The Ohio State basketball program was in the mix for one of the best transfer portal recruits in college basketball. Darrion Williams pulled his name out of the NBA Draft process and decided to enter the transfer portal. He had narrowed his choice down to three programs.
Other than the Buckeyes, Williams was considering Kansas and NC State. It seemed that Ohio State was actually the favorite at one point to land him. Unfortunately, he decided not to head to Columbus. Instead, he committed to the Wolfpack, leaving the Ohio State Buckeyes behind.
Jake Diebler would have benefited greatly from adding Williams. Instead, he loses out on another big-time transfer portal recruit. That is an issue that seems to be becoming common under Diebler. Diebler doesn't seem to be able to land transfer portal players who make a difference.
Darrion Williams not choosing Ohio State shows a pattern of game-changing transfers ignoring the Ohio State basketball team
Williams would have been a perfect fit for Diebler and his system. He is someone who can play inside and outside, and someone who can score the ball well. He would have become either the number one or the number two scoring option for the Buckeyes this season.
The roster looks pretty bleak for Ohio State heading into next season. None of the players they brought in from the transfer portal looks to be a difference-maker. Keeping Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal, and Juni Mobley was good, but they need more than that to compete for an NCAA Tournament berth.
The Buckeyes haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2022. That's way too long of a drought for a program with the resources that Ohio State has. They are supposedly putting more money into the program, but that doesn't seem to be making much of a difference if they are.
Even though this is Diebler's second season, he is still facing a lot of pressure. Buckeye basketball fans are tired of this program being so bad. It's time for Ohio State to make the NCAA Tournament and get back to the level that they should be at.