In just under 48 hours, the Ohio State basketball program will be playing its first NCAA Tournament game in four years. The Buckeyes will be taking on TCU in the first round. Winning that game will likely give them a date with Duke in the second round, which is the number-one overall seed.
The Ohio State Buckeyes made the NCAA Tournament on the strength of homegrown talent. After a disastrous use of the Transfer Portal a year ago, Jake Diebler only lightly dipped into it last offseason. Christoph Tilly is the only starter who came from the portal.
Meanwhile, several former Buckeyes left after last season. Four of them are also going to play in the NCAA Tournament. Some are very recognizable, while a couple of others are a little more obscure to some Buckeye fans who don't follow the team very closely.
Four former Ohio State basketball programs make the NCAA Tournament
Michigan player Roddy Gayle is one of them. Gayle transferred away from the Buckeyes two years ago and now plays for a number-one seed. Of all of the former Buckeyes, he has the best chance to win a national championship.
Another former Buckeye to make the tournament is center Felix Okpara. Okpara also transferred away a couple of seasons ago. He decided to head to Tennessee. The Vols are a six-seed in March Madness this season, and Okpara is the starting center.
Two former Buckeyes now play for the Akron Zips. Guard Evan Mahaffey played two seasons with Ohio State after he played his first season at Penn State. Now, he's a starter for the Zips, who are a 12-seed. They could have a matchup with the Wolverines if things break right.
Bowen Hardman also plays for Akron. He is in his second season with the Zips after being a benchwarmer for his first two years with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is a key player off the bench for them who can make shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
Aside from the actual Buckeyes playing this week, these former ones will be seeing plenty of action, as well.