The Ohio State basketball team is getting ready to start a new era. After a season that included a lot of turmoil and turnover, Jake Diebler now gets an entire year to oversee this team after Chris Holtmann got fired in February a year ago. Now, the Buckeyes don't have any uncertainty surrounding the future of the coaching staff.
There are several new players who have made their way onto the roster this season. Bruce Thornton remains the team's best player. He's also one of just two starters from last year's team to stay. The Buckeyes will be counting on a lot of new faces to score points and win games.
So what can the Ohio State Buckeyes expect to do this year? They start their season on Monday in a late-night affair in Las Vegas. They get to take on 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns for a neutral-site game. Can Ohio State basketball fans expect a more competitive team?
What Ohio State basketball fans can expect from this team
Expect a team that is faster up the court on offense. Diebler wants this team to shoot more threes and play at a faster pace. We saw that at the end of last season once he took over. Meechie Johnson returns to the Buckeyes and is someone who could launch four threes a game.
Aaron Bradshaw is an intriguing player to watch this season. He's penciled in as the starting center after transferring from Kentucky. He's a former five-star recruit and has the traits to be a really good shot-blocker and rim-running center. In the system, he can be a really valuable player.
Ohio State did not look very good in their scrimmage against Cincinnati. Bradshaw did not play in that game, so that might have something to do with it. Still, they are once again going to be leaning on Thornton to create a lot of offense. It's a load he might not be able to bear.
This team will be better than the one we've seen in each of the last two seasons. I think an NCAA Tournament berth would be a great prize for this team. I'm just not quite sure they get there. They could finish 10th in the Big Ten and play in the NIT again.
Diebler needs time to rebuild this Ohio State basketball program. At least this year's team will be more fun to watch.