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Where does KenPom rank the Ohio State basketball team in their preseason rankings?

How does the Ohio State basketball team rank on KenPom compared to the rest of the country and the Big Ten?

By Jacob Rhymer

Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) works around Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins (33) during the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) works around Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins (33) during the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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You know it’s close to the start of the college basketball season when KenPom.com releases their rankings for the upcoming season. They have the Ohio State basketball team starting out 31st overall in their initial rankings.

KenPom is a college basketball website that is used by coaches, media, and fans that includes ratings and stats for every Division I team in college basketball. The Ohio State basketball team’s overall ranking of 31st is the fifth-highest-ranked Big Ten school with the conference's preseason favorite Purdue as the highest-ranked program at No. 10 in the rankings. KenPom has the Boilermakers projected to finish 14-6 in the 18-team conference.

After Purdue in the 10th overall position, the Big Ten fills nine more spots from 23-39 in the rankings. Illinois (23), UCLA (26), Oregon (29), Ohio State (31), Iowa (33), Michigan State (35), Michigan (36), Maryland (37), and Indiana (39) fill out the conference teams inside the top 40.

The rankings for the 2024-25 season predict the Buckeyes to finish with a record of 19-12 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten.

This projected conference record is good for a five-way tie for second in the Big Ten. Along with Ohio State, KenPom has Illinois, UCLA, Oregon, and Iowa projected to finish 11-9. Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland, Indiana, and Wisconsin all fall one game behind at 10-10.

The ratings put together by KenPom also rank adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. The Buckeyes open with the 23rd-best offense and the 41st-ranked defense. This puts them as the fourth-best offense in the Big Ten and tenth-best defense.

Another metric that is tracked on KenPom is adjusted tempo, and Ohio State falls at the 203rd fastest team in the preseason rankings. With the way Diebler wants to play at a faster pace this year, I could see this number rise significantly throughout the season.

There are lots to be excited about with this Ohio State basketball team, and clearly KenPom expects the Buckeyes to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten this season.

Next. CBS Sports analyst compared this Ohio State Basketball team to a Final Four team. CBS Sports analyst compared this Ohio State Basketball team to a Final Four team. dark

The Ohio State basketball team takes on Cincinnati in a charity exhibition game this Friday. The Bearcats come in at 17th overall in the KenPom rankings with the 25th offense and 13th-best defense. It’ll be a good feel-out exhibition game on Friday for the Buckeyes before the regular season gets underway in November.

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