A lot of Ohio State fans are still smarting over what happened on Saturday night in Los Angeles. That loss was bad to watch, and the football team could be in trouble. However, Monday night starts the Ohio State basketball season, and there is a reason for fans to be excited.
The Buckeyes begin their season against 25th-ranked BYU in Salt Lake City. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. With the season beginning tonight, we give you an overall season preview, and there are some reasons for fans to be excited about this squad.
Where Ohio State basketball fans should expect the Buckeyes to finish in the Big Ten
Last season, Jake Diebler's squad finished eighth in the Big Ten. It was a big improvement, and it allowed the team to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. While the media believes they will finish around the same spot this year, fans should expect more.
This is the first time that Diebler has had top-shelf talent on the roster in his coaching career. He has two five-star freshmen on the team this year. Anthony Thompson will likely be in the starting lineup all year. Meanwhile, LJ Smith could start the year off the bench.
Both freshmen should give the Buckeyes a chance for a higher finish in the Big Ten. A top-four finish should be what the team is aiming for. It's not unrealistic, either. Diebler once again has some transfers who should play a big part in the success of the roster.
Figuring out the center position will be the biggest issue that Diebler faces. It will either be Ivan Njegovan or transfer Lee Aaliya starting at that spot. Neither is a big-time player, and Diebler will likely try to play small this year when crunch time comes along in games.
Jake Diebler should be feeling pressure to succeed this season
This is the first season that Diebler should have real expectations regarding his team's performance. The Buckeyes finally made the NCAA Tournament last year, even though they lost in the first game. Now, the expectation is for the Buckeyes to actually advance in the tournament.
John Mobley Jr. is the leader of the team, with Bruce Thornton no longer on the roster. He needs to be the go-to scorer on the team, especially early on. With the two exciting freshmen, there is no reason why this team shouldn't at least make the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Anything less should be considered a failure for Diebler. Ross Bjork finally started pouring resources into the basketball program. Diebler no longer has any excuses not to have postseason success. That success starts with a victory over BYU in the first game of the year.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are ready to show that they are good enough to be taken seriously. Fans have been waiting for this team to be exciting again. This is the year that should get them engaged in a way that hasn't happened since Thad Matta was roaming the sidelines.
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