The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until April 7, but rosters are already churning, players are moving, and coaches are calling. Players are even taking visits to other schools before the portal even opens.
The tampering has begun.
Ohio State is fresh off of a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, falling to the TCU Horned Frogs 66-64 last Thursday. As of Friday morning, zero Ohio State players have transferred out or announced that they intend on transferring, but at this point we all know that the odds
of the Buckeyes not losing a single player to the transfer portal is essentially zero.
Guys leave for all kinds of reasons — being blocked for a starting spot, seeking more NIL money, wanting to play closer to home — and the odds of none of those of those issues popping up for the entire roster is slim to none.
11 of Ohio State’s 16 players have eligibility to return next season. That includes two of the Buckeyes’ three leading scorers from last season, John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal. It includes two of the Buckeyes’ three leading rebounders in Royal and Amare Bynum. It also includes Ohio State’s two best three-point shooters — Mobley and Taison Chatman.
Jake Diebler would love to retain every one of those guys, but the reality is that may not be possible. Impossible? Certainly not. But it could be difficult for the Buckeyes to keep all of them without having a starting role for each of them.
So, if Diebler and his staff had to prioritize just one of them, who should it be? That’s what we’re breaking down this week.
Last week, Connor and Justin each graded Ohio State’s performance this season.
Connor gave the Buckeyes a B — they met expectations that were set for them in the fall by finishing in the top half of the Big Ten and making the tournament, but didn’t live up to the standard the fans have for the program.
Justin gave the Buckeyes a C, saying that, although they made progress this year by making the NCAA Tournament, they were not a top-25 team at any point and barely finished in the top half of the conference.
Back to the main topic — which player should be the No. 1 priority for Diebler and the staff right now?
This week’s question: Which player in the most important for the Ohio State men to retain this spring?
Connor: John Mobley Jr.
With Bruce Thornton having graduated, Mobley has a very good chance of being Ohio State’s leading scorer next season during his junior year. He’ll be surrounded by talented big guys, starting with McDonald’s All-American Anthony Thompson and sophomore forward Amare Bynum (assuming he returns).
It’ll be his third season playing for Jake Diebler at Ohio State, and it’s become very apparent that Mobley has an incredible amount of freedom in Diebler’s offense. If Mobley can see the rim and there’s not a defender in his face, Diebler is usually okay with Mobley letting it rip.
There aren’t many coaches in the country that give their players that kind of green light, but Mobley’s hit enough big shots for the Buckeyes that he’s earned that level of trust and leeway from his head coach.
Mobley’s the most important piece to bring back not just because of his own scoring ability, but also what his reputation does for everyone else on the team. Mobley was fourth in the Big Ten last season in three-pointers made (97), and was seventh in the Big Ten in three-point percentage (41.1%) among players who took at least 100 of them.
The frequency that Mobley takes those three-pointers and the distance he takes them from impacts Ohio State’s entire offense. Most teams will throw at least one defender at Mobley and do their best to stay within arm’s length of him at all times — easier said than done.
What that does is remove one defender from the play, so even if Mobley isn’t the one taking the shot, his teammates have a better opportunity to create open shots with the rest of the possession looking like a 4-on-4 situation.
Mobley also pulls “gravity” towards him when the ball is in his hands — defenders are more likely to cheat off of their own man to hover towards Mobley and try to help defend the shooter. That helps the rest of the Buckeyes get open looks.
Mobley is also a local kid, loves Ohio State, and is just an exciting player. He transforms Ohio State’s offense in a way that few players can, and in a way that Diebler would not be able to replicate by just going out in the transfer portal and looking for a replacement.
Justin: Amare Bynum
Amare Bynum needs to be the No. 1 priority to return to Columbus this next season. Mobley coming back would be great and I want both to return, but if for some hypothetical reason the staff had to pick one, it should be Bynum.
That’s not a real question being posed, but it is for this article.
Bynum averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 72.6% from the free-throw line. He shot a modest 30.8% from three-point range, but his shot looked much improved as the season progressed.
With five-star freshman Anthony Thompson coming in next season to play the three, Bynum is the perfect fit next to him at the four. He has a high motor, gives high energy and was impressive towards the end of the season.
If it wasn’t for one of the best freshman classes of all time, Bynum would have got way more recognition for his play in his first year. It ended up being a blessing in disguise however, as Bynum was able to slide under the radar for most of the season and not pop up on any draft boards.
That will not be the case next season.
