Ohio State men’s basketball still has one roster spot available for the 2026-27 season, and the pool of players it could add just expanded.
While the expectation was that Ohio State would fill out its roster by adding another international player – likely a forward, according to sources – the Buckeyes now have another option. After a court order issued Friday by a Colorado judge granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes in the 2022 class, Ohio State could hypothetically add a fifth-year senior as its 15th player.
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said Monday that the Buckeyes are “doing our due diligence from all angles” after Friday’s court order. If there’s a player available that they believe will make them better for the upcoming season, that’s something they’ll pursue.
That said, Diebler says they also won’t force an addition if they don’t find the right fit, as he’s confident in the roster Ohio State has already assembled.
“I think we're certainly going to look at all options, but we're not in a position right now where I'm saying, hey, let's just add whatever,” Diebler said Monday after Ohio State won its second of two exhibition games in Puerto Rico. “I really like this group; I like this group a lot. We're just surveying the landscape, adjusting to as times change and new information comes out, and it doesn't mean you have to do something. … Our job is to adjust. If that's what's required right now, then you got to adjust and do it. But I think we're still evaluating.
“We're going to do what's best for Ohio State. And if that is nothing, as we evaluate that, then we're going to do nothing. Very, very excited about this group we have. If we add somebody, it's going to be someone who raises our level. We’re not adding bodies to add bodies.”
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Ohio State’s only other fourth-year senior from last season, Christoph Tilly, entered the transfer portal this spring to keep his options open for if players in his class received a fifth year of eligibility, but played in the NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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The court order came at an inconvenient time for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes were already in Puerto Rico preparing for their exhibition games when the order was issued. But Diebler said the Buckeyes were prepared all along for the possibility that last year’s seniors would receive a fifth year of eligibility, so they weren’t caught off-guard by it. It certainly didn’t distract them from performing well on the court, as the Buckeyes beat two select teams of Puerto Rican professionals by an average of 40 points. That said, Diebler and his staff know they wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they weren’t exploring whether the court order gives them an opportunity to further improve their roster.
“Our focus was on this team while we're here, but let’s just say we've gotten used to operating in uncertain times in college basketball, so recruiting is something that never stops,” Diebler said. “There's been no decisions made as far as how the court ruling is going to impact Ohio State basketball specifically, but we owe it to our program to make sure we're doing our due diligence from all angles, and that's where we're at right now. We're following it closely. We're anticipating things.
“We anticipated that case to go through, and we got a great team at Ohio State that helps get us answers quickly when they're available. … I think in today's landscape, you've got to be prepared for things to change in an instant, and we are always trying to communicate about what could happen next because I think you have to now. You didn't have to do that four or five years ago; now you do. So as far as what that means for our team, time will tell, but we're absolutely keeping a pulse on everything that's happening in college basketball right now.”
There are a handful of true difference-makers available for teams with open spots and money to spend after a federal judge's ruling.
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The 10 best college basketball transfers who suddenly have another season to play
Aug. 4, 2026
G Skyy Clark
2025-26 stats (at UCLA): 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 42.7 percent from 3 and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line.
G B.J. Edwards
2025-26 stats (at SMU): 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while shooting 37.2 percent from 3 and 77.1 percent from the free-throw line.
G Jason Edwards
2025-26 stats (at Providence): 16.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.3 percent from 3 and 79 percent from the free-throw line.
F RJ Godfrey
2025-26 stats (at Clemson): 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
F Keyshawn Hall
2025-26 stats (at Auburn): 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 37.9 percent from 3 and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
G Dug McDaniel
2025-26 stats (at Memphis): 13.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 84.9 percent from the free-throw line.
F Jamichael Stillwell
2025-26 stats (at UCF): 11.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
G/F Cade Tyson
2025-26 stats (at Minnesota): 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 41.3 percent from 3 and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line.
F/C Jalen Washington
2025-26 stats (at Vanderbilt): 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
F Darrion Williams
2025-26 stats (at NC State): 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 40.4 percent from 3 and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Honorable mentions/Uncertain eligibility
G Javon Bennett: 15.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game at Dayton — awaiting final judgment in ongoing Ohio lawsuit
G Donovan Dent: 13.3 points, 7.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game at UCLA — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
F Jaxon Kohler: 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game at Michigan State — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
G Xaivian Lee: 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game at Florida — seeking additional year after Colorado injunction
F Mark Mitchell: 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game at Missouri — seeking additional year after Colorado injunction
G Jordan Pope: 13.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game at Texas — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
F Malik Reneau: 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game at Miami — signed Exhibit-10 NBA contract with Orlando Magic in June
Just sayin': One of these could be an option for Ohio State too. However, the NIL cost to get a really would probably exceed his value to the team.
Kentucky Basketball has one available roster spot entering the 2026-27 season, and there’s now a wave of newly available transfers thanks to a recent court ruling, which grants all class of 2022 players a fifth season. Among them are Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, NC State forward Darrion Williams, Missouri forward Mark Mitchell, and Minnesota guard Cade Tyson.
