Scarlet and Game
Fansided

How Jake Diebler plans to build the Ohio State basketball program back to prominence

When Thad Matta led the Ohio State basketball program, the Buckeyes were one of the ten best programs in the country. Jake Diebler has a plan to get them back to that.

By Ryan Stano

Jul 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler uses pads to play defense during a summer workout in the practice gym at the Schottenstein Center.
Jul 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler uses pads to play defense during a summer workout in the practice gym at the Schottenstein Center. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
facebooktwitterreddit

Jake Diebler is the new leader of the Ohio State basketball program. It's the first time he's leading a program as a head coach through an entire season. His nice run to end last season was encouraging, but that finish is a long way from building a program back up.

The Buckeyes need to be built back up. Over the course of the last two years, the juice has been sucked out of the Ohio State basketball program. Not only were they not contenders for the Final Four like they were in the heyday of Thad Matta, but they weren't close to making the NCAA Tournament.

Diebler knows what the program used to be like. His brother played on some great Matta teams, including one that played for a national championship. Jake Diebler knows that it won't happen overnight, but he has a plan to build the Buckeyes back into contenders.

Jake Diebler's plan to build the Ohio State basketball program back up is already in motion

The first step in Diebler's plan is getting a roster that plays the way he wants to play. He wants the team to play faster and shoot more threes. He wants it to be a little bit more like the NBA game. The roster he has this season is a good bridge to that ultimate goal.

There aren't a lot of great three-point shooters on the roster. The starting frontcourt has two guys who shoot under 36% from deep in their careers. Still, the talent is there for this team to be better than they were in each of the last two seasons. His recruiting has already started to show too.

Diebler has a five-star guard on the way in 2026. He's doing some work to get prospects in the class of 2025 interested as well. He just has to have some success on the court and his plan will keep coming together. With Ross Bjork bringing in NIL resources, this program could be a contender again in two to three years.

manual

The Ohio State basketball program isn't going to the Final Four next season. But that goal isn't so far out of reach anymore.

Home/Ohio State Basketball