Story by
With practice underway, here are 5 takeaways from Ohio State men's basketball media day
- Story by
- With practice underway, here are 5 takeaways from Ohio State men's basketball media day
It was surprisingly late for the Ohio State men's basketball program to be holding media day.
In previous years, the Buckeyes have invited reporters into the Jerome Schottenstein Center right around the start of fall practice or even a day or two before actual practices had gotten underway.
Advertisement
That rendered any questions about how workouts were going mostly moot.
Not so this year. On Oct. 1, all 14 players on the 2025-26 roster gathered for a team photo and dispersed to tables scattered throughout their practice gym. After about half an hour, coach Jake Diebler took to an elevated table for a 40-minute press conference.
All of this took place nine days after the first day of practice for the Buckeyes, who hit the court Sept. 22 to begin preparations for their Nov. 3 season opener against IU Indy. So, this year's media day provided a chance to take the pulse of how opening salvos of the preseason have gone.
Senior guard Bruce Thornton, a lock to be a four-time captain, said it has been fun, but intense.
Advertisement
"We're talking a lot of stuff to each other," he said. "The intensity is raised through the roof right now, but it's good for us. Coach has put us in a lot of hardship, because we know adversity is going to come throughout the season. We're preparing for that and preparing to win big-time games."
Here are four other immediate takeaways from media day.
The 2025-26 Ohio State men's basketball team poses for a photo at media day on Oct. 1 inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
Colin White, Josh Ojianwuna still not fully cleared for practice
Not everyone on the roster is healthy.
Last year, Josh Ojianwuna, a senior center at Baylor , had his season cut short when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Colin White, a freshman at Ohio State, dealt with a leg injury that curtailed his playing time and ultimately required an offseason surgery.
Advertisement
Neither has recovered enough to be full-go at practice this fall, but White is closer. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing is back to doing some basketball activities but is still working to get back to full participation.
Ohio State forward Devin Royal (21) high fives forward Colin White (20) during a Nov. 19, 2024, game against Evansville.
White is expected to play this year. Ojianwuna's immediate future is cloudier.
The Bears transfer was unable to give a timeline for when he will be back in action and did not rule out the possibility of taking a medical redshirt this year.
"There's a lot of improvement from earlier, so I feel like I'm in a good spot," he said.
More: Here's why Ohio State men think their offense will look and perform better than last year
Advertisement
Amare Bynum has been impressive so far
Last year, Diebler praised John Mobley Jr. for his work during the summer. Mobley made those kudos seem prescient when he finished his freshman year fourth on the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game. He started the final 22 games of the season, putting him in line for a breakout sophomore season alongside Thornton in the backcourt.
This year, Diebler had similar praise for Amare Bynum, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward who was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2025 class.
"He plays the game with a joy and an eagerness to get better that I think that level of humility and consistency is rare for young players," Diebler said. "He's certainly talented. He's got some great physical tools, but he has had not just one or two high-level moments but he's had multiple stretches of high-level basketball and productive basketball, which is equally hard for a young player."
Advertisement
Bynum is expected to battle Wright State transfer Brandon Noel for time at the power forward spot and is also a candidate to log minutes at center.
Amare Bynum is a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward who was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2025 class.
Retention of key players already paying dividends
The Buckeyes return three of their four top scorers from last season. Thornton led the team at 17.7 points per game, Royal was next at 13.7 and Mobley close behind at 13.0. All three were prioritized when the Buckeyes looked to build their 2025-26 roster, and by keeping each of them, Diebler said they have been able to accomplish more early on than last year's team.
All three are expected to be cornerstones for the Buckeyes, even if their retention didn't generate as many headlines as those within the program feel it should have.
Advertisement
"(The word) 'retention' gets used a lot, but the right retention and then complementing that in the transfer portal has brought us together," Diebler said. "What I've been amazed at is how close and connected we can be in a short amount of time."
Ohio State doesn't just want to make the NCAA Tournament
Diebler has not been shy expressing his belief that the Buckeyes should be pursuing championships , even as the program's title drought has now stretched to 14 years.
Ohio State last made the NCAA Tournament in 2022 when forward E.J. Liddell (here taking a shot against Villanova in a second-round game) helped lead the team.
The Buckeyes won the 2012 Big Ten title, and the following year reached the Elite Eight. Since then, Ohio State has not advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament nor won any new trophies, and it's now a three-year stretch without even making it into March Madness.
Advertisement
"Disappointed with how we finished last season, for sure, but we don't go into the season just setting a lower bar because maybe the program hasn't been there (lately)," Diebler said. "To me, the bar for this program should always be at the very top."
Lindy's annual college basketball preview magazine projects the Buckeyes to make the NCAA Tournament .
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: 5 takeaways from Ohio State's preseason men's basketball media day
