2026-2027 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/article/john-mobley-jr-will-return-to-ohio-state-basketball-for-his-junior-season-285714030/

Apparently Mobley is officially coming back so at this point I *THINK* Ohio State's roster for 2026/27 is set as:

• SR Jimmie Williams G by way of Duquesne/USF/Wallace St
• SR Josh Ojianwuna F transferred in from Baylor last year but was out all year due to injury
• JR Curtis Givens III G by way of Memphis/LSU
• JR Justin Pippen G by way of California/Michigan
• JR John Mobley Jr G returns
• JR Braylen Nash G returns
• JR Ivan Njegovan C returns
• SO Andirja Jelavic F by way of Kentucky and a short pro career in Croatia
• SO Amare Bynum F returns
• SO Myles Herro G returns
• FR Anthony Thompson F is the "Super Frosh" that @MaximumSam and I have referred to.  He is a 5* SF out of Lebanon, OH.  

The backcourt will likely be Pippen and Mobley and that should be pretty good and MUCH deeper than last year with Williams and Givens likely as decent substitutes while Nash and Herro aren't likely to see a lot of minutes.  In the frontcourt I think it all depends on how well Ojianwuna's recovery has gone and whether he comes back better than before, about the same, or suffers some regression.  If he is solid, the duo of Bynum and Thompson at wings should be solid and this looks to be a pretty good team.  OTOH, if Ojianwuna isn't available or isn't very good then it will probably be center-by-committee with Njegovan, Jelavic, Bynum, and Thompson all getting minutes there.  

[bayareabadger]

That was my impression as well, it seems to be a bit of a crapshoot.  Pessimistically, this guy is unrated.  Looked at that way he is probably a depth piece at best.  Optimistically, it was stated that UCONN was looking at him and they've been to the NC a lot lately.  Looked at that way he could be a major addition. 

In this new "Wild West" Portal/NIL era I just feel like I have no idea what the team is going to look like in 2026/7. 

I wondered about Ojianwuna's health as well.  Apparently he was a solid contributor at Baylor back in 2024/5 but he's been unavailable due to injury since then and given the pacing of things today that feels like ancient history.  Also it feels like a crapshoot because nobody has seen him play in an actual game since.  Obviously we don't know what Diebler is seeing in practice.  Maybe Ojianwuna is looking like a superstar or maybe he still isn't even playing let alone looking good doing it. 

I can tell you that Wisconsin took a guy at around this juncture last year who didn’t seem all that notable, and after a little bit developed into a decidedly serviceable borderline starting Big Ten player.

[medinabuckeye1]

I can tell you that Wisconsin took a guy at around this juncture last year who didn’t seem all that notable, and after a little bit developed into a decidedly serviceable borderline starting Big Ten player.

Here's hoping!

[OrangeAfroMan]

Florida should lose 3 or fewer games next year.  Everyone in the frontcourt came back for some reason, and we're getting the guy who left for UK back (which is dumb).  
We're a basketball school.  Plain and simple.

[847badgerfan]

Florida is a .500 team in the B1G.

[OrangeAfroMan]

And I'm skinny in a funhouse mirror.  Cool.  

[847badgerfan]

[FearlessF]

Florida should lose 3 or fewer games next year.  Everyone in the frontcourt came back for some reason, and we're getting the guy who left for UK back (which is dumb). 
We're a basketball school.  Plain and simple.

just beat Iowa