Ohio State basketball program gets a signature win under Jake Diebler

The Ohio State basketball program got crushed the last time they played a top-five team. That was not the case on Saturday afternoon against Kentucky.

Dec 21, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0), Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) and Ohio State Buckeyes center Austin Parks (25) react during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0), Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) and Ohio State Buckeyes center Austin Parks (25) react during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Ohio State basketball program got crushed the last time they played a top-five team. They were completely non-competitive against Auburn, the number-two team in the country. They were able to wash that taste out of their mouth against Valparaiso earlier this week.

Coming into Saturday's game against Kentucky, there wasn't a lot of hope that they could win the game. Aaron Bradshaw did return for his first game since his incident, and he played very well. Bradshaw had 11 points on 5/6 shooting from the field.

From the start of the game, the Ohio State Buckeyes had a different energy. They were able to come out with a lot of fire. Because of that, they were able to get a win over Kentucky 85-65. They didn't turn the ball over, rebounded well, and made high-percentage shots. All were the recipe for the upset.

The Ohio State basketball team upsets fourth-ranked Kentucky

Bruce Thornton was once again the leader of this Buckeye team. He had 30 points on 8/13 shooting from the field. He made all of the right plays on the court, including making some good passes. Thornton continues to be the best player on this Ohio State basketball team.

Juni Mobley was also great in this game. Because of how strong his three-point shooting is, he was able to pump fake and make drives to the hoop. Sometimes, he'd shoot, while other times, he'd dish it to an open cutter. The freshman was extremely solid in almost every way.

This is a big win for Jake Diebler early in his Ohio State basketball coaching career. This is something that can propel them into great things this season. They have had some close loses, but this could help them turn the season around and string together some wins.

It's a signature win early in Diebler's tenure.

Schedule

Schedule