The Ohio State basketball program continues to search for ways to get out of the hole it's been in for the last three years. In each of those three seasons, the Buckeyes have failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. It looked like they were going to break that awful streak last season, but collapsed down the stretch.
There are some Buckeye fans who are already out on Jake Diebler ( I don't count myself among those people...yet) even though he is just approaching his second full season as a head coach. He made a lot of mistakes last year, but he should have learned from them in the offseason.
Diebler is going to face some pressure from fans who never wanted him hired in the first place. A segment of the fan base wanted the Ohio State Buckeyes to make an outside hire. Instead, they promoted from within. Diebler has one guy who can help him get those fans to change their minds.
Jake Diebler needs Bruce Thornton to carry the Ohio State basketball team to the NCAA Tournament
Bruce Thornton has been the best player the Buckeyes have had in each of the last two seasons. He is back and should be better than ever. He's the only guy that Ohio State can rely on to create some offense with any regularity. Thornton is the key to the team's success.
Last season, Thornton averaged 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 50% from the field and over 42% from beyond the three-point arc. He was an offensive mastermind, but he didn't really get much help from his teammates. That has to change this season.
Thornton is still the engine that drives the offense. He's still the best player that Ohio State has on the roster. The issue is that means that he will attract the most attention from the other team. That means that he needs his teammates to help him out.
Juni Mobley and Devin Royal are up to the task. The question is whether or not any other players on the roster are. That's Diebler's challenge.