CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on March 19, 2026, 02:28:11 PM
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Well, at least this year I get to start this post after an NCAA Tournament loss.
The thing is that in the Portal/NIL world I don't know that we really have much of anything to talk about until we have an idea what the rosters are going to look like and that will not be for months.
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Yeah thinking about next year is almost worthless until whenever the transfer portal madness ends. That said, I'm way more bullish about OSU next season than last year. If everyone stays they look something like:
- PG Taison Chatman or Gabe Cupps
- SG Juni Mobley
- SF Super Frosh Anthony Thompson
- PF Amare Bynum
- C Josh Ojianwuna
Devin Royal could play either forward spot. Of course, not sure he would stay to be a backup. But the primary goal seems like it would be to keep Bynum - he could be a real star next year and him paired with Thompson and Ojianwuna would give the Buckeyes some real defensive pop next year. That felt like the number one problem this year.
Of course, everyone could also leave and we could field a team of people I've never heard of.
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UW is interesting. I know they need a point guard, and they have eight guys with the ability to return who you'd think would be reasonable rotation guys next season.
How that shakes out, lord only knows? Blackwell and Winter may test the NBA and will likely be wooed by big program offers. A bunch of other folks will have to figure out if they want to be back and the staff will have to figure out if they want to recruit over anyone. There's only one player I'd feel great about returning, but some of that is because I could see any guys from a few clusters of players wanting bigger roles or not seeing a role if they add someone.
Gonna be a lot to watch.
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Michigan already knows their roster for next year, but they are keeping it super secret
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Badgers roster saw some changes at the bottom of the roster.
They had 10 possible returners, eight are guys you'd want back, two were just folks on scholarship. One of those last guys was seen as likely to leave, but now both have.
What does this mean? Likely not much. They should add a couple freshmen, they seem to be planning to add a point and something on the wing, before filling spots for any departures. Will be interesting to see if they fill things out with interested bodies or maybe add walk-ons if those are still allowed. They likely weren't going to need the spots those guys had, but hopefully they find what they're looking for.
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Blackwell is getting blue blood offers in the $4-5M range, according to my buddy in Madison.
He just texted me. Could get ugly in the short term.
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wow, I've heard Sandford only cost UNL $800K
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Blackwell is getting blue blood offers in the $4-5M range, according to my buddy in Madison.
He just texted me. Could get ugly in the short term.
By ugly, you mean he could just leave?
I am weirdly not overly concerned about that. Well, I guess I’d maybe just factored in that it might happen and kind of accepted that reality.
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UW won't match that kind of offer. Frankly, he's not worth that kind of money (nor is anyone else, but that horse left the barn).
He's a #2 player - not a #1.
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UW won't match that kind of offer. Frankly, he's not worth that kind of money (nor is anyone else, but that horse left the barn).
He's a #2 player - not a #1.
We are a capitalist country, so you’re worth with someone will pay.
I wouldn’t like to lose him, a certain point you just have to go to market and try to get a better talent to cost ratio. They should be in the wing market anyway, so if they free up a bunch of money ideally they have some options.
it sounds like there is some want to come back to UW, But obviously an extra million or more dollars can be very impactful if handled correctly, especially with a lower pro ceiling.
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Yeah, he'll make the most money he ever will next year, regardless of where he makes it.
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Devin Royal could play either forward spot. Of course, not sure he would stay to be a backup.
Apparently he is not going to stay.
I would assume, per your suggestion above, that he saw the handwriting on the wall and is leaving for more minutes and a starting role.
Even if he was only going to be a backup ot still would have been nice to keep him as depth was an issue this past year.
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Blackwell has two tampering offers at the moment, according to my buddy and some people in boards who are connected to the hoops program.
Kentucky and fMichigan.
No decision from Blackwell yet.
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Apparently he is not going to stay.
I would assume, per your suggestion above, that he saw the handwriting on the wall and is leaving for more minutes and a starting role.
Even if he was only going to be a backup ot still would have been nice to keep him as depth was an issue this past year.
I'm taking it as good news on the Bynum staying front.
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Blackwell has two tampering offers at the moment, according to my buddy and some people in boards who are connected to the hoops program.
Kentucky and fMichigan.
No decision from Blackwell yet.
I'm no antitrust lawyer but I find it hard to believe that any sort of NCAA tampering rule could be legal.
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I'm taking it as good news on the Bynum staying front.
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I'm no antitrust lawyer but I find it hard to believe that any sort of NCAA tampering rule could be legal.
I agree they couldn't ban it but restrictions on timing seem possible, no?
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restrictions on timing in football allowed the Huskers to televise their spring game Saturday
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I agree they couldn't ban it but restrictions on timing seem possible, no?
I don't see it. Though it's important to keep a distinction in mind. If Blackwell is under contract to Wisconsin for next season, then attempts to get him to break that are probably actionable in some way (See the Washington QB situation). Perhaps the NCAA could have a role there, I dunno.
But if he isn't under contract to play for Wisconsin next season, then teams offering him money to play next season are basically just job offers and it is probably illegal for the NCAA to try and control that.
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I don't see it. Though it's important to keep a distinction in mind. If Blackwell is under contract to Wisconsin for next season, then attempts to get him to break that are probably actionable in some way (See the Washington QB situation). Perhaps the NCAA could have a role there, I dunno.
But if he isn't under contract to play for Wisconsin next season, then teams offering him money to play next season are basically just job offers and it is probably illegal for the NCAA to try and control that.
The portal has not opened yet, and any contact by another school is tampering.
Portal opens on 04/07.
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Ed Zachery
the courts will assure the kid he can go to any school at anytime but,............
the NCAA can punish the school illegally tampering
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Ed Zachery
the courts will assure the kid he can go to any school at anytime but,............
the NCAA can punish the school illegally tampering
Well, I'm still waiting for the NCAA to punish Miami for tampering with Xavier Lucas, after he signed his Wisconsin NIL deal.
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The portal has not opened yet, and any contact by another school is tampering.
Portal opens on 04/07.
I mean I know the NCAA says that, I'm just saying that seems illegal.
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Well, I'm still waiting for the NCAA to punish Miami for tampering with Xavier Lucas, after he signed his Wisconsin NIL deal.
yup, they can and they could but,.. they choose not to.
and the member programs allow them to do nothing
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Apparently he is not going to stay.
I would assume, per your suggestion above, that he saw the handwriting on the wall and is leaving for more minutes and a starting role.
Even if he was only going to be a backup ot still would have been nice to keep him as depth was an issue this past year.
He's not a bad player, but suppose it's good if they have the talent to make him feel pushed out.
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So, for the Badgers.
Top two names that someone would want to recruit off the roster are Blackwell and Winter. Winter seems like a longer shot to leave, Blackwell has already and will be discussed.
The next group is shooting big Austin Rapp, who was a big transfer who struggled early and came on late, and Aleksas Bieliauskas, a euro big who kind of held the line as Rapp struggled and was hurt and had some nice moments. If you can return those two (with two and three years of eligibility) and Winter, you feel good about the frontcout.
The next group is a trio of freshman, Will Garlock, a big with some promise, Hayden Jones, a versatile wing who might be able to deliver some size/lineup flexibility on the permitter, Zach Kinziger, who almost redshirted and seemed like he might be able to be the next short UW shooting guard. Sounds like the should be retainable, and the staff likes them as a bench.
Jack Janicki feels like he should be an easy returner, but you never know. If he can get his shot straight, he's a possible fallback starter. Either way, he's a good defender, but in the mold of not benefitting from going down a level (he'll never get that many shots) and maybe not from going up, if he gets squeezed for minutes.
The main need is a point guard, and ideally a wing who can shoot and maybe take some offensive load. Obviously if Blackwell leaves, that becomes wanting two wings, one who can score. Gonna be interested who the staff targets. Saw some rumblings about Leon Bond, who feels like he might demand too much for what they'd want him for.
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(https://i.imgur.com/pJ8bdUg.jpeg)
Ohio State needs to get back in gear, they've been floundering for well over a decade.
The Buckeyes, see above, are actually next behind the blue bloods with 11 F4's but note that it is a precarious lead over the rest of the pack.
At this point Ohio State's most recent league title was in 2012. That was a three-way tie with the two Michigan Schools. The 14 year drought (2013-2026) without a league title is the longest in school history. The only league title drought even close to this long was 13 seasons from 1993-2005 but that included two vacated titles (2000 and 2002).
The Buckeye's most recent S16 was in 2013 so we have reached a 13 season drought with no S16s. That is the longest since 14 seasons from 1993-2006 but that included a vacated S16 in 1999.
The Buckeye's last F4 was the same year as their last league title, 2012. Thus we are now up to a 14 year F4 drought which is the longest since 37 seasons from 1969-2006 (includes a vacated F4 in 1999).
I'm familiar with having bad basketball teams. I was at Ohio State from 1993-1997. Two years prior to that (1991-1992) the Buckeyes were league champions and made the E8. They only missed the F4 because their E8 opponent was some dirtbag cheater school that had a larger payroll than a few NBA teams (back when this was illegal). Two years after I graduated the Buckeyes made a (subsequently vacated) F4 appearance. The years in between were . . . not good so I never saw decent BB as a student.
All this is to say that I see 2026-27 as something of a put up or shut up year for Coach Diebler. Holtmann was rightly fired because in his 6+ seasons Ohio State never won a league title and was never really even in the hunt after his first year. Additionally there were no trips beyond the first weekend of the NCAAT. In Diebler's first two full seasons as HC the Buckeyes barely missed the NCAAT finishing 10th in the league in 2025 and made it without a lot of room to spare in 2026, finishing 8th in the league. This is a major improvement over Holtmann's last two years (5-13, 13th place in 2023; 4-10 when fired in 2024) but it clearly isn't enough. I'm not saying that Diebler is or should be on the Hot Seat just yet but we can't regress. The program has to show at least some hope of improving to the point where we can compete for league titles.
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I mean I know the NCAA says that, I'm just saying that seems illegal.
They can't punish the kid, but I think they can punish the school. Which is why the Big Ten asked them to lay off Michigan, who already has their guys in the fold for next year
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Well, I'm still waiting for the NCAA to punish Miami for tampering with Xavier Lucas, after he signed his Wisconsin NIL deal.
Cleveland State, prepare to get leveled.
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(https://i.imgur.com/pJ8bdUg.jpeg)
Interesting chart, thanks.
K-State's 4th appearance was in 1964, which tied them at the time with Kansas. Sure would like to see one in my lifetime.
The majority of Ohio St's appearances must be back in the pre-WC4E spark of life as well, I recall Thad Matta having a couple of contenders, though.
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The majority of Ohio St's appearances must be back in the pre-WC4E spark of life as well, I recall Thad Matta having a couple of contenders, though.
Yeah, only three in my lifetime and one of those was vacated. They have come in bunches for the Buckeyes:
- 1939
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1968
- 1999 (vacated)
- 2007
- 2012
From 1939-1946 Ohio State had four F4s in eight years. That every-other-year pace would make even the blue bloods jealous.
From 1947-1959 they had no appearances in 13 years.
From 1960-1968 they had four appearances in nine years. That is close to the 39-46 pace.
From 1969-1998 they had no appearances in 30 years.
They had the one in 1999 that was subsequently vacated.
From 2000-2006 they had none in seven years.
From 2007-2012 they had two in six years.
From 2013-present they have none in 14 years.
Peak Matta was blue-blood level success. In the eight years of his second through ninth years as HC (2005/6 through 2012/3) they had:
- 5 league titles - that is a pace of better than every other year.
- 7 NCAA Appearances - the lone exception was a year where they got screwed and proved it by winning the Not Invited Tournament.
- 5 S16s including four straight.
- 3 E8s.
- 2 F4s.
- 1 NC appearance.
Ohio State's last second weekend NCAAT game was an E8 loss to #9 seed Wichita State on March 30, 2013. It was a frustrating loss because #9 seed Wichita State had taken out #1 seed Gonzaga so Ohio State had a very favorable Regional Championship match-up as a #2 seed taking on a #9. However, at the time it seemed like a setback. Ohio State had four straight S16s and two straight E8s and had been to the F4 the previous year. I think that most tOSU fans looked at it like I did and thought "we'll be back here next year". I was in my 30s then and next year still hasn't come. Only in retrospect did the loss to the Shockers become the end of an era rather than a setback.
(https://i.imgur.com/nrQHcbL.png)
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From 1969-1998 they had no appearances in 30 years.
Ohio State's last second weekend NCAAT game was an E8 loss to #9 seed Wichita State on March 30, 2013. It was a frustrating loss because #9 seed Wichita State had taken out #1 seed Gonzaga so Ohio State had a very favorable Regional Championship match-up as a #2 seed taking on a #9.
Being born in 1970, can't say as I knew Ohio State had a team. I'd of course known about Oscar Robertson and Cincy, since they were historical opponents my alma mater had faced.
Side note on the Woo Shocks...a kid from my town walked on, hadn't gotten any other significant D-I offers. White kid from a town of 4K in far Western Kansas, go figure. His mom was a teacher, so he got the gig reffing little girl basketball games where I was volunteered to coach my daughters' teams.
Ron Baker, ended up in the League for a couple of years.
Anyway, here's more evidence of Kansas State being the equivalent of Charlie Brown, and Lucy always pulling the football and him falling on his ass. We have the 8th most Elite-8 appearances all-time, and only 4 of those 14 turning into final fours.
The 21 NCAA College Teams with Most Elite 8 Appearances in March Madness History - Interbasket (https://www.interbasket.net/news/college-teams-with-most-elite-eights-in-march-madness)
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That's why I'm very curious as to see what happens when Izzo retires. They had 2 before him, and he has 8.
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this isn't the thread for me or any other Husker fan
but maybe the Mayor can improve that
I highly doubt it
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That's why I'm very curious as to see what happens when Izzo retires. They had 2 before him, and he has 8.
He’s gonna leave as the best coach in terms of tournament success relative to seed, and that will likely stand forever?
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Badgers land a 22-year-old point guard out of New Zealand, basically, also locking up his younger brother who is transferring from Portland after an all Conference freshman season.
Point guard was the biggest need for this roster, and now they have two, plus an incoming freshman combo guard.
Still waiting on resolution with Blackwell, but they could probably stand pat now, or add another wing or two, depending on money and bargain options.
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Blackwell is probably gonna end up at fMichigan. I know they have been in contact with him/his dad/his agent many times and the offer sits at $4 Mil currently.
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it's only money
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it's only money
Everyone loves the market but hates the freedom
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I like the freedom
dislike the market - $4 million a season????
if you want to play at Michigan because you like Michigan - great
if you want $4 million - the NBA awaits
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if you want $4 million - the NBA awaits
What if he wants to play in front of an audience?
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he's very free to do that for room & board & tuition
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he's very free to do that for room & board & tuition
Well now we hate freedom and markets
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I like the freedom
dislike the market - $4 million a season????
if you want to play at Michigan because you like Michigan - great
if you want $4 million - the NBA awaits
All we need is people who like Michigan not be willing to pay him that much.
Easy answer.
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All we need is people who like Michigan not be willing to pay him that much.
Easy answer.
I think we can all agree to shoot Michigan into the sun. For the greater good.
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Blackwell is probably gonna end up at fMichigan. I know they have been in contact with him/his dad/his agent many times and the offer sits at $4 Mil currently.
What I’m thinking for the rest of the offseason:
1a. Replace people who leave with solid to good talent
1b. Get another veteran wing
2. Decide if you want to take the late offer Mr Basketball if he wants to come
3. Go bargain hunting
not counting replacing guys, they have 1-3 spots left depending on how they want to build. And the last two have to be good with going in a bit developmentally.
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What I’m thinking for the rest of the offseason:
1a. Replace people who leave with solid to good talent
1b. Get another veteran wing
2. Decide if you want to take the late offer Mr Basketball if he wants to come
3. Go bargain hunting
not counting replacing guys, they have 1-3 spots left depending on how they want to build. And the last two have to be good with going in a bit developmentally.
My guess is Zens ends up at Illinois.
Should have had a Wisconsin offer from the start. That's on Gard.
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https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/03/report-ncaa-nearing-expansion-of-mens-womens-tournaments-to-76-teams/
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$$$$
Miami gets in EVERY year!
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https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/03/report-ncaa-nearing-expansion-of-mens-womens-tournaments-to-76-teams/
I didn't read the article yet but I'm assuming that 76 teams means 19 seeds per region so the 14-19 seeds play in a mini first round to get down to 16 per region.
I don't get why they chose THAT number. I can make a data-based case for 20:
The bottom four (13-16) completely and utterly suck historically. It isn't just an incremental difference, they are MUCH worse than 12 and up. It also isn't just because they play such tough opposition, the few that make it suck in the second round as well. That creates a bona fide data-based case for requiring the 13-16 seeds to get through a play-in.
There isn't a performance based case for giving 13s a pass.
I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that. I'm just pointing out that I can't understand the case for 76 as opposed to 80.
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This strikes me as a move that doesn’t have a Large support base from anyone.
You’re gonna end up with more mid major charity cases just because you have to fill out the bottom of the large pool. And you will drive down the already not that high quality of the last power conference teams who get in.
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I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that.
I see no reason for expansion. Since 1985, no team higher than an 8 seed has ever won it. So expansion is not about including more "worthy teams" that were unfairly excluded. It's just expansion for expansion's sake, i.e. making sure a few more major conference teams can say they didn't miss the tournament.
But hey, considering IU has only gone twice in the last decade, I'm sure they're happy they might get in!
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I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that. I'm just pointing out that I can't understand the case for 76 as opposed to 80.
Do you not?
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if TruTV is willing to pay for another game, there's a case for another game
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It would weed out most of the bad teams by the time you get to the field of 64.
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It would weed out most of the bad teams by the time you get to the field of 64.
I see this as the major benefit but in order to accomplish it you need to go to 80 because the current 13s are pretty weak too.
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But hey, considering IU has only gone twice in the last decade, I'm sure they're happy they might get in!
Blows me away that they have sucked so long while spending so much money on players. I guest chemistry/coaching still matters to a degree.
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Blackwell is gone.
https://twitter.com/travisbranham_/status/2041156202269147549?s=46Some (https://twitter.com/travisbranham_/status/2041156202269147549?s=46Some)
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the portal & the draft?
let the bidding begin
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I see no reason for expansion. Since 1985, no team higher than an 8 seed has ever won it. So expansion is not about including more "worthy teams" that were unfairly excluded. It's just expansion for expansion's sake, i.e. making sure a few more major conference teams can say they didn't miss the tournament.
I can't easily find the information behind this but, I *THINK*:
In 1985 there were less total conferences. Thus from 1985-present with no expansion it has become MORE difficult to make the Tournament as an at-large.
I believe that the "first four" was added to address this. Ie, expanding from 64 to 68 allowed an additional four at-large teams and I believe this was done to get the at-large pool back up to around what it had been in 1985.
Obviously this is all complicated by the fact that not all auto-bids are the same. Teams like Purdue (B1G auto-bid), Florida (SEC auto-bid), Duke (ACC auto-bid) would have gotten at-large bids even if they had lost their CGs so the auto-bid is irrelevant. Conversely, one-bid league Champions such as Howard (MEAC auto-bid), UMBC (America East auto-bid), Prairie View (SWAC auto-bid), and Lehigh (Patriot auto-bid) are strictly charity-bids handed out to teams that clearly and obviously are NOT among the top 64, 68, 76, or 80 teams in the country.
The bottom line is that adding bad leagues adds additional charity bids and dilutes the pool because those bids eliminate vastly superior middling power conference teams.
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You’re gonna end up with more mid major charity cases just because you have to fill out the bottom of the large pool. And you will drive down the already not that high quality of the last power conference teams who get in.
You are using "charity" in a unique way.
If you have a 64, 68, 76, or 80 team tournament then the non-charity way to fill it out is to take the best (however you determine best) 64, 68, 76, or 80 teams.
Charity is taking teams that are clearly outside of the best 64, 68, 76, or 80 teams.
The charity in the NCAAT isn't taking power conference bubble teams. Those teams are ALL in the top 64. The charity is taking the champions of the MEAC, SWAC, Patriot, and America East. Those teams are all NOT in the top 64.
FWIW: Charity is also taking emotional feel good mid majors that almost went undefeated.
I'm all for ending charity and just taking the best 64. Actually, if we ended the charity I'd be fine with taking the top 32.
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Hate to see it with Blackwell, but sort of expected.
The current offense maximizes scoring wings, so hopefully, that drop-off won't be too bad.
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You are using "charity" in a unique way.
If you have a 64, 68, 76, or 80 team tournament then the non-charity way to fill it out is to take the best (however you determine best) 64, 68, 76, or 80 teams.
Charity is taking teams that are clearly outside of the best 64, 68, 76, or 80 teams.
The charity in the NCAAT isn't taking power conference bubble teams. Those teams are ALL in the top 64. The charity is taking the champions of the MEAC, SWAC, Patriot, and America East. Those teams are all NOT in the top 64.
FWIW: Charity is also taking emotional feel good mid majors that almost went undefeated.
I'm all for ending charity and just taking the best 64. Actually, if we ended the charity I'd be fine with taking the top 32.
I was using "charity" in your phrasing. So mid-majors that had a good year with an impressive record. This gives you more of them along with more 16-15 Power conference teams.
I'm of the opinion that we don't need more of them.
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Hate to see it with Blackwell, but sort of expected.
The current offense maximizes scoring wings, so hopefully, that drop-off won't be too bad.
The starting number right now is $5 Mil.
He's very good - Robin, not Batman, but somebody will overpay.
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The starting number right now is $5 Mil.
He's very good - Robin, not Batman, but somebody will overpay.
Going to be very interested to see what kind of role he falls into and how he flourishes there.
He’s a very good ball player, but situation can mean a lot.
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Hoiberg doesn't have that type of $$$
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The bottom line is that adding bad leagues adds additional charity bids and dilutes the pool because those bids eliminate vastly superior middling power conference teams.
Yes, but I don't care about diluting the pool, because nobody beyond the 8 seed has ever won the whole thing. Once you get beyond a 4 seed, it's only happened 3 times total (6, 7, 8 seeds, once each) out of 40 tournaments. And although the bracket odds web site hasn't been updated for this year's tourney yet, we've got a 1 vs 2 matchup, so it's not happening this year either.
So, why are we worried about limiting a handful of "vastly superior middling power conference teams" when they have no realistic shot at winning it all. It's just substituting one preference for another.
And going to 76 or 80 to get there just dilutes the fields even more, adding more inventory of games on Tues/Weds that teams have little time to prepare for, and aren't needed.
I say go back to 64. This "first four" thing is garbage.
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Yes, but I don't care about diluting the pool, because nobody beyond the 8 seed has ever won the whole thing. Once you get beyond a 4 seed, it's only happened 3 times total (6, 7, 8 seeds, once each) out of 40 tournaments. And although the bracket odds web site hasn't been updated for this year's tourney yet, we've got a 1 vs 2 matchup, so it's not happening this year either.
So, why are we worried about limiting a handful of "vastly superior middling power conference teams" when they have no realistic shot at winning it all. It's just substituting one preference for another.
And going to 76 or 80 to get there just dilutes the fields even more, adding more inventory of games on Tues/Weds that teams have little time to prepare for, and aren't needed.
I say go back to 64. This "first four" thing is garbage.
48 was good.
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I say go back to 64. This "first four" thing is garbage.
The older I get and the worse the bubble gets, the more the first four feels kind of fine for me.
You through some odds and ends teams in there, let them figure it out. I probably wouldn't have the 16s in, but I get that people like how that moves things around.
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The older I get and the worse the bubble gets, the more the first four feels kind of fine for me.
You through some odds and ends teams in there, let them figure it out. I probably wouldn't have the 16s in, but I get that people like how that moves things around.
Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it's the "real" tournament yet. It feels like merely an appetizer.
But like the CFP, expanding once is just a prelude to expanding again. They expanded to 65. Then 68. Now they're talking 76. Might as well just say screw it and go to 128, and make it a 4-weekend tournament. Right? Wouldn't that be swell??
Is this really making the product better?
And what does it do to fan interest, which we all know is heavily bolstered by brackets? One play-in or four play-in games is manageable... Now we'll have twelve play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday?
This is a solution in search of a problem.
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Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it's the "real" tournament yet. It feels like merely an appetizer.
But like the CFP, expanding once is just a prelude to expanding again. They expanded to 65. Then 68. Now they're talking 76. Might as well just say screw it and go to 128, and make it a 4-weekend tournament. Right? Wouldn't that be swell??
Is this really making the product better?
And what does it do to fan interest, which we all know is heavily bolstered by brackets? One play-in or four play-in games is manageable... Now we'll have twelve play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday?
This is a solution in search of a problem.
True.
I think I’m slightly better with 68 than 64 at this point, as I like a little more basketball, and I’m used to it now. But I would take 64 over anything bigger in a heartbeat.
I don’t think I would wanna cut the field anymore because I really like the symmetry. but would even take that over expansion. There are just zero teams outside of the field that I look at and say “y’know, maybe they deserve an at-large spot”
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There are just zero teams outside of the field that I look at and say “y’know, maybe they deserve an at-large spot”
Yep.
It's just that where it gets hard is when we start thinking of teams on a relative basis. So, folks like @medinabuckeye1 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1547) quibble with the methodology of selecting one at-large prospect over another--perceived and likely actual--weaker at-large prospect and see unfairness. Or the idea of giving a charity bid to a weak conference champ when the at-large prospects left out due to those bids are pretty much objectively stronger teams.
But I look at it along the lines that the tournament is big enough. Everyone worthy is already accounted for in the top 8 seeds. And probably even fewer. Of the 6, 7, and 8 seeds, two of them won the tournament in the first 4 years since 1985, when perhaps our selection processes and advanced/predictive metrics were FAR lower quality than they are right now.
So this is why I'm anti-expansion and pro-contraction to 64. I agree, for example, with medina that Auburn was a better basketball team than Miami (OH). I agree that while you might get some plucky 12 seeds here and there, everyone that's 13 or below is worse than pretty much all even mediocre power conference schools.
But... I don't care. I don't see the first four out as particularly "worthy" to include in a 64-team field because I don't see them having a credible claim that they're good enough to win 6 games in a row against the top 32 in the field. So I don't think we need to expand the field to let more of them in--even if they're better than the current 13-16 seeds.
Of course, the NCAA doesn't care what I think, so I guess I'll shut up now.
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It sounds like they will just add more bubble teams to the Tuesday/Wednesday Dayton time. Which is fine, I guess. Making more auto-qualifiers go there would make the tournament much worse, so at least they aren't doing that yet.
Eventually bubble teams with losing records will get in. Blech.
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Eventually bubble teams with losing records will get in. Blech.
nah, no losing records. More teams like Miami that have winning records vs nobody!
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I think I’m slightly better with 68 than 64 at this point, as I like a little more basketball, and I’m used to it now. But I would take 64 over anything bigger in a heartbeat.
The change I would make is to make the WORST eight teams play a play-in game rather than the four worst and then also the four worst at-large. That was a compromise but it never made any sense.
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But I look at it along the lines that the tournament is big enough. Everyone worthy is already accounted for in the top 8 seeds. And probably even fewer. Of the 6, 7, and 8 seeds, two of them won the tournament in the first 4 years since 1985, when perhaps our selection processes and advanced/predictive metrics were FAR lower quality than they are right now.
I've often wondered about this because it always seemed curious that the only #8 to win it all happened the very first year of the 64 team tournament. Since you brought it up I decided to look it up.
The lone #8 seed to win it all was Villanova in 1985. They went 9-7 in the Big East and 19-10 overall (pre NCAAT).
One thing that stood out to me right away is that they were hardly dominant in the NCAAT:
- 2 point win over #9 seed Dayton.
- 4 point win over #1 seed Michigan.
- 3 point win over #5 seed Maryland.
- 12 point win over #2 seed UNC.
- 7 point win over #2 seed Memphis State.
- 2 point win over #1 Georgetown.
Three of their six NCAAT wins were by a single possession, another was by four and only one was by double-digits.
I don't think they were drastically underseeded. In the National Championship Game they beat Georgetown. Georgetown played in the same league (Big East) and finished five games better (14-2 vs 9-7). Georgetown also won the Big East Tournament and beat Villanova H2H twice in the regular season. I think it is just a matter of a decent but certainly not great team getting hot in March/April and getting a little help from busted brackets and viola, NC!
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It sounds like they will just add more bubble teams to the Tuesday/Wednesday Dayton time. Which is fine, I guess. Making more auto-qualifiers go there would make the tournament much worse, so at least they aren't doing that yet.
How would making crappy tallest midgets win a play-in make the tournament worse? As it is one of the drawbacks is that the #13-16 seeds are so incredibly awful that the first round is effectively a bye for the top-4.
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I think it is just a matter of a decent but certainly not great team getting hot in March/April and getting a little help from busted brackets and viola, NC!
I had looked it up b/c I was thinking that perhaps the teams that won it from a lesser seed might have been a broken bracket... But it wasn't broken in 1985.
They faced every seed they "should" have except possibly the 5 over the 4 in the S16, and a 2 over a 1 in the F4. They didn't face a double-digit seed or anything in that tournament.
In 1988, 6-seed Kansas avoided the 3 and faced the 14 in the R32, played the 7 instead of the 2 in the S16, and avoided their region's 1, only facing the 4, in the E8. That one was almost the best draw you could have [realistically] faced. So that one was the luck of a broken bracket.
7-seed UConn in 2014 wasn't only a partially broken bracket. They faced the 2 in the R32 and the 3 in the S16. They did avoid the 1 seed in the E8, playing #4 MSU, which is a really big help. But the crazy thing is that they DID face an 8 seed in the championship game. That's crazy as the combined probability of a 7 (1.3%) and an 8 (5%) making the championship game together should be somewhere around 0.065%! About 1 in 1500 odds!
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https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2026/03/162066/ohio-state-guard-taison-chatman-entering-transfer-portal
Not good for Ohio State.
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The change I would make is to make the WORST eight teams play a play-in game rather than the four worst and then also the four worst at-large. That was a compromise but it never made any sense.
It makes sense when you consider the full breadth of the entertainment product. Beyond a somewhat narrow view.
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https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2026/03/162066/ohio-state-guard-taison-chatman-entering-transfer-portal
Not good for Ohio State.
That’s the crazy good shooter, right?
he seemed poor defensively, but man could he pop.
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It sounds like they will just add more bubble teams to the Tuesday/Wednesday Dayton time. Which is fine, I guess. Making more auto-qualifiers go there would make the tournament much worse, so at least they aren't doing that yet.
Eventually bubble teams with losing records will get in. Blech.
I don’t like the plan overall, but I’d actually be kind of more bothered if it was just expanded to dump in more bubble teams in the earlier days.
Like, I don’t want to move more auto qualifiers, but if the expanded field doesn’t move a few in there, it feels weirdly more pointless.
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In 1988, 6-seed Kansas avoided the 3 and faced the 14 in the R32, played the 7 instead of the 2 in the S16, and avoided their region's 1, only facing the 4, in the E8. That one was almost the best draw you could have [realistically] faced. So that one was the luck of a broken bracket.
That was an unhappy turn of the worm for both you and I.
Purdue was the #1 seed. Kansas State cleared KU's way as the #4 seed, upsetting Purdue. KSU had beaten KU twice earlier in the season, but proceeded to lose in the Elite 8 to our in-state rival. As I've whined before, Charlie Brown U. is 4-14 in the Elite 8.
Another fact about that year...it was the 50th NCAA Tournament, and they played Oklahoma (yet another Big 8 foe) in the NC game, and it was 50-50 at half.
All because Danny Manning's dad was hired by Larry Brown to move to Lawrence from NC and take an assistant job, leaving the lucrative truck driving position he had at the time.
Lucky freakin' Chickenhawks.
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That’s the crazy good shooter, right?
he seemed poor defensively, but man could he pop.
No that's Mobley. I thought Chatman was coming on a bit at the end, but he seemed to go in and out of focus on defense.
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From April 2025.
(https://i.imgur.com/tiiOYkp.png)
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hell, that was a year ago...........young guys sometimes change their minds
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No that's Mobley. I thought Chatman was coming on a bit at the end, but he seemed to go in and out of focus on defense.
No. I was thinking of Chatman. He shot 47 percent from 3 and hit 5 of 6 vs Wisconsin.
Didn’t realize he was a third-year guy.
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No. I was thinking of Chatman. He shot 47 percent from 3 and hit 5 of 6 vs Wisconsin.
For the team and season as a whole Mobley is the sharpshooter but I can understand that your view would be different since Chatman shot REALLY well against your team.
Didn’t realize he was a third-year guy.
It was a weird three years.
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No that's Mobley. I thought Chatman was coming on a bit at the end, but he seemed to go in and out of focus on defense.
I don't know about you but I still had high hopes for him for next year. He shot well at the end and the defensive ability seemed to be there it was just a matter of avoiding the lapses.
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For the team and season as a whole Mobley is the sharpshooter but I can understand that your view would be different since Chatman shot REALLY well against your team.
To be clear, I knew who Mobley was. But when Chatman came in, he seemed to be dangerous as a shooter (and the stats showed it), and maybe dangerous to OSU's ability to get stops.
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To be clear, I knew who Mobley was. But when Chatman came in, he seemed to be dangerous as a shooter (and the stats showed it), and maybe dangerous to OSU's ability to get stops.
Yeah, I think that was the trade-off.
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https://twitter.com/recruits_cfb/status/2041190005696061503?s=20
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To be clear, I knew who Mobley was. But when Chatman came in, he seemed to be dangerous as a shooter (and the stats showed it), and maybe dangerous to OSU's ability to get stops.
Heh had to look up his stats because I can only vaguely remember him scoring. He did have a strong game against Wiscy, but otherwise his usage was really low. Which was a problem for the bench the whole season really - lots of goose eggs in most of the stats.
That said, I thought Chatman could step in next to Mobley next season. He missed a year due to a torn ACL so his development was behind. That he is leaving tells me the Buckeyes think they can get someone better in the portal. Fine, I guess, but their portal record has been pretty rough.
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That he is leaving tells me the Buckeyes think they can get someone better in the portal.
I hope you are right.
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https://twitter.com/recruits_cfb/status/2041190005696061503?s=20
For the 2025-2026 season, the Nebraska basketball program reportedly spent approximately $4.5 million on its NIL roster, according to recent March 2026 reports. While some estimations vary, this figure made Nebraska one of the lowest spenders among the 2026 Sweet 16 teams.
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(https://i.imgur.com/13hP5AC.png)
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MSU's highest paid player was apparently $1.6 million, granted I think their backups were better paid than most, part of Izzo's mindset. He's never going to land one of these dudes, because he's never going to make a new guy the highest paid player on the team
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https://twitter.com/recruits_cfb/status/2041190005696061503?s=20
It's Michigan. I think they all know it already.
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MSU's highest paid player was apparently $1.6 million, granted I think their backups were better paid than most, part of Izzo's mindset. He's never going to land one of these dudes, because he's never going to make a new guy the highest paid player on the team
He would never go after Blackwell. Too much mutual respect with Gard.
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If the guy can really get himself a $5M payday, I say: go for it.
He's good. I don't know how good. I know some people I respect question his commitment to defense, but he's still real good.
I'm not going to judge a guy for taking that kind of payday. I would. It's not like he's turning his back on his family for it.
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https://twitter.com/recruits_cfb/status/2041190005696061503?s=20
I swear, I think I’d prefer Duke and then Bama.
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(https://i.imgur.com/13hP5AC.png)
I am gonna be very surprised if he sticks around on that roster.
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He would never go after Blackwell. Too much mutual respect with Gard.
They also desperately need a 5. Blackwell would be a luxury. If they are going to break the bank, it would be on the big from Kansas or Louisville. And I don't see them doing that either
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I swear, I think I’d prefer Duke and then Bama.
well, you're a Badger so..........
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Just get him out of the B1G. But the Michigan deal is apparently done.
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USC has THREE top 25 freshman taking court for the Trojans next season. How much can it be expected to jump start USC? If I remember correctly, didn't Rutgers put a monster 2024 recruiting class on the floor last season? Including a forward now on the Jazz and a guard now on the Spurs, and Rutgers only went 15-17.
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Chemistry and coaching matter.
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This one hurts. Didn't see this coming at all.
https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/2041570705922240711 (https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/2041570705922240711)
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This one hurts. Didn't see this coming at all.
https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/2041570705922240711 (https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/2041570705922240711)
Honestly not so surprised, albeit annoyed.
The Euros tend to be extra transactional. Figured he’d be a risk.
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Honestly not so surprised, albeit annoyed.
The Euros tend to be extra transactional. Figured he’d be a risk.
He hit 5 threes during the win at Michigan. Look out...
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From this Wisconsin Fan Blog (https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/89532/wisconsin-badgers-basketball-news-3-reasons-why-losing-john-blackwell-isnt-disaster-greg-gard) discussing Wisconsin's latest Portal losses:
Reasons Why Losing John Blackwell Isn’t a Disaster For Wisconsin - "AJ Storr. John Tonje. Nick Boyd. What do these players all have in common besides transferring to Madison as non-elite prospects and ending up legit stars in year one? I’ll say it: Greg Gard. Whatever the Wisconsin coach has lacked in normal recruiting prowess, he’s been a ringer in the portal, locking up three consecutive classes with real stars. It’s probably time to stop saying Gard is lucky and start admitting he knows what he’s doing."
I don't disagree that Gard has found overlooked talents in the Portal. And maximized those talents. But how long can that continue as other programs try to close in on a formula that's worked for Gard?
And even though it is a formula that has worked for Wisconsin, at some point isn't it unsustainable? Because some years the Portal can't be counted on for gems like Storr and Boyd? And isn't it exhausting? Gard is the one identifying and developing talent that ends up ditching Wisconsin as soon as Wisconsin can no longer afford the talent that Gard and staff developed?
And exhausting for the fans too. Who, watching Wisconsin and winning behind the likes of guys like Storr and Boyd, can't even really admire their output because in the background they are probably worried - how much is Kansas or UConn going to want to bid on this guy come April?
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It sucks.
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What I don't understand... Why are these players leaving Wisconsin? Is it just $$$?
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What I don't understand... Why are these players leaving Wisconsin? Is it just $$$?
Yup.
Blackwell is probably in line to get big money. The other kid can’t be in line for much more, but if the staff doesn’t think he’s worth it … well.
(If we’re going back, Storr was always looking for the next thing, got the Kansas bag and wasn’t worth it. Hepburn was a weird case where someone with a lot of money had interest in him, and he ended up pulling it all together at the new school)
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Wisconsin basketball does not have any wealthy donors. Gard and the staff mine small-timers for scraps. The AD does nothing to help him.
If I were him, I'd leave. He's definitely a great coach, great at development, and a great person.
He'd get snapped up in a heartbeat and he'd make a lot more than what he makes now.
(https://i.imgur.com/6Px00oL.png)
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Buckeyes swap in combo guard Justin Pippen, son of Scottie. Started at Michigan then played for Cal last year. Seems like an upgrade defensively. Hasn't shot straight so far, but is a good free throw shooter and was supposed to be a good shooter coming out of high school, so they might have something if they get that ironed out.
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This is a VERY reliable guy at 247. Sad state of affairs in Madison. If I were Gard, I'd flip the bird and leave.
(https://i.imgur.com/VVxFlXf.png)
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arms race isn't slowing down
Rhule said last fall that he was going to have enuff $$$ to compete - then said this spring that the amount of money needed to compete went way up
a good QB was worth 1.5 million, now probably more than 5 million
! assume it's the same for hoops
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Badgers add a 6-foot-7 shooting/rebounding wing from Miami OH, a 6-foot-4 shooting wing from George Washington and a power big from Hofstra.
I’m not the most sold on the big mattering, but the rest of the roster shapes up nicely. Interested which of the wings become secondary ball-handlers and what kind of things they’re able to do with the other 1-3 spots they might use.
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Badgers add a 6-foot-7 shooting/rebounding wing from Miami OH, a 6-foot-4 shooting wing from George Washington and a power big from Hofstra.
I’m not the most sold on the big mattering, but the rest of the roster shapes up nicely. Interested which of the wings become secondary ball-handlers and what kind of things they’re able to do with the other 1-3 spots they might use.
I put that in the Wisconsin thread.
He's a glue guy.
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Badgers add a 6-foot-7 shooting/rebounding wing from Miami OH, a 6-foot-4 shooting wing from George Washington and a power big from Hofstra.
hah, they didn't beat ANYBODY last season
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hah, they didn't beat ANYBODY last season
Correct.
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hah, they didn't beat ANYBODY last season
Hey he brings some tourney winning experience that Wiscy really needed
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OK, so that's funny.
But I'll say that Nick Boyd went to a Final Four with FAU, while fDusty May was the coach over there.
Didn't help.
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I put that in the Wisconsin thread.
He's a glue guy.
That’s a football thread.
I’m interested in his position versatility. Like can you put him, Jones, a center and two guards and do OK? That might be nice for defensive versatility.
You would think that if you had your choice, they would add another point guard who didn’t mind maybe a smaller role and a true combo forward. But I’m guessing at this point, unless some extra magic funds appear, you’re just hunting the best talent that will come at a low price.
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That’s a football thread.
I’m interested in his position versatility. Like can you put him, Jones, a center and two guards and do OK? That might be nice for defensive versatility.
You would think that if you had your choice, they would add another point guard who didn’t mind maybe a smaller role and a true combo forward. But I’m guessing at this point, unless some extra magic funds appear, you’re just hunting the best talent that will come at a low price.
I was thinking we could do it like FF and put everything Wisconsin on that thread. A Wisconsin stream?
We also need talk Regent President, Madison Chancellor and Madison AD. All very important to Wisconsin Football.
Think about it and let me know.
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it's labeled "off-season thread"
it's no longer basketball season
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I was thinking we could do it like FF and put everything Wisconsin on that thread. A Wisconsin stream?
We also need talk Regent President, Madison Chancellor and Madison AD. All very important to Wisconsin Football.
Think about it and let me know.
My gut was that thread was good for football and general school stuff. Since the end season football thread could also involve athletic Director moves and such.
my thought for basketball (or I guess anything else super sport specific) was that we have a sports specific thread and just from a user experienced perspective, if I wanted to find out about the new center that Michigan State got, I would probably think to come here and not the Michigan State off-season thread.
But that’s just one guys opinion.
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Well, not a single scholarship player is transferring away from Purdue this year...
There is some shifting around on the coaching staff though...
https://www.hammerandrails.com/mens-basketball/59482/purdue-basketball-roster-remains-staff-shifts
One of our co-defensive coordinators, Terry Johnson, was given the opportunity to pursue excellence elsewhere.
He will be replaced by Kenneth Lowe, a former Boiler player who most recently was an assistant at St Thomas for 4 years, specializing in defense, after having a similar role at Miami (OH). Lowe will serve with AC Lusk focusing on the defensive side of the ball.
Given that Purdue's weakness this past season was defense, it's hopeful that this will return our defense to perform more closely to Purdue's historical norm and emphasis on that side of the ball.
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Jack Kohnen, a 2027 four-star forward from Wisconsin, visited Nebrasketball this weekend.
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Well, not a single scholarship player is transferring away from Purdue this year...
There is some shifting around on the coaching staff though...
https://www.hammerandrails.com/mens-basketball/59482/purdue-basketball-roster-remains-staff-shifts
One of our co-defensive coordinators, Terry Johnson, was given the opportunity to pursue excellence elsewhere.
He will be replaced by Kenneth Lowe, a former Boiler player who most recently was an assistant at St Thomas for 4 years, specializing in defense, after having a similar role at Miami (OH). Lowe will serve with AC Lusk focusing on the defensive side of the ball.
Given that Purdue's weakness this past season was defense, it's hopeful that this will return our defense to perform more closely to Purdue's historical norm and emphasis on that side of the ball.
Lost the walk-on though.
This damn era.
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arms race isn't slowing down
Rhule said last fall that he was going to have enuff $$$ to compete - then said this spring that the amount of money needed to compete went way up
a good QB was worth 1.5 million, now probably more than 5 million
! assume it's the same for hoops
I was thinking about this and here is some context from my view:
My team appears to be doing reasonably well in the portal. They still have a few holes to fill but if they keep up their current pace they should be set for 26-27.
Now the context:
When I look at what I think the Buckeyes will have for 26-27 it looks to me like a team that would at least have been a league title contender 5-10 years ago but most teams are shopping in the portal not just mine so when the dust settles this will probably be more like a second tier, slightly above .500 team in the reality of 26/27.
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MSU with a last second portal loss in Devine Ugochukwu.
He was a head scratcher of a bring in but wound up being the backup PG, and leading the team in 3 point shooting. He had a season ending injury in the Minnesota loss. MSU was #3 in defensive efficiency prior to his injury, #57 after.
If you had told me this news, I would have shrugged and said, yeah, he probably wasn't getting minutes. As is, I think he's a pretty big loss, and my guess is with incoming freshman Carlos Medlock meaning MSU has 2 true PGs, his PG2 minutes are gone.
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Now that the Portal is closed (tentatively because it reopens in the case of a coaching search and the guys already IN the portal can still find a destination) here is what I *THINK* Ohio State's lineup will look like for 2026/27:
Centers:
Josh Ojianwuna:
Ojianwuna is a 6-10 SR C/F from Nigeria. He played three years at Baylor from 2022/3 through 2024/5 then transferred to Ohio State last year but sat out due to an injury for which he got a medical redshirt. In his last year of action he started at Baylor in 2024/5 and averaged 25 minutes with 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds (1.8 ORB, 2.4 DRB). In theory he's the starter at center but both Jelavic and Njegovan are taller and all three have extensive college experience so who knows how this all shakes out.
Andrija Jelavic:
Jelavic is a 6-11 SO C/F from Croatia who played his first season of NCAA Ball at Kentucky last year. He played a little over 15 MPG at Kentucky and was a solid contributor but not a star. Whether he'll be a forward or a center at Ohio State remains to be seen and he could play some of each depending on how things develop for him and the other bigs on the roster.
Ivan Njegovan:
Njegovan is a 7' JR C from Croatia. 2026/7 will be his third year at Ohio State and he improved from 1-->2. He mostly backed up Christoph Tilly in 2025/6 and will likely remain in a backup role unless things are either really bad or really good for Ohio State, ie:
- If he has a massive improvement and a breakout season then he could surpass Ojianwuna and Jelavic and start. That would be great for Ohio State.
- If O and J underwhelm then Njegovan could wind up as the starter by default. That would be bad for Ohio State.
Forwards:
Amare Bynum:
Bynum is a 6-8 SO F from Nebraska who came on really strong toward the end of last season so keeping him in the fold was an important accomplishment. If he continues his trajectory based on the end of 2025/6 he should be a very solid starter in 2026/7.
Anthony Thompson:
Thompson is a 6-8 FR F from Ohio. He arrives as a 5* recruit who was rated #7 nationally, the #3 F, and the #1 prospect in Ohio. He is expected to start opposite Bynum and contribute immediately.
Alex Smith:
Smith is a 6-9 FR F from Florida. He arrives as a 4* recruit who was rated #122 nationally, the #18 F, and the #21 prospect in Florida. I certainly don't expect him to start but he could earn some minutes opposite either Bynum or Thompson.
The aforementioned Ojianwuna and/or Jelavic will likely see some time at F either opposite Bynum or Thompson or in a backup role.
Guards:
John Mobley JR:
Mobley is a 6-1 JR G from Ohio. He is testing the NBA draft but expected to return for a third year of starting as a Buckeye. He can run the point and did occasionally to spell Thornton last year but he is a sharpshooter who is better utilized in a shooting role. He averaged 13 points as a freshman in 2024/5 on .389 shooting including .385 from long range and improved to 15.7 points as a sophomore last year on .432 shooting including .411 from long range. With even incremental improvement he'll be one of the better guards in the league in his third year at Ohio State.
Justin Pippen (Scottie's kid):
Pippen is a product of our weird time. He averaged 6.7 MPG as a freshman at Michigan in 2024/5 then started all 32 games at Cal as a sophomore so Ohio State will be his third school in three years. Last year he averaged 14.2 points in just over 30 MPG on .370 shooting including .327 from long range. He is apparently a solid PG both defensively and in terms of running the point. If he can improve on his shooting he'll be a very solid first option at point.
Jimmie Williams:
Williams is a 6-5 SR G from Ohio and another product of our weird time. He grew up in Solon, OH then played a couple years of JUCO. In 2024/5 he was a backup at USF and last year he was a starter at Duquesne. In the A10 last year he had 15.1 points per game in almost 30 minutes per game on .463 shooting including .339 from long range. I don't think he is B1G starter quality but he should be a solid backup.
Braylen Nash:
Nash is a 6-4 JR G from Ohio. He only played in six games last year (down from 9) and averaged 1.3 MPG (down from 1.9) so I don't see him contributing other than in a reserve role.
Overall:
The Buckeyes should see at least incremental improvement from their two returning starters (Mobley and Bynum). Additionally Royal probably left because he assumed that incoming super frosh Thompson would take his spot so that should be improved as well. The C position should be at least about even with last year so that just leaves PG where the Buckeyes lose an all-time great Buckeye in Bruce Thornton.
There were long stretches last year in which the Buckeyes looked the part of what @MaximumSam (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=2269) called "Thornton and the randos". With the loss of Thornton that would be a REALLY bad look for 2026/7 but Mobley and Bynum came on strong toward the end of last year and if those two build on that the team overall should be at least about as good as last year. There is also the question of just how big of a step back we'll take at Thornton's position. Scottie Pippen's kid has experience so it isn't like we are substituting in a green freshman so that should help.
The bench was a problem last year. There were a number of games in which the Buckeyes were either leading or in the game up until about the U8 timeout and then they just ran out of gas. I *THINK* the bench will be better and possibly considerably better. That would give the coaches the ability to rest guys during games and, hopefully, not be so noticeably gassed in the last 4-8 minutes.
Optimistic view:
The bench will be significantly improved along with four of the five starters and Pippen will not be too big of a step back and the team will be considerably better overall in 2026/7 than they were in 2025/6.
Pessimistic view:
The bench will not improve as much as expected (could be due to an injury forcing one of the projected backups into a starting role) while Bynum and Mobley plateau and the portal additions and freshman are not as good as expected. Additionally Pippen proves woefully inadequate as a replacement for Thornton and the team takes a significant step back.
My best guess:
Ohio State in 2026/7 will be about even with what they were in 2025/6 and will be a fringe NCAAT team once again (ie, something like 6-11 seed).
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Good writeup. I would say last year they struggled to get the defense sorted out until the end of the season, but they also were lacking good defenders. Next year's outfit looks much more equipped to play defense.
Big questions offensively. Thornton could get his own shot pretty much whenever - not sure they have anyone next year who can do that, though I don't know much about the superfrosh. Bynum has NBA written all over him - interested to see if he can be the Dude next year.
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Aberdeen, a guard who was a backup on Florida's NC team, transferred to UK this past season.
He's now transferring back to Florida.
What in the hell are we doing? Forget March, this is just madness. All of it.
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Aberdeen, a guard who was a backup on Florida's NC team, transferred to UK this past season.
He's now transferring back to Florida.
What in the hell are we doing? Forget March, this is just madness. All of it.
Is it madness? Dude got a big raise to go somewhere else, but the somewhere else turned out to be a sad depressing mess, so he went back to his old job. Happens all the time in the real world.
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Good writeup.
Thanks, there are so many moving parts that I had to write it all down just to try to get it straight in my head. I *THINK* I got everybody but if I missed one, let me know.
I would say last year they struggled to get the defense sorted out until the end of the season, but they also were lacking good defenders. Next year's outfit looks much more equipped to play defense.
Agreed, early last year I felt like they could score with just about anybody on a good day but their defense was a mess. It got fixed but was never terrific. This does have the look of a better defensive unit.
Big questions offensively. Thornton could get his own shot pretty much whenever - not sure they have anyone next year who can do that, though I don't know much about the superfrosh. Bynum has NBA written all over him - interested to see if he can be the Dude next year.
It might be by committee but hopefully some combination of older and more experienced versions of Mobley and Bynum along with the superfrosh, Pippen's kid, and whoever we end up playing at Center will score enough to win a lot of games with an improved (hopefully) defense.
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Is it madness? Dude got a big raise to go somewhere else, but the somewhere else turned out to be a sad depressing mess, so he went back to his old job. Happens all the time in the real world.
Cuz fuck Kentucky.
And for guys who transfer out and want to come back...
(https://i.imgur.com/1VGbbvo.jpeg)
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Ohio State added yet another guard from the portal.
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This week Kansas announced the addition of another Senior, Christian Reeves, a center transferring in from College of Charleston. Having a year earlier transferred in from Clemson where he couldn't get off the bench. Having a year before that transferred in from Duke where for two years he couldn't get off the bench.
More importantly for Kansas, they received commitment for the nation's number one overall recruit, Tyron Stokes. Is Stokes enough to push Kansas past their recent rut of losing in the Tournament's first weekend?
It's doubtful. Why? This past season we've already seen how Kansas underwhelms with a super-recruit and a roster of supporting transfers shoring up experience around him.
For some reason Bill Self's Portal acquisitions aren't working out. With experienced players like Hunter Dickinson, Tre White, and Melvin Council signing up for senior seasons at Kansas, the Jayhawks should be getting the successful results that schools like Illinois and Michigan have gotten from similar aggressiveness in the Portal. Especially with wunderkinds like Darryn Peterson, and, soon, Tyran Stokes, cherry-topping the roster.
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Hopeful UW can snag a decent backup point with its last spot. Seems like they’re trying to put whatever’s left toward something like that.