG - Expect some inconsistency but also at least a few games where Mobley knocks down three or more triples in the same game.
Ques Glover - 4.7 PPG - Glover scored in double-digits six times at Florida, but was held scoreless several times as well.
Evan Mahaffey - 3.4 PPG - A lot of mouths to feed around him, scoring isn’t his biggest weapon.
Colin White - 2.1 PPG - His playing time will get squeezed once Big Ten play starts.
Austin Parks - 1.8 PPG
Ivan Njegovan - 1.2 PPG
Kalen Etzler - 0.4 PPG
Colby Baumann - 0.2 PPG
Braylen Nash - N/A
Taison Chatman - N/A
Meechie Johnson —16.0 PPG—Johnson will be a solid contributor and second-best scorer to Thornton. He will have a couple of 20 to 25-point games that propel Ohio State to some key wins, which will help take some of the burden off Thornton.
Aaron Bradshaw —12.5 PPG- Bradshaw is a talented scorer, so if he can stay out of foul trouble and on the court, he will be one of the best-scoring big men in the conference.
Devin Royal —9.0 PPG— I think Royal will come off the bench but play valuable minutes and score at an effective level.
Sean Stewart – 8.0 PPG – Stewart will average eight points and nine rebounds this season, and I feel very good about that.
Micah Parrish – 7.0 PPG – Parrish brings more on the defensive end than the offensive, but he is still a solid shooter who can create his own shot.
Juni Mobley —6.0 PPG— His minutes might be sporadic since he is a freshman, but he shoots the ball so well that he will score. A couple of scoreless games can likely be expected.
Evan Mahaffey – 5.0 PPG – Mahaffey will be more of a defensive piece and facilitator in the offense, but he will get his where he can.
Ques Glover —4.8 PPG— Glover is a talented scorer, but he has not played competitive basketball in over a year, so the jury is out on how much he can contribute.
Colin White —3.0 PPG— I don’t think White will play a huge role as a freshman on this team, but he will play enough to score some buckets.
Austin Parks – 3.0 PPG – I think Parks will back up Bradshaw over Njegovan, so he will get some points in that regard. But the majority of scoring on this team will come from guards.
Kalen Etzler – TBD – Not sure he will play much.
Ivan Njegovan – TBD – Not sure he will play much.
Colby Baumann – N/A
Taison Chatman – N/A
Braylen Nash – N/A
Just sayin': Any comments?
My take....
1) Yeah, Bruce Thornton will lead the team in scoring.
2) Meechie Johnson won't score that high. He'll distribute the ball getting assists.
4) Both Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart will average in the low double digits.
5) I have to think Ivan Njegovan (especially if he can hit shots away from the basket) will get some playing time. I could see him avering 5 or 6 ppg.
6) They should have more balanced scoring with several different players having the "hot hand" and being the "go to" guy in different games.
You’re Nuts: Predicting scoring averages for every player on the Ohio State men’s basketball team
For the first time since late March, Ohio State has a full roster.
www.landgrantholyland.com
You’re Nuts: Predicting scoring averages for every player on the Ohio State men’s basketball team
For the first time since late March, Ohio State has a full roster.Connor
Bruce Thornton - 16.8 PPG - Bruce is going to lead Ohio State in scoring and will be a First Team All-Big Ten Selection this season.Meechie Johnson - 13.1 PPG - Meechie will take a minor step back in scoring from last season, but the tradeoff will be worth it when he helps lead a deep Ohio State team back to the NCAA Tournament.
Aaron Bradshaw - 10.1 PPG - It’ll be a breakout season for the former five-star recruit, nearly doubling his minutes per game and nearly tripling his points per game.
Devin Royal - 8.4 PPG - He averaged nearly 9.0 PPG and shot over 60% from two-point range over the final eight games of last season.
Sean Stewart - 8.0 PPG - Stewart will get tons of opportunities to score, and this number could be higher if he can keep people honest with a jumper every now and then.
Micah Parrish - 7.3 PPG - Parrish will be a useful but inconsistent offensive player, but a very flexible and versatile defender for Jake Diebler’s first team.
John Mobley Jr. - 5.0 PPG - Expect some inconsistency but also at least a few games where Mobley knocks down three or more triples in the same game.
Ques Glover - 4.7 PPG - Glover scored in double-digits six times at Florida, but was held scoreless several times as well.
Evan Mahaffey - 3.4 PPG - A lot of mouths to feed around him, scoring isn’t his biggest weapon.
Colin White - 2.1 PPG - His playing time will get squeezed once Big Ten play starts.
Austin Parks - 1.8 PPG
Ivan Njegovan - 1.2 PPG
Kalen Etzler - 0.4 PPG
Colby Baumann - 0.2 PPG
Braylen Nash - N/A
Taison Chatman - N/A
Justin
Bruce Thornton – 18.5 PPG - I think Thornton will not only lead Ohio State in scoring, but will be one of the best scorers in the conference. He is coming for that all-time scoring record.Meechie Johnson —16.0 PPG—Johnson will be a solid contributor and second-best scorer to Thornton. He will have a couple of 20 to 25-point games that propel Ohio State to some key wins, which will help take some of the burden off Thornton.
Aaron Bradshaw —12.5 PPG- Bradshaw is a talented scorer, so if he can stay out of foul trouble and on the court, he will be one of the best-scoring big men in the conference.
Devin Royal —9.0 PPG— I think Royal will come off the bench but play valuable minutes and score at an effective level.
Sean Stewart – 8.0 PPG – Stewart will average eight points and nine rebounds this season, and I feel very good about that.
Micah Parrish – 7.0 PPG – Parrish brings more on the defensive end than the offensive, but he is still a solid shooter who can create his own shot.
Juni Mobley —6.0 PPG— His minutes might be sporadic since he is a freshman, but he shoots the ball so well that he will score. A couple of scoreless games can likely be expected.
Evan Mahaffey – 5.0 PPG – Mahaffey will be more of a defensive piece and facilitator in the offense, but he will get his where he can.
Ques Glover —4.8 PPG— Glover is a talented scorer, but he has not played competitive basketball in over a year, so the jury is out on how much he can contribute.
Colin White —3.0 PPG— I don’t think White will play a huge role as a freshman on this team, but he will play enough to score some buckets.
Austin Parks – 3.0 PPG – I think Parks will back up Bradshaw over Njegovan, so he will get some points in that regard. But the majority of scoring on this team will come from guards.
Kalen Etzler – TBD – Not sure he will play much.
Ivan Njegovan – TBD – Not sure he will play much.
Colby Baumann – N/A
Taison Chatman – N/A
Braylen Nash – N/A
Just sayin': Any comments?
My take....
1) Yeah, Bruce Thornton will lead the team in scoring.
2) Meechie Johnson won't score that high. He'll distribute the ball getting assists.
4) Both Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart will average in the low double digits.
5) I have to think Ivan Njegovan (especially if he can hit shots away from the basket) will get some playing time. I could see him avering 5 or 6 ppg.
6) They should have more balanced scoring with several different players having the "hot hand" and being the "go to" guy in different games.
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Hot damn 90ppg from this team?? Yes please. Imo if any of that is true, that's 30 wins. I can't see that kind of jump but I love the enthusiasm for sure!
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calibuck
Too soon old, too late smart
Truly hope that it plays out as you have written. If so, will give Diebs a solid foot in the door, and maybe have the Ohio 5*s take notice, and don the scarlet and gray, instead of fleeing for the NC, Dukes, or Kansas's of the world. Here's hoping Diebs can elevate the Buckeyes to the blue bloods of bball, along with football. Go Bucks!
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ohio State Basketball Completes Non-Conference Schedule With Neutral-Site Game Against Auburn in Atlanta
Ohio State hoops added its final non-conference game to its 2024-25 schedule with a matchup against Auburn in Atlanta on Dec. 14.
Ohio State Basketball Completes Non-Conference Schedule With Neutral-Site Game Against Auburn in Atlanta
The 11-game non-conference slate will pair with a 20-game Big Ten schedule with dates still to be determined. The Buckeyes will play Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska twice; Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers and Washington once at home; and Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin once on the road.
| DATE | HOME/AWAY | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 11/4 | NEUTRAL | TEXAS* |
| 11/11 | HOME | YOUNGSTOWN STATE |
| 11/15 | AWAY | TEXAS A&M |
| 11/19 | HOME | EVANSVILLE |
| 11/22 | HOME | CAMPBELL |
| 11/25 | HOME | GREEN BAY |
| 11/29 | HOME | PITT |
| 12/14 | NEUTRAL | AUBURN |
| 12/17 | HOME | VALPARAISO |
| 12/21 | NEUTRAL | KENTUCKY** |
| 12/29 | HOME | INDIANA STATE |
| *Hall of Fame Series (T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas) | ||
| **CBS Sports Classic (Madison Square Garden, NYC) |
According to Ohio State's record books, the Buckeyes and Tigers have met just once previously, a 72-64 victory for OSU in the Sweet 16 of the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
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Tanner
Legend
Still a little skeptical about this season. Got nothing against Diebler and wish him success obviously, but hiring the lead assistant of a program that was in the crapper isn't exactly a home run hire. I have a feeling they went the economical route wrt basketball b/c they were going to turn on the money hose for football.
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Fungo Squiggly
Mortal enemy of all things Bucky
Yahoo Pickem Champ
Former Game Champion
'18 BPCFFB II Champ
'18 Keeper League Champ
Same. We saw that Holtman’s teams were able to put together streaks of playing well for weeks or even months at a time. so one decent 3-week run from a notoriously streaky team doesn’t tell me much about the interim coach.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
Let's not be doubters just yet. Holtmann was clogging the roster with a lot of low-ceiling players, and Diebler can only do so much with limited opportunity and 1 offseason. Ok, so we know Diebler isn't a recruiter on the level of Calipari, but he's not fallen flat on his face, either. He's already getting top talent with pro potential at a higher rate than Holtmann ever did. I'm not saying CH didn't have some great players, he did, but his teams were 1-2 NBA guys surrounded by mostly average at best college players. Getting Bradshaw and Stewart along with Meechie was as good a spring addition group that OSU has had in many years. Because of the departures of Okpara and Gayle, I feel like this season isn't gonna be a peak season for OSU, but they have enough talent to make the tournament. It may not be this season, but you're gonna be Dieblebers soon enough. I don't really buy that OSU doesn't want to spend money on MBB - they will, but I think it'll happen more once we see greater success on the court.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
“We’re excited to partner with Cincinnati and CareSource this preseason for such a tremendous cause,” Jake Diebler said in Ohio State's release. “The opportunity to raise awareness, specifically in our great state, was important to our program and university. The overall wellness and mental health of our student-athletes has long been a priority for our athletic department, and we are blessed to have incredible resources here at Ohio State. Being able to join Coach Grant, along with Coach Miller and his program, is important for our state as we continue to work to have a real impact in our communities.”
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