College basketball is back. The sport got underway in Rome on Sunday, when Notre Dame beat Villanova 74-72 in front of Pope Leo XIV. Tonight, the Ohio State Buckeyes begin their 2026-27 campaign against the BYU Cougars.

Ohio State made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 last season. The Buckeyes’ bid gave program legend Bruce Thornton an opportunity to take his talents to the biggest stage. Now, in year three under Jake Diebler, supporters in Columbus are looking to take another step (or two) forward.

The Roster: Departures and Backcourt

Ohio State’s biggest loss, obviously, is Thornton. He led the Buckeyes in points per game (19.9) and assists per game (3.9) while ranking second in rebounds (5.1) per contest. However, there are other players Diebler needed to replace this offseason, too.

Devin Royal, a junior who started 32 games and led Ohio State in rebounds (5.7 per game), entered the transfer portal and went to Villanova. Senior center Christoph Tilly, like Thornton, went to the NBA. Additionally, forward Brandon Noel graduated and reserve guards Taison Chatman (Utah) and Gabe Cupps (Illinois-Chicago) followed in Royal’s footsteps.

In all, six different players who averaged double-digit minutes and played at least 28 games for Diebler in 2025-26 are gone. Two of three returnees who met those thresholds – John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum – will be stalwarts in Ohio State’s starting lineup. The third, 7-foot-0 center Ivan Njegovan, will again provide interior depth off the bench.

Mobley, a rising junior, is poised to be the leader of this year’s Buckeyes. He earned all-conference recognition in the Big Ten’s preseason poll. He’ll be predominantly flanked by transfer Justin Pippen (Cal).

Pippen, also a junior, posted 14.2 points, 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in 2025-26 for the Golden Bears. His shooting percentages (37.0% FG, 32.7% 3P) leave something to be desired, but his all-around play will pay dividends for Ohio State.

In reserve, Curtis Given III (Memphis) and incoming freshman LJ Smith – who reclassified to join the Buckeyes a year early – will handle steady roles. Smith saw 20 minutes in each of the Buckeyes’ exhibition games and hit 80% of his three-pointers (4/5) vs. Butler.

Jimmie Williams, a Duquesne transfer who posted 15.1 points per game last season, will see time as a guard and possibly as a small-ball small forward.

The Roster: Frontcourt

The backcourt has new pieces, but the biggest changes on Ohio State’s roster are in the frontcourt. That’s where the Buckeyes lost the most bodies and may have the highest upside player on their roster.

When speaking about upside, nobody has more of it than forward Anthony Thompson. The 6-foot-9 freshman is one of Ohio State’s best-ever basketball recruits and will be given immense opportunities to find himself, alongside Amare Bynum, in the Buckeyes’ starting lineup.

Pippen, Mobley, Bynum and Thompson shape up as a great core four for Diebler. The fifth starting spot could be more of a revolving door. The first cracks at locking it down, though, will go to Andrija Jelavic and Josh Ojianwuna.

Jelavic, a former Kentucky forward, offers a stretch-four skillset with center size. The 6-foot-11 Croatian shot 47.7% from the field with the Wildcats as a freshman. His three-point shot was inconsistent in Lexington, but a more consistent role in the offense could allow him to flourish beyond-the-arc. He’s expected to start vs. BYU.

Ojianwuna, who spent three years with Baylor (2022-25), missed the entire 2025-26 season recovering from a knee injury. The 6-foot-10, 230-lb. native of Nigeria is a traditional power forward/center and shot 75.3% from the floor without attempting a three-pointer his last two seasons in Waco.

Jelavic and Ojianwuna’s differing talents give Ohio State versatility and intriguing possibilities, depending on its opponents’ construction. Diebler’s projected main rotation pieces will allow him to exploit weaknesses where they exist and make the Buckeyes a very dangerous team.

You can see the entire Ohio State Basketball roster below:

No. 0 – John Mobley Jr. (Guard, JR)
No. 1 – Amare Bynum (Forward, SO)
No. 2 – Curtis Givens III (Guard, JR)
No. 3 – Jimmie Williams (Guard, Fifth-Year)
No. 4 – Andrija Jelavic (Forward, JR)
No. 6 – Anthony Thompson (Forward, FR)
No. 7 – Ivan Njegovan (Center, JR)
No. 8 – Myles Herro (Guard, SO)
No. 9 – Alex Smith (Forward, FR)
No. 10 – Justin Pippen (Guard, JR)
No. 14 – LJ Smith (Guard, FR)
No. 17 – Josh Ojianwuna (Forward, Fifth-Year)
No. 23 – Lee Aaliya (Forward, First-Year)
No. 55 – Braylen Nash (Guard, JR)
No. 88 – 88 – Vuk Lazarevic (Forward, FR)

Big Ten: Tough as Nails Throughout

Entering play on Monday, Ohio State sat No. 18 in KenPom, college basketball’s most popular team-ranking metric. This slot comes despite the Buckeyes not cracking the AP top 25, like BYU did (the Cougars are No. 33 in KenPom).

Ohio State is viewed as a top 20 team analytically, but was selected to finish eighth in the Big Ten’s preseason media poll. The discrepancy between the Buckeyes’ profile and perception is something the team can change as soon as tonight. That gulf also gives Jake Diebler some bulletin board material, something teams with Ohio State’s ceiling can’t always count on having.

Twenty Big-Ten games are where the Buckeyes’ will make their hay, but their non-conference slate gives them real chances to elevate their potential NCAA Tournament seed. Wins over BYU, UCONN, Vanderbilt and/or Kansas would put them on the radar as a possible Final Four contender before the true conference grind begins.

Ohio State’s toughest stretch of the regular season comes at the end. From Feb. 17 through Mar. 4, the Buckeyes hit the road four times:

• at UCLA (Feb. 17)
• at USC (Feb. 20)
• vs. Rutgers (Feb. 25)
• at Indiana (Feb. 28)
• at Minnesota (Mar. 4)

There is nothing tougher than winning on the road in conference play, especially when you have to travel coast-to-coast. So, if the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament hopes hinge on stringing victories together in those contests, it could be tough for them to play their way into the Big Dance.

The Buckeyes kick off the 2026-27 season against BYU in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 2 (9:00 p.m. ET, FS1).