Ohio State Basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: Projected starting lineup, impact players and rotation explored

Jake Diebler's first full season as Ohio State coach didn't go well by Buckeyes standards. They finished 10th in the Big Ten at 9-11 and 17-15 overall last season.

Just like other teams, the Buckeyes rebuilt their lineup to bounce back and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Here's a closer look at Ohio State's current lineup months before the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Ohio State basketball season preview for 2025-26

Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton (Image Source: IMAGN)

Starting Lineup

Guard: Bruce Thornton

Bruce Thornton is coming off his best scoring output for the Buckeyes and he's coming back to help the team make the NCAA Tournament. This past season, the 6-2 guard averaged 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Thornton shot a career-best 50.1%, including a sizzling 42.4% clip from 3-point range. He's expected to be Jake Diebler's go-to guy in crucial moments this coming season due to his shotmaking ability and maturity.

Guard: John Mobley Jr

John Mobley had a great freshman season for Ohio State, tallying 13.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 2.2 apg. The 6-1 guard gained coach Jake Diebler's trust as the 2024-25 season wore on, posting awesome numbers for the Buckeyes, including a career-high 23 points against Campbell.

Mobley scored at least 20 points six times last season and he's expected to run it back. He's set to form a 1-2 punch with Bruce Thornton on the Buckeyes' backcourt that could provide headaches for Big Ten rivals moving forward.

Forward: Devin Royal

Devin Royal stepped up big time for Ohio State as a starter last season. He played 31 games (27 starts) for the Buckeyes and put up season-highs of 13.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 1.1 apg.

He shot better from the field at 52.5% and made 77.2% of his attempts from the free-throw line. A lot is expected of the 6-foot-6 forward in the wing position, especially since he is one of the familiar faces for Jake Diebler's squad from last season.

The only facet that Royal needs to improve is his 3-point shooting as he had a 27.6% clip in Ohio State's previous campaign.

Forward: Brandon Noel

Brandon Noel is coming off his best season at Wright State, posting 19.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.0 spg last year. The 6-8 forward shot 55.2% from the field, including 35.8% from the 3-point line.

Noel brings in the scoring threat at the power forward spot for Ohio State this season. This is something the Buckeyes would need in case Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr are tightly guarded during the game.

Center: Christoph Tilly

Christoph Tilly was efficient during his third season with Santa Clara, averaging 12.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 1.9 apg. He shot 55.4% and 77.1% from the free-throw line in 22.7 minutes per outing for the Broncos.

The 7-foot German center will anchor Ohio State's frontline and bring defensive stability to the Buckeyes in its 2025-26 campaign.

Rotation players

Transfers Josh Ojianwuna and Gabe Cupps hope to have a career restart with Ohio State after forgettable seasons with Baylor and Indiana, respectively. Ojianwunna is expected to provide additional frontcourt muscle for the Buckeyes while Cupps looks to improve on his production.

New recruits A'mare Bynum, Matthew Grujicic and Myles Herro will have chips on their shoulders this year. They want to prove that they deserve a spot in the Buckeyes' rotation and help out in the team's objective to reach the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Returnees Ivan Njegovan, Colin White and Taison Chatman are expected to give quality minutes and valuable experience for Ohio State next season.

Impact players

Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr and Devin Royal will hold Ohio State's banner this season as Jake Diebler aims to guide the team to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The trio returned for another season with the Buckeyes in the hopes of contending in the Big Ten Conference.

Ohio State had frontcourt issues last season and Diebler brought in efficient scorers in Christoph Tilly and Brandon Noel from the transfer portal. Other players who are expected to bring impact to the team are Tyler Herro's younger brother, Myles, and former Baylor center Josh Ojianwunna.

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What can you say about Ohio State's lineup for the 2025-26 season? Let us know your insights in the comments section.