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Who headlines our 2025-26 Ohio State men's basketball preseason power rankings?
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- Who headlines our 2025-26 Ohio State men's basketball preseason power rankings?
As the start to the Ohio State men's basketball season approaches, it's time to take stock of the 2025-26 Buckeyes .
Led by second-year coach Jake Diebler, Ohio State was picked to finish ninth in the annual preseason media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star. The Buckeyes are also widely projected to reach the NCAA Tournament and end a three-year absence.
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To get ready for the season, The Dispatch is once again rolling out its annual preseason power rankings but in a different form. Starting Oct. 30, we will count upward while projecting which players will have the biggest roles in the 2025-26 season.
Ohio State's roster features 14 players, half of whom are new to the program.
On Oct. 30, we unveiled Nos. 14-8 . Now, we count up to No. 1.
No. 7 – Gabe Cupps
The Skinny: A former Ohio Mr. Basketball, the Centerville native picked Indiana instead of Ohio State and spent two seasons with the Hoosiers. As a freshman, he was thrust into a bigger role than projected when injuries decimated Indiana's backcourt, and he ultimately averaged 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while starting in 22 of his 33 games. Then a knee injury sidelined him after only four games in 2024-25, leading him to take a medical redshirt and enter the transfer portal. Now he's a Buckeye with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
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The Projection: The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Cupps was heavily recruited by Diebler both as a high schooler and college transfer. That's no surprise. Cupps plays a hard-nosed style that fits how Ohio State's coach is wired. He will provide a veteran presence and a solid, dependable backcourt presence, but he won't be tasked with doing much more than keeping things moving along.
One fun fact: During the summer, Cupps used some of his NIL money to help buy his older sister a car .
Gabe Cupps (at left)
No. 6 – Amare Bynum
The Skinny: When Ohio State landed a commitment from Bynum, he was a fringe top-100 recruit according to 247Sports.com. By the end of his senior season at Branson (Missouri) Link Academy , he was the No. 44 player in the nation despite a wrist injury that had limited him that year. He finished the year as the No. 2 prospect in his state and the No. 9 power forward in the country. He took official visits to Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Ohio State and Xavier before committing to the Buckeyes .
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The Projection: The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Bynum will be able to assimilate to the high-major college level without the fate of the season resting on his shoulders. He will challenge sixth-year Wright State transfer Brandon Noel for a starting spot all season and is an early favorite to lead the team in highlight plays thanks to his explosive dunking ability. Noel can shoot, too, as he proved in knocking down three 3s in the exhibition game against Ohio . He should be a featured player as the year progresses.
One fun fact: Bynum was a unanimous pick by his classmates as the best dunker on the team in a preseason poll conducted by The Dispatch.
Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brandon Noel (14) shoots past Ohio Bobcats forward Javan Simmons (1) during the NCAA preseason exhibition game at Value City Arena in Columbus on Oct. 26, 2025.
No. 5 – Brandon Noel
The Skinny: There won't be many players with more college basketball experience this year than the 6-foot-8, 240-pound Noel. A Lucasville, Ohio, native, Noel enrolled at Wright State for the 2020-21 season and took a medical redshirt after suffering a knee injury. He then took a traditional redshirt season in 2021-22 before playing three impactful seasons with the Raiders, averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 37.3% from 3-point range. In 2024-25, Noel averaged 19.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 35.8% from 3 before entering the transfer portal and committing to the Buckeyes for his final season of college basketball.
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The Projection: Noel is one half of a rebuilt Ohio State frontcourt, and he brings size, offensive versatility and plenty of experience to the role. Diebler has praised this year's team for having a higher basketball IQ than its predecessors, and Noel factors heavily into that. His production is unlikely to match the numbers he's put up at Wright State, but he will open the season as a starter and be a primary contributor for the Buckeyes.
One fun fact: While at Wright State, Noel roomed with former Buckeye Tanner Holden, who transferred to Ohio State for the 2022-23 season before transferring back to Wright State for his final season. The two are close, and Noel consulted with Holden before committing to the Buckeyes.
No. 4 – John Mobley Jr.
The Skinny: A renowned shooter at the prep level, Mobley was projected to be a rotation player off the bench as a freshman while Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson handled the starting responsibilities in the backcourt. Then Johnson left the team after 10 games, Mobley moved into his vacated spot and wound up finishing fourth on the team with an average of 13.0 points per game. He shot 38.5% (77 for 200) from 3-point range and finished second with 71 assists. Now he's poised to do more as a sophomore.
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More: Ohio State basketball's John Mobley Jr. improves at the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp
The Projection: Mobley knows what will be expected of him this season and has spent the offseason preparing for it. He's listed 10 pounds heavier than he was a season ago, and the added mass should help prevent the 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard from wearing down as the season progresses like he did last year. The Buckeyes are asking him to continue to grow as a playmaker and allow Thornton to play more off the ball. If he makes a strong freshman-to-sophomore leap, he's a potential Big Ten breakout candidate. Mobley opens the year as one of Ohio State's top offensive weapons and has shown signs of growth as a defender as well.
One fun fact: Former Michigan guard and NBA veteran Trey Burke is on a lengthy list of Central Ohio basketball players who have helped mentor Mobley throughout his development .
No. 3 – Devin Royal
The Skinny: Royal averaged a career-best 13.7 points and team-high 6.9 rebounds per game last season. He finished second on the team in scoring and played the third-most minutes, giving the Buckeyes their best inside presence as a small-ball center. In a win against Valparaiso , he had a career-high 31 points. He also had 29 at Illinois. Now a position change is in store. Listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds entering his junior year, Royal will slide from power to small forward.
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The Projection: Diebler is hoping his decision to move Royal to the wing will allow the Buckeyes to play with more size and rebound better. Royal trimmed down this offseason, and his 3-point shot (career 24.4% shooter) looks to have improved. There will be a learning curve defensively. In the Ohio exhibition, Royal picked up three fouls all while guarding on the perimeter. However, Royal thriving at his new position would make a tangible difference for Ohio State, and he seems ready for the change.
One fun fact: Royal is active in his hometown of Pickerington. He volunteered at Pickerington Elementary while in high school and does annual back-to-school backpack drives at a different school each year .
No. 2 – Christoph Tilly
The Skinny: A native of Germany, Tilly arrives at Ohio State after three years at Santa Clara. He appeared in 86 games for the Broncos, averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while growing his production in every significant statistical category each year. In 2024-25, Tilly averaged 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists and shot 31.5% from 3-point range while earning second-team All-West Coast Conference honors. Ohio State was the first school to contact him when he entered the transfer portal , and he now slots in as the favorite to hold down the center position.
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The Projection: There's no other player on Ohio State's roster with Tilly's size and skillset. The 7-foot, 240-pound center is a talented passer whose ball skills and shooting ability should allow the Buckeyes to play him extensively on the perimeter. In the Ohio exhibition, he flirted with a triple-double and finished with 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists with no turnovers in 22:49. He's consistently shot the ball well from 3 since his arrival, and his abilities give the Buckeyes a big man the likes of which they've arguably never had before. There will be an adjustment to consistently playing against Big Ten big men, but Tilly enters the season as a candidate for all-league honors .
One fun fact: Tilly was an avid skier as a kid but his parents told him he was no longer allowed to hit the slopes once he turned 15.
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) is introduced in the starting lineup prior to the NCAA preseason exhibition game \AB\ at Value City Arena in Columbus on Oct. 26, 2025. Ohio State won 103-74.
No. 1 – Bruce Thornton
The Skinny: What else is there to say about Ohio State's longest-tenured player? A three-year captain, Thornton has missed just one game in his career and has started the other 102. A second-team All-Big Ten pick last year, Thornton averaged 17.7 points and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 50.1% from the floor, 42.4% from 3-point range and 85.3% from the free-throw line. All of those shooting percentages were career highs, and now he goes into his senior season with what appears to be a more capable supporting cast. The only thing missing from his resume: an NCAA Tournament appearance.
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The Projection: Thornton's fingerprints will be all over whatever type of season the Buckeyes have. Assuming similar production to last year, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Thornton will climb the statistical charts and cement himself as one of Ohio State's most prolific players ever. The Buckeyes are likely to find ways to play him off the ball more and try to keep him fresher, but he's one of the most coveted assets in college basketball: a fourth-year starting point guard. Nobody will play a bigger role in what this season becomes for Ohio State than Thornton.
One fun fact:In four years, Thornton has had 36 different teammates at Ohio State. This is believed to be a program record.
Ohio State men's basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @ cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @ AdamJardy .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Preseason Ohio State men's basketball power rankings, from Nos. 7-1
