Looking at the possible starting lineup for the Ohio State basketball team

The Ohio State basketball team is expecting to be a lot better this season. Now that they have Jake Diebler leading the program for an entire season, they have their sights set on making the NCAA Tournament this season. They certainly have the talent to do so.

There were a lot of guys who went in and out of the program in the offseason. The Buckeyes brought in a ton of new guys. Meechie Johnson, Aaron Bradshaw, Micah Parrish, and Sean Stewart are all in. Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, Zed Key, Jamison Battle, and Bowen Hardman are all out.

So with the new roster that Diebler has assembled, who will be in the starting lineup? We know that Bruce Thornton will be the starting point guard. He'll likely be the lead ball-handler again. Meechie Johnson, now that he's back with the Ohio State basketball program, will start alongside him.

Now that the Buckeyes don't have Okapara or Key, it will likely be Bradshaw who steps into the starting center position. Despite the fact that he doesn't have a lot of experience playing big minutes, the Buckeyes have faith that he is ready for added responsibility.

Micah Parrish is likely going to be the guy at small forward, but that's unclear. The Buckeyes could opt to go with Sean Stewart at four and start Evan Mahaffey in a three-guard lineup again. I think Mahaffey is locked in as a starter, but his lack of a three-point shot gives me pause.

I the end, I think Diebler will go with Thronton, Johnson, Mahaffey, Parrish, and Bradshaw. That's the lineup that gives them the best chance to win right now. Perhaps some things change once the season starts, but those five on the floor together make sense.

We're about to learn about Diebler's philosophy on roster-tinkering in the middle of the season.