Ohio State’s men’s basketball season ended last week when the Buckeyes were defeated by TCU 66-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The appearance in the tournament was the first for the program since 2022, and the first under head coach Jake Diebler, who took over for Chris Holtmann in February 2024. After talk of Diebler possibly not being the right man for the job in the middle of this year’s conference schedule, a hot finish to the season has helped to cool the heat on Diebler’s seat.
While Diebler has earned himself more time as head coach of the Buckeyes after his team made this year’s NCAA Tournament, one change that has already been announced is that a general manager will be hired during the offseason. Usually, the duties of a general manager in college basketball include managing roster construction and NIL opportunities, transfer portal scouting, and working on alumni relations. One of the most famous current college basketball general managers is former ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who left his position with the WWL to take the position of GM at St. Bonaventure.
Today, we want to have a little fun with who could be the first general manager of the Ohio State men’s basketball program. Diebler and the Buckeyes could go with someone we have never heard of, but what’s the fun in that? We want a big name to try and help infuse some more energy into the program. Ohio State could do what Weber State did and hire former player Damian Lillard to be their GM. Or maybe they go the St. Bonaventure route and bring in a notable alum who might not have played for the team but knows the game.
Today’s question: Which former Buckeye should be the Ohio State men’s basketball GM?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Aaron Craft
The former guard left it all out on the court during his time as a Buckeye. Aaron Craft didn’t have the flashiest numbers, but he made people recognize his hustle. Craft made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, was a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team four times. Buckeye Nation absolutely loved Craft because of the passion he played with, while fans of opposing teams hated Craft because he played with so much grit and toughness.
Despite not suiting up in the NBA, Craft went on to play in the G-League, Italy, France, and Montenegro. Following his basketball playing career, Craft returned to Ohio State for medical school. It’s obviously Craft is highly intelligent and can make tough decisions in the clutch, so helping the Buckeyes restore some of their past glory on the court should be a walk in the park. Maybe Craft could even tie up the sneakers for a few practices and show the next wave of Buckeyes some proper defending techniques.
With a career as an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor, Craft likely has enough on his plate to make it tough to imagine him being the general manager of Ohio State’s men’s basketball team, but it’s fun to think about. Following one year of guys like Greg Oden and Mike Conley, it’s hard to think of a more popular Buckeye basketball player over the last 15 years than Craft. Since he isn’t suiting up for Ohio State, it’s hard to imagine if his presence as GM would amount to any wins, but Craft certainly has the intelligence to put together a roster that would be one of the best in the country.
Matt’s answer: Greg Oden
Look, no Buckeye fan is ever going to argue with Aaron Craft being a part of the Ohio State program, but let’s be honest, dude’s wanted to be a doctor long before he was a Buckeye, and now that he has achieved that goal, I don’t think he’s going to bail to come run the basketball program.
Besides, you need someone in that role who has worked in college athletics before, someone who knows how the game works on the floor, on the recruiting trail, and in the world of NIL and open transfers. That’s why the only answer is former All-American, former No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and someone who has worked in all aspects of college hoops, Greg Oden.
Most OSU fans remember that following his playing career, Oden started his coaching odyssey as the team’s student manager under Thad Matta while he got his degree in sports industry. From there, he joined Edyoucore Sports & Entertainment as an athlete advisor. Edyoucore is a company that provides financial education and consulting services designed to educate, equip, and empower amateur and professional athletes to make more informed business, financial, and lifestyle decisions.
After that, he returned to OSU as a graduate assistant while he pursued his Master’s Degree in sports coaching. He then joined Matta’s staff at Butler, where he was the director of basketball operations, before returning to Edyoucore as the director of player development.
You can throw out all of Oden’s on-court accomplishments and experiences, and that would still be a killer resume to be the Buckeyes’ first men’s basketball GM. But when you factor in that he is one of the best players in program history, and that he has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that this sport has to offer, this seems like a slam dunk (pun intended) to me.
Oden is a consummate Buckeye who clearly loves this program and his time in Columbus. He understands the game from both a player’s and coach’s perspective, while also having first-hand knowledge of the way that the new financial paradigm in college athletics impacts the sport.
I don’t know if Ross Bjork and Jake Diebler will hire a former player as the program’s general manager, but if they do, the first (and hopefully only) call should be to Greg Oden.
