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2025–26 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team

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The 2025–26 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented the Ohio State University during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by second-year head coach Jake Diebler and played their home games at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record21–13 (12–8 Big Ten)
Headcoach
Associate headcoachJoel Justus (2nd season)
Quick facts Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball, NCAA tournament, First round ...
2025–26 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
NCAA tournament, First round
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record21–13 (12–8 Big Ten)
Head coach
Associate head coachJoel Justus (2nd season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaValue City Arena
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2025–26 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 1 Michigan19–1 .95037–3  .925
No. 14 Nebraska15–5 .75028–7  .800
No. 5 Illinois15–5 .75028–9  .757
No. 11 Michigan State15–5 .75027–8  .771
No. 25 Wisconsin14–6 .70024–11  .686
No. 6 Purdue †13–7 .65030–9  .769
UCLA13–7 .65024–12  .667
Ohio State12–8 .60021–13  .618
No. 15 Iowa10–10 .50024–13  .649
Indiana9–11 .45018–14  .563
Minnesota8–12 .40015–18  .455
USC7–13 .35018–14  .563
Washington7–13 .35016–17  .485
Rutgers6–14 .30014–20  .412
Northwestern5–15 .25015–19  .441
Oregon5–15 .25012–20  .375
Maryland4–16 .20012–21  .364
Penn State3–17 .15012–20  .375
† 2026 Big Ten tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
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Previous season

The Buckeyes finished the 2024–25 season 17–15, 9–11 in Big Ten play to finish in ninth place. As the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they lost to Iowa in the first round.[1] The Buckeyes received a bid for the inaugural College Basketball Crown, but declined.[2]

Offseason

Departures

More information Name, Number ...
Ohio State departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Meechie Johnson1G6'2"185SeniorCleveland, OHTransferred to South Carolina
Aaron Bradshaw4F7'1"215SophomoreRahway, NJTransferred to Memphis
Ques Glover6G6'0"185GS SeniorKnoxville, TNGraduated
Micah Parrish8G6'6"205GS SeniorDetroit, MIGraduated
Colby Baumann10G6'3"185JuniorHouston, TXWalk-on; graduated
Evan Mahaffey12G6'6"200JuniorCincinnati, OHTransferred to Akron
Sean Stewart13F6'9"220SophomoreWindermere, FLTransferred to Oregon
Austin Parks25C6'10"260SophomoreSt. Marys, OHTransferred to Toledo
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Incoming transfers

More information Name, Number ...
Ohio State incoming transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school
Gabe Cupps4G6'2"180RS SophomoreDayton, OHIndiana
Puff Johnson6G/F6'8"200GS SeniorMoon Township, PAPenn State
Christoph Tilly13C7'0"240SeniorBerlin, GermanySanta Clara
Brandon Noel14F6'8"240GS SeniorLucasville, OHWright State
Josh Ojianwuna17F6'10"270SeniorAsaba, NigeriaBaylor
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Recruiting classes

2025 recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
A'mare Bynum
C		 Omaha, Nebraska Link Academy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Oct 22, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (84)
Myles Herro
PG		 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Whitnall High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jun 2, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   
Mathieu Grujicic
SG		 Germany Alba Berlin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jun 3, 2025 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 46    247Sports: 47    ESPN: —
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Ohio State 2025 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  • "2025 Ohio State Buckeyes Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  • "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
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2026 recruiting class

More information College recruiting (2026), Name ...
College recruiting (2026)
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Alex Smith
PF		 Columbus, Ohio Upper Arlington High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sep 2, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (81)
Anthony Thompson
SF		 Lebanon, Ohio Western Reserve Academy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Oct 21, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 5/5 stars   (92)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 5    247Sports: 3    ESPN: —
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Close

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2025–26 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 John Mobley Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoWasatch Academy Reynoldsburg, OH
F 1 Amare Bynum 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)240 lb (109 kg) FrLink Academy Omaha, NE
G 2 Bruce Thornton 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrMilton HS Fairburn, GA
G 3 Taison Chatman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) RS SoTotino-Grace HS Minneapolis, MN
G 4 Gabe Cupps 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS SoIndiana Dayton, OH
G/F 6 Puff Johnson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)200 lb (91 kg) GSPenn State Moon Township, PA
C 7 Ivan Njegovan 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)260 lb (118 kg) SoGimnazija Vladimira-Nazora Otočac, Croatia
G 8 Myles Herro 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrWhitnall HS Milwaukee, WI
G 9 Mathieu Grujicic 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrAlba Berlin Berlin, Germany
C 13 Christoph Tilly 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)240 lb (109 kg) SrSanta Clara Berlin, Germany
F 14 Brandon Noel 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)240 lb (109 kg) GSWright State Lucasville, OH
F 17 Josh Ojianwuna 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)270 lb (122 kg) SrBaylor Asaba, Nigeria
F 20 Colin White 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) SoOttawa-Glandorf HS Ottawa, OH
F 21 Devin Royal 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)230 lb (104 kg) JrPickerington HS Central Pickerington, OH
G 55 Braylen Nash (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoNew Albany HS New Albany, OH
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 26, 2025*
2:00 p.m., B1G+		 Ohio W 103–74  -
  18 – Noel  6 – Njegovan  7 – Tilly  Value City Arena (8,909)
Columbus, OH
Regular season
November 3, 2025*
6:30 p.m., B1G+		 IU Indy W 118–102  1–0
  26 – Tied  10 – Noel  8 – Mobley Jr.  Value City Arena (8,141)
Columbus, OH
November 7, 2025*
6:30 p.m., BTN		 Purdue Fort Wayne W 94–68  2–0
  38 – Thornton  6 – Tilly  5 – Thornton  Value City Arena (8,926)
Columbus, OH
November 11, 2025*
6:30 p.m., B1G+		 Appalachian State W 75–53  3–0
  17 – Noel  11 – Noel  4 – Tilly  Value City Arena (7,938)
Columbus, OH
November 16, 2025*
12:30 p.m., FS1		 Notre Dame W 64–63  4–0
  24 – Thornton  6 – Royal  2 – Tied  Value City Arena (12,357)
Columbus, OH
November 20, 2025*
8:00 p.m., BTN		 Western Michigan W 91–58  5–0
  17 – Tilly  10 – Tied  7 – Tilly  Value City Arena (8,294)
Columbus, OH
November 25, 2025*
6:30 p.m., BTN		 Mount St. Mary's W 113–60  6–0
  26 – Mobley Jr.  7 – Noel  5 – Thornton  Value City Arena (10,140)
Columbus, OH
November 28, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at Pittsburgh L 66–67  6–1
  22 – Royal  13 – Thornton  3 – Cupps  Petersen Events Center (6,299)
Pittsburgh, PA
December 6, 2025
2:00 p.m., BTN		 at Northwestern W 86–82  7–1
(1–0)		  29 – Noel  7 – Noel  10 – Thornton  Welsh–Ryan Arena (5,448)
Evanston, IL
December 9, 2025
7:30 p.m., Peacock		 No. 13 Illinois L 80–88  7–2
(1–1)		  34 – Thornton  8 – Tilly  6 – Thornton  Value City Arena (9,974)
Columbus, OH
December 13, 2025*
8:00 p.m., ESPNU		 vs. West Virginia
Cleveland Hoops Showdown		 W 89–88 2OT 8–2
  21 – Thornton  11 – Tilly  5 – Tilly  Rocket Arena (6,465)
Cleveland, OH
December 20, 2025*
3:00 p.m., CBS		 vs. No. 12 North Carolina
CBS Sports Classic		 L 70–71  8–3
  18 – Royal  10 – Tilly  4 – Tied  State Farm Arena (16,951)
Atlanta, GA
December 23, 2025*
2:00 p.m., BTN		 Grambling State W 89–63  9–3
  20 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Bynum  4 – Mobley Jr.  Value City Arena (10,697)
Columbus, OH
January 2, 2026
8:00 p.m., Peacock		 at Rutgers W 80–73  10–3
(2–1)		  20 – Thornton  10 – Thornton  4 – Royal  Jersey Mike's Arena (8,000)
Piscataway, NJ
January 5, 2026
6:30 p.m., FS1		 No. 10 Nebraska L 69–72  10–4
(2–2)		  22 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Bynum  7 – Thornton  Value City Arena (10,382)
Columbus, OH
January 8, 2026
10:30 p.m., BTN		 at Oregon W 72–62  11–4
(3–2)		  14 – Tilly  10 – Royal  3 – Royal  Matthew Knight Arena (6,037)
Eugene, OR
January 11, 2026
6:00 p.m., Peacock		 at Washington L 74–81  11–5
(3–3)		  28 – Thornton  8 – Royal  4 – Mobley, Jr.  Alaska Airlines Arena (8,163)
Seattle, WA
January 17, 2026
1:00 p.m., CBS		 UCLA W 86–74  12–5
(4–3)		  28 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Royal  5 – Tilly  Value City Arena (12,937)
Columbus, OH
January 20, 2026
6:30 p.m., BTN		 Minnesota W 82–74 OT 13–5
(5–3)		  26 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Njegovan  3 – Thornton  Value City Arena (8,750)
Columbus, OH
January 23, 2026
8:00 p.m., FOX		 at No. 3 Michigan
Rivalry		 L 62–74  13–6
(5–4)		  22 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Thornton  2 – Mobley Jr.  Crisler Center (12,707)
Ann Arbor, MI
January 26, 2026
7:00 p.m., FS1		 Penn State W 84–78  14–6
(6–4)		  25 – Mobley Jr.  5 – Bynum  5 – Mobley Jr.  Value City Arena (10,358)
Columbus, OH
January 31, 2026
2:00 p.m., FOX		 at Wisconsin L 82–92  14–7
(6–5)		  18 – Tied  7 – Bynum  2 – Tied  Kohl Center (16,838)
Madison, WI
February 5, 2026
8:30 p.m., FS1		 at Maryland W 82–62  15–7
(7–5)		  19 – Tilly  3 – Tied  4 – Tied  Xfinity Center (12,358)
College Park, MD
February 8, 2026
1:00 p.m., CBS		 No. 2 Michigan
Rivalry		 L 61–82  15–8
(7–6)		  16 – Thornton  6 – Tied  4 – Thornton  Value City Arena (17,684)
Columbus, OH
February 11, 2026
6:30 p.m., BTN		 USC W 89–82  16–8
(8–6)		  21 – Thornton  7 – Royal  8 – Thornton  Value City Arena (11,367)
Columbus, OH
February 14, 2025*
8:00 p.m., FOX		 vs. No. 15 Virginia
Nashville Hoops Showdown		 L 66–70  16–9
  28 – Thornton  6 – Bynum  3 – Cupps  Bridgestone Arena (6,438)
Nashville, TN
February 17, 2026
8:30 p.m., FS1		 No. 24 Wisconsin W 86–69  17–9
(9–6)		  27 – Thornton  9 – Thornton  8 – Thornton  Value City Arena (9,006)
Columbus, OH
February 22, 2026
1:00 p.m., CBS		 at No. 15 Michigan State L 60–66  17–10
(9–7)		  32 – Thornton  8 – Tilly  3 – Chatman  Breslin Student Events Center (14,797)
East Lansing, MI
February 25, 2026
9:00 p.m., BTN		 at Iowa L 57–74  17–11
(9–8)		  16 – Royal  6 – Bynum  3 – Mobley Jr.  Carver–Hawkeye Arena (10,368)
Iowa City, IA
March 1, 2026
1:30 p.m., CBS		 No. 8 Purdue W 82–74  18–11
(10–8)		  21 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Royal  3 – Mobley Jr.  Value City Arena (15,524)
Columbus, OH
March 4, 2026
7:30 p.m., Peacock		 at Penn State W 94–62  19–11
(11–8)		  28 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Royal  5 – Thornton  Bryce Jordan Center (6,137)
State College, PA
March 7, 2026
5:30 p.m., FOX		 Indiana W 91–78  20–11
(12–8)		  25 – Thornton  9 – Bynum  7 – Thornton  Value City Arena (18,809)
Columbus, OH
Big Ten tournament
March 12, 2026
12:00 p.m., BTN		 (8) vs. (9) Iowa
Third round		 W 72–69  21–11
  24 – Thornton  6 – Thornton  4 – Bynum  United Center (16,157)
Chicago, IL
March 13, 2026
12:00 p.m., BTN		 (8) vs. (1) No. 3 Michigan
Quarterfinal / Rivalry		 L 67–71  21–12
  22 – Thornton  11 – Royal  4 – Thornton  United Center (18,988)
Chicago, IL
NCAA tournament
March 19, 2026*
12:15 p.m., CBS		 (8 E) vs. (9 E) TCU
First round		 L 64–66  21–13
  15 – Mobley Jr.  9 – Bynum  6 – Tied  Bon Secours Wellness Arena (13,919)
Greenville, SC
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.
All times are in Eastern Time.
Close

Source[3]

Exhibition

Ohio

See also: 2025–26 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team
October 26, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Ohio Bobcats 74, Ohio State Buckeyes 103
Scoring by half: 37–52, 37–51
Pts: 2 tied, 14
Rebs: Jalen Breath, 7
Asts: Jackson Paveletzke, 7		 Pts: Brandon Noel, 18
Rebs: Ivan Njegovan, 6
Asts: Christoph Tilly, 7
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Referees: Larry Scirotto, Amy Bonner, Andy O'Brien

Game summaries

vs IU Indy

See also: 2025–26 IU Indy Jaguars men's basketball team
November 3, 2025
6:30 p.m.
IU Indy Jaguars 102, Ohio State Buckeyes 118
Scoring by half: 50–66, 52–52
Pts: Kameron Tinsley, 22
Rebs: Finley Woodward, 6
Asts: Finley Woodward, 8		 Pts: 2 tied, 26
Rebs: Brandon Noel, 10
Asts: John Mobley Jr., 8
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 8,141
Referees: Luke Schumer, Rob Kueneman, Paul Szelc

vs Purdue Fort Wayne

See also: 2025–26 Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons men's basketball team
BTN
November 7, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons 68, Ohio State Buckeyes 94
Scoring by half: 30–45, 38–49
Pts: Mikale Stevenson, 21
Rebs: 4 tied, 3
Asts: Mikale Stevenson, 3		 Pts: Bruce Thornton, 38
Rebs: Christoph Tilly, 6
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 5
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 8,926
Referees: Andy O'Brien, Jason Phillips, Randy Richardson

vs Appalachian State

See also: 2025–26 Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team
B1G+
November 11, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Appalachian State Mountaineers 53, Ohio State Buckeyes 75
Scoring by half: 25–30, 28–45
Pts: Kasen Jennings, 12
Rebs: Luke Wilson, 7
Asts: Eren Banks, 3		 Pts: Brandon Noel, 17
Rebs: Brandon Noel, 11
Asts: Christoph Tilly, 4
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 7,938
Referees: Gerald Williams, Edwin Young, Tim Comer

vs Notre Dame

See also: 2025–26 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
November 16, 2025
12:30 p.m.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 63, Ohio State Buckeyes 64
Scoring by half: 34–31, 29–33
Pts: Markus Burton, 14
Rebs: Carson Towt, 12
Asts: Jalen Haralson, 3		 Pts: Bruce Thornton, 24
Rebs: Devin Royal, 6
Asts: 4 tied, 2
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 12,357
Referees: Jeffrey Anderson, Paul Szelc, Brian Dorsey

vs Western Michigan

See also: 2025–26 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
BTN
November 20, 2025
8:00 p.m.
Western Michigan Broncos 58, Ohio State Buckeyes 91
Scoring by half: 24–49, 34–42
Pts: Brady Swartz, 20
Rebs: Brady Swartz, 9
Asts: EJ Ryans, 3		 Pts: Christoph Tilly, 17
Rebs: 2 tied, 10
Asts: Christoph Tilly, 7
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 8,294
Referees: Anthony Burris, Chad Barlow, Kevin Brill

vs Mount St. Mary's

See also: 2025–26 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's basketball team
BTN
November 25, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers 60, Ohio State Buckeyes 113
Scoring by half: 26–52, 34–61
Pts: Luke McEldon, 19
Rebs: Luke McEldon, 8
Asts: Mason So, 6		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 26
Rebs: Brandon Noel, 7
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 5
Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Attendance: 10,140
Referees: Brian McNutt, Tim Comer, Larry Scirotto

at Pittsburgh

See also: 2025–26 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
November 28, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Ohio State Buckeyes 66, Pittsburgh Panthers 67
Scoring by half: 24–34, 42–33
Pts: Devin Royal, 22
Rebs: Bruce Thornton, 13
Asts: Gabe Cupps, 3		 Pts: 3 tied, 18
Rebs: Cameron Corhen, 10
Asts: 2 tied, 2
Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Attendance: 6,299
Referees: Tommy Morrissey, Ron Groover, Roger Ayers

at Northwestern

See also: 2025–26 Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team
BTN
December 6, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Ohio State Buckeyes 86, Northwestern Wildcats 82
Scoring by half: 40–44, 46–38
Pts: Brandon Noel, 29
Rebs: Brandon Noel, 7
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 10		 Pts: Nick Martinelli, 32
Rebs: Arrinten Page, 9
Asts: Jayden Reid, 6
Welsh–Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL
Attendance: 5,448
Referees: Andy O'Brien, Randy Richardson, James Breeding

vs No. 13 Illinois

See also: 2025–26 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
December 9, 2025
7:30 p.m. EST
No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini 88, Ohio State Buckeyes 80
Scoring by half: 48–42, 40–38
Pts: Keaton Wagler, 23
Rebs: David Mirković, 9
Asts: Keaton Wagler, 5		 Pts: Bruce Thornton, 34
Rebs: Christoph Tilly, 8
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 6
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 9,974
Referees: Tim Comer, Jeffrey Anderson, D.J. Carstensen

vs. West Virginia (Cleveland Hoops Showdown)

See also: 2025–26 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team
December 13, 2025
8:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 89, West Virginia Mountaineers 88 (OT)
Scoring by half: 27–37, 41–31 Overtime: 9–9, 12–11
Pts: Bruce Thornton, 23
Rebs: Devin Royal, 12
Asts: 2 tied, 4		 Pts: Honor Huff, 24
Rebs: Chance Moore, 8
Asts: 2 tied, 4
Rocket Arena • Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 6,465
Referees: Tommy Johnson, Michael Greenstein, Brian Dorsey

vs. No. 12 North Carolina (CBS Sports Classic)

See also: 2025–26 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team and CBS Sports Classic
December 20, 2025
3:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 70, No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels 71
Scoring by half: 31–34, 39–37
Pts: Devin Royal, 18
Rebs: Christoph Tilly, 10
Asts: 2 tied, 4		 Pts: Caleb Wilson, 20
Rebs: Caleb Wilson, 15
Asts: Henri Veesaar, 5
State Farm Arena • Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 16,951
Referees: Doug Shows, Roger Ayers, Kelly Pfieffer

vs Grambling State

See also: 2025–26 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team
BTN
December 23, 2025
2:00 p.m. EST
Grambling State Tigers 63, Ohio State Buckeyes 89
Scoring by half: 24–39, 39–50
Pts: Antonio Munoz, 19
Rebs: 2 tied, 4
Asts: Roderick Coffee III, 5		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 20
Rebs: Amare Bynum, 9
Asts: John Mobley Jr., 4
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,697
Referees: Michael Irving, D.J. Carstensen, Keith Kimble

at Rutgers

See also: 2025–26 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
Peacock
January 2, 2026
8:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 80, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 73
Scoring by half: 37–41, 43–32
Pts: Bruce Thornton, 20
Rebs: Bruce Thornton, 10
Asts: John Mobley Jr., 5		 Pts: Tariq Francis, 17
Rebs: Emmanuel Ogbole, 9
Asts: 2 tied, 3
Jersey Mike's Arena • Piscataway, New Jersey
Attendance: 8,000
Referees: Michael Redd, Larry Scirotto, Brian Dorsey

vs No. 10 Nebraska

See also: 2025–26 Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball team
FS1
January 5, 2026
6:30 p.m. EST
No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers 72, Ohio State Buckeyes 69
Scoring by half: 38–31, 34–38
Pts: Braden Frager, 15
Rebs: Sam Hoiberg, 9
Asts: Sam Hoiberg, 4		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 22
Rebs: Amare Bynum, 9
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 7
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,382
Referees: Ronald Groover, Kipp Kissinger, Keith Kimble

at Oregon

See also: 2025–26 Oregon Ducks men's basketball team
BTN
January 8, 2026
10:30 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 72, Oregon Ducks 62
Scoring by half: 34–29, 38–33
Pts: 2 tied, 14
Rebs: Devin Royal, 10
Asts: Devin Royal, 3		 Pts: Nate Bittle, 14
Rebs: Nate Bittle, 9
Asts: Wei Lin, 5
Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Oregon
Attendance: 6,037
Referees: Andy O'Brien, Jason Phillips, Randy Richardson

at Washington

See also: 2025–26 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
Peacock
January 11, 2026
6:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 74, Washington Huskies 81
Scoring by half: 38–36, 36–45
Pts: Bruce Thornton, 28
Rebs: Devin Royal, 8
Asts: John Mobley Jr., 4		 Pts: Zoom Diallo, 22
Rebs: Hannes Steinbach, 9
Asts: Jj Mandaquit, 5
Hec Edmundson Pavilion • Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 8,163
Referees: Nate Harris, Brian Dorsey, Paul Szelc

vs UCLA

See also: 2025–26 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
CBS
January 17, 2026
1:00 p.m. EST
UCLA Bruins 74, Ohio State Buckeyes 86
Scoring by half: 36–42, 38–44
Pts: Tyler Bilodeau, 30
Rebs: Tyler Bilodeau, 8
Asts: Donovan Dent, 7		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 28
Rebs: Devin Royal, 9
Asts: Christoph Tilly, 5
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 12,937
Referees: Alfred Smith, Mike Littlewood, Kelly Pfeifer

vs Minnesota

See also: 2025–26 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team
BTN
January 20, 2026
6:30 p.m. EST
Minnesota Golden Gophers 74, Ohio State Buckeyes 82 (OT)
Scoring by half: 28–31, 39–36 Overtime: 7–15
Pts: Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, 26
Rebs: 2 tied, 8
Asts: 2 tied, 5		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 26
Rebs: Ivan Njegovan, 9
Asts: Bruce Thornton, 3
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 8,750
Referees: Randy Richardson, Verne Harris, Paul Szelc

at No. 3 Michigan (rivalry)

See also: 2025–26 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team and Michigan–Ohio State men's basketball rivalry
January 23, 2026
8:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 62, No. 3 Michigan Wolverines 74
Scoring by half: 30–33, 32–41
Pts: John Mobley Jr., 22
Rebs: Bruce Thornton, 9
Asts: 3 tied, 2		 Pts: Yaxel Lendeborg, 18
Rebs: Yaxel Lendeborg, 9
Asts: Elliot Cadeau, 8
Crisler Center • Ann Arbor, Michigan
Attendance: 12,707
Referees: D.J. Carstensen, Doug Sirmons, Keith Kimble

vs Penn State

See also: 2025–26 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team
FS1
January 26, 2026
7:00 p.m. EST
Penn State Nittany Lions 78, Ohio State Buckeyes 84
Scoring by half: 32–50, 46–34
Pts: Eli Rice, 20
Rebs: Ivan Juric, 14
Asts: Kayden Mingo, 8		 Pts: John Mobley Jr., 25
Rebs: Amare Bynum, 5
Asts: 2 tied, 5
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,358
Referees: Bert Smith, Jeffrey Anderson, Brian Dorsey

at Wisconsin

See also: 2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
FOX
January 31, 2026
2:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 82, Wisconsin Badgers 92
Scoring by half: 43–49, 39–43
Pts: 2 tied, 18
Rebs: Amare Bynum, 7
Asts: 2 tied, 2		 Pts: John Blackwell, 22
Rebs: Nolan Winter, 11
Asts: 2 tied, 4
Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin
Attendance: 16,838
Referees: D.J. Carstensen, Michael Irving, Earl Watson

at Maryland

See also: 2025–26 Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team
FS1
February 5, 2026
8:30 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 82, Maryland Terrapins 62
Scoring by half: 42–30, 40–32
Pts: Christoph Tilly, 19
Rebs: 5 tied, 3
Asts: 2 tied, 4		 Pts: Elijah Saunders, 20
Rebs: Solomon Washington, 8
Asts: 3 tied, 2
Xfinity Center • College Park, Maryland
Attendance: 12,358
Referees: Bart Lenox, James Breeding, Brian Dorsey

vs Michigan (rivalry)

See also: 2025–26 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team and Michigan–Ohio State men's basketball rivalry
CBS
February 8, 2026
1:00 p.m. EST
Michigan Wolverines 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

vs USC

See also: 2025–26 USC Trojans men's basketball team
BTN
February 11, 2026
6:30 p.m. EST
USC Trojans 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

vs. Virginia (Nashville Hoops Showdown)

See also: 2025–26 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team
FOX
February 14, 2026
8:00 p.m. EST
Virginia Cavaliers 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

vs Wisconsin

See also: 2025–26 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
FS1
February 17, 2026
8:30 p.m. EST
Wisconsin Badgers 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

at Michigan State

See also: 2025–26 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
CBS
February 22, 2026
1:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 0, Michigan State Spartans 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0

at Iowa

See also: 2025–26 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team
BTN
February 25, 2026
9:00 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 0, Iowa Hawkeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0

vs Purdue

See also: 2025–26 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
CBS
March 1, 2026
1:30 p.m. EST
Purdue Boilermakers 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

at Penn State

See also: 2025–26 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team
Peacock
March 4, 2026
7:30 p.m. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes 0, Penn State Nittany Lions 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0

vs Indiana

See also: 2025–26 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team
FOX
March 7, 2026
5:30 p.m. EST
Indiana Hoosiers 0, Ohio State Buckeyes 0
Scoring by half: 0–0, 0–0
Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio

Rankings

See also: 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
More information Week, Poll ...
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
APRVRVRVRV—————*————————RVRVRVRV
CoachesRVRVRVRV—RVRV———RV———————RVRV—
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*AP did not release a week 8 poll.

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