Tag: ohio state basketball

Ohio State basketball surprisingly named in Week 1 AP Poll

The Ohio State basketball program may have a surprise year, and they could soon crack the top 25 after the first release of the AP Poll.

Ohio State basketball hasn’t been able to get back to the dominance of the Mike Conley or Greg Oden days, but they have quietly put together a roster that should be capable of contending in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes will kick their season off with a Nov. 4 battle with the Texas Longhorns.

Ohio State should have one of the best backcourts in the country, led by a combination of Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson. Having a true 7-footer in Aaron Bradshaw to lock down the paint will help as well.

While the Buckeyes may not kick off the season with as high expectations as a program like Indiana, they will be expected to perform at a high level under first-year head coach Jon Diebler.

The AP Poll has some expectations for Ohio State as well. It has the Buckeyes basically at spot No. 32, receiving the 7th-most votes of teams that didn’t break the top-25 programs.

https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1845857917360119871

The expectations are there, and in just a few short weeks, we’ll see how this team meshes on the court together.

E.J. Liddell lands with third team in the past three months

On the move… again #GoBucks

Former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell is on the move… again. You may recall Liddell was traded to the Atlanta Hawks from the New Orleans Pelicans on June 28. Just a month later, the Hawks sent the former Buckeye to the Phoenix Suns. However, his time didn’t last long in Phoenix either as Liddell was cut to make room for another roster move. It looks like he now has a new home once more.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype has reported that the Chicago Bulls have signed Liddell who is an Illinois native. The Bulls are in the midst of a rebuild and the Liddell signing brings the offseason roster to 21 which is the maximum number allowed. He’ll still have some work to do to make the 15-man roster.

Liddell was selected by the Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft but suffered a torn ACL that ended his rookie season before it had a chance to begin. He played sparingly in his return this past season, appearing in just five games for the Pelicans, picking up most of his playing time in the NBA’s G-League.

Liddell was limited to just 23 NBA minutes over eight games but averaged 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in the G League in 2023.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

Ohio State basketball to play in charity game for mental health awareness

This should be a fun and worthy event. #GoBucks

On October 18, the Ohio State basketball team will take the hour-and-a-half-long drive down to Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The game won’t be on the Buckeyes permanent record, but it could certainly help make a difference in the lives of many. Cincinnati is hosting the charity exhibition game at Fifth Third Arena.

It will be sponsored by CareSource which is hoping to raise money for mental health awareness. Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller spoke on the game and appears excited to have Ohio State in town.

“We are thrilled to participate in this exhibition with Ohio State and raise awareness for mental health initiatives,” Miller said.

The Buckeyes, who are fresh off landing a local 2026 prospect in Alex Smith, will have their season start in Las Vegas against the Texas Longhorns on November 4, so this will be a nice tune-up activity before the real deal gets underway. The Buckeyes first home game is November 11 against Youngstown State.

Ohio State finished 22-14 last season and were 8-3 under Jake Diebler, who took over for Chris Holtmann midway through the season. It has a slew of high-profile transfers like Aaron Bradshaw as well, so it should be a fun roster to watch this season.

Ohio State basketball in top-four of No. 3 prospect in Class of 2025

The Ohio State Buckeyes are a top-four finalist for Darryn Peterson, one of the best basketball recruits in the Class of 2025.

Over the last half a decade, Ohio State Buckeyes have been more of a football school than basketball, but it is looking to change that as the latter could be eyeing a massive recruiting win.

ESPN’s No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, Darryn Peterson, has announced his final four programs and the Buckeyes are on the list. Per Paul Biancardi, USC, Kansas, and Kansas State are the other finalists for Peterson.

Peterson is from Napa, California, so USC may have a clear edge as the home-state favorite to land the star.

He is the top-ranked player from the state and the best combo guard in the class, coming in at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, and plays his high school ball at Prolific Prep.

https://twitter.com/PaulBiancardi/status/1831005026015187322

Peterson took a visit to Ohio State on August 30. He would be a standout commit for any of the programs as he’s among the best in the class.

“Peterson is a big guard with good positional size, length, and strength. He’s 6-foot-5, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and a cut-up and defined frame. What differentiates him most though is an effortless ability to score and make plays from a variety of spots on the floor, all within the flow of the game,” Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote for 247Sports.

Right now, Dorian Jones is the top-ranked recruit joining the Buckeyes from the Class of 2025. He is the 13th-ranked shooting guard in the class. Jones committed on the first of July.

Ohio State basketball secures commitment from forward with offers from Xavier, Indiana

One in the fold for 2026! #GoBucks

The Ohio State basketball team secured a commitment from Class of 2026 forward Alex Smith Monday. Smith is playing his high school ball at Upper Arlington in Columbus but doesn’t have a star ranking per 247Sports.

However, Smith did have offers from in-state teams like Kent State and Cincinnati along with Xavier, Nebraska, Bryant, and Indiana, so a plethora of Division 1 programs were in the hunt for him. Smith released his official commitment on X Monday afternoon.

Smith joins Marcus Johnson as the two Class of 2026 commits set to play in Columbus. Johnson is a four-star point guard from Cleveland Ohio, the second-best player in the state of Ohio. Western Reserve Academy’s Anthony Thompson is the best player from the state in the class and is still undecided.

https://twitter.com/alexx_smith26/status/1830643279425151190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1830643279425151190%7Ctwgr%5E99d9e761b442963357d7113ddb7e424070a8318a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevenwarriors.com%2Fohio-state-basketball-recruiting%2F2024%2F09%2F148764%2Falex-smith-becomes-ohio-states-second-basketball-commitment-for-the-class-of-2026

The Buckeyes have signed Dorian Jones, though. He is the state’s top commit in the Class of 2025, so the Buckeyes have been doing a relatively good job at keeping the in-state talent local.

Smith is a name to keep in mind as Ohio State looks to build out its recruiting talent well into the future. Behind Jake Diebler, the Buckeyes had a strong 2023-24 season, finishing 22-14 and 9-11 in Big Ten play.

Ohio State basketball cracks top 10 for four-star PG Isaiah Denis

The Ohio State Buckeyes basketball program has been listed among the top 10 for Class of 2025 four-star recruit Isaiah Denis.

Isaiah Denis is ranked as the No. 8 combo guard in the nation for the class of 2025. He is currently the second-best player from North Carolina per 247Sports.

Originally from Davidson, North Carolina, about an hour or so north of Charlotte, Denis has already taken a trip to Columbus. That was back on September 7.

Ohio State offered Denis, and is among numerous teams that he is considering, having shortened his list of programs he’s interested in.

Michigan was also included in Denis’ final ten. Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Miami (Fl.), Kansas, and North Carolina are the other teams he is considering.

The Buckeyes only have one commit from the Class of 2025, four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones, who is from Cleveland. They would love to make that two if they can reel in Denis.

The top player from Ohio in the class, Niko Bundalo, has yet to commit and has also received an offer from Ohio State.

No. 3 player in Class of 2025, Darryn Peterson, lists Ohio State basketball in final eight

Darryn Peterson, who is ranked as the third-best player in the Class of 2025, has listed Ohio State in his final 8 schools.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are typically known as a football school, but they could soon be making waves in the basketball world.

Five-star guard, Darryn Peterson, who is ranked as the No. 3 best player in the class of 2025, has reduced his list to eight schools. He broke down those schools to “The Field of 68.”

The Buckeyes are one of two Big Ten programs to crack the list with the USC Trojans being the other. Kansas, Washington, Kansas State, Kentucky, Arizona State, and Louisville also made the cut.

Ohio State has just one commit for the Class of 2025, and that’s Cleveland native, Dorian Jones, who is ranked as the No. 58 player in the nation. The Buckeyes also recently cracked the top ten for four-star point guard Isaiah Denis.

Peterson, who is from Cuyahoga Falls, is the top combo guard in the class and the best player from the state of West Virginia, where he’s currently playing.

He took his official visit to Columbus back on August 30, 2023. In total, Peterson has 24 offers.

247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein gave an electric breakdown of Peterson’s game in June. Here’s an excerpt of what was written.

“Darryn Peterson possesses a combination size, length, strength and skill which allows him to smoothly score and make plays for himself and others. He’s a versatile threat, who can operate from multiple spots on the floor, and has a way of making it look effortless in the process,” Finkelstein noted.

This would be a huge get for the Buckeyes. He would be among the top recruits in program history if he chose to commit to Ohio State.

‘Carmen’s Crew’ wins TBT semifinal to advance to championship game

On to the ‘ship! #GoBucks

It’s beginning to feel like 2019 all over again.

The Ohio State alumni team known as ‘Carmen’s Crew’ just keeps on springing upset after upset in “The Basketball Tournament” to where it only needs to pull off one more to be crowned champions.

First, it knocked off No. 2 seed ‘Red Scare’ in its own gym, a Dayton alumni team, then took out defending champ and No. 1 seed ‘Heartfire’ in the round of sixteen to make it to the quarterfinals. Not done yet, the crew then walloped ‘Takeover BC; before taking care of business Friday night again with a 76-70 win over the Kentucky alumi team ‘My Familia’ in Philadelphia.

Carmen’s Crew led for almost the entire game and had to absorb a valiant comeback effort by the former Wildcats, doing just enough to hold things off and punch a ticket to the championship game.

The former Buckeye squad came out of the gate playing well and took a 14-10 lead into the second quarter. Carmen’s Crew began to assert itself in the second quarter and pushed things out 40-27 halftime lead.

La Familia kept things from getting out of hand and began to play better, trailing 57-48 heading into the fourth quarter, and that’s when things began to tighten up. The mostly Ohio State alums led by just four points, 68-64, when the Elam Ending kicked in, setting the target score at 76.

After some back and forth, Carmen’s Crew led 73-70 when Jamel Morris nailed a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key to seal the deal.

Carmen’s Crew will play for its second TBT title when it takes on ‘Forever Coogs’, a Houston alumni squad, on Sunday.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Future sites of Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournanment announced

Ohio State fans won’t have to travel far #GoBucks

The Big Ten is now a conference that stretches from sea to shining sea. The addition of Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC means changes are coming to be a more nationwide brand. Part of that change will be expanded locations of the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

The Big Ten tournament is fairly young compared to other conferences beginning in 1998 for the men and 1995 for the women. During that period, the tournament has been played mostly in Midwest venues such as Chicago and Indianapolis. As the league grew to add East Coast schools, the tournament occasionally landed in places like Washington DC and New York. Last year Minneapolis made its first appearance as the host city, but for the most part, the tournament has alternated between the original two.

New cities have now been announced through the 2028 season. Next year, both men and women will be in familiar territory going back to Indy. Then after that, stops will be made in Detroit and Las Vegas. It looks like outside of Vegas, the tournament is still going to have a Midwest feel for the next few years.

West Coast fans probably don’t love the favoring of the Central and Eastern time zones. But with conference expansion happening so fast, this is probably the best they could do on short notice as these things are usually planned years in advance.

My guess is the tournament will go west in the next cycle. But until then, most Big Ten fans won’t have to travel quite as far to see a conference champion crowned.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

How to watch ‘Carmen’s Crew’ in semifinals of TBT

Final Four of the TBT #GoBucks

The Ohio State alumni team moved on in convincing fashion Monday evening with a 90-74 victory over Takeover BC. The win moved Carmen’s Crew into the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament and within one game of playing for the championship and $1 million prize money.

But to do so, they’ll have to get past La Familia, the University of Kentucky alumni team. La Familia moved on to the semifinals with a win over in-state rival The Ville, a Louisville alumni group. The former Wildcats are averaging 82 points per game while holding opponents to under 62 points per contest through four games played.

It’s shaping up to be a fun one to watch. Check out how to see all the action below.

Basic info

When: Friday, August 2, at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Daskalakis Athletic Center at Drexel University (Philidelphia, Pa)

How to watch:

Broadcast: FS1

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.