When it came to entering the NBA draft process, Jake Diebler had one directive for John Mobley Jr.
If the Ohio State guard was going to put his name into the draft and explore his options for the 2026 NBA Draft, he was to do it with two feet in. Clearly, the Buckeyes were hoping to see their 2025-26 honorable mention all-Big Ten guard and second-leading scorer return for his junior season, but Mobley’s coach wanted him to be sure.
Go get your feedback. See what NBA teams truly think of you. And, once that’s done, if the best decision for you is to return to Ohio State, then do it. But give the draft full focus first.
On June 18, Mobley stood at the corner of the court inside the Schottenstein Center after the Buckeyes neared the end of their second week of summer workouts. Of the 14 players currently on the 2026-27 Ohio State men’s basketball roster, none has played more games for the program that Mobley, who will be the Big Ten’s fourth-leading returning scorer.
In his first public comments since withdrawing from the draft process and returning to Ohio State, Mobley said he followed Diebler’s advice and that it led him back to Columbus.
“(I was) going in to do everything with the intentions of going to the NBA,” he said. “Got good feedback. My heart was always at Ohio State. I’m a loyal guy. Never want to be anywhere else besides home, so talking it over with Dieb (and) my agent, got the right feedback we wanted, came back and now I know what we need to work on.”
What was that feedback he received?
“Being more aggressive on the defensive end,” he said. “Also on the offensive end, showing more finishing in the mid-range area and around the rim.”
As a sophomore, Mobley averaged 15.7 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range on 7.6 attempts per game. He improved his two-point shooting percentage from freshman to sophomore year, moving from 39.6% in 2024-25 to 47.2% in 2025-26 while also dealing with a broken bone in his right (shooting) hand that cost him three games and forced him to play the final seven with a protective brace.
During an open portion of Ohio State’s practice June 18, Mobley showed a willingness to sacrifice his body. Matched up with junior transfer guard Justin Pippen, Mobley attempted to take two charges while scrimmaging but did not appear to get the benefit of the doubt on either call. On another offensive possession, he was able to draw the defense in after getting to the right block and then hitting Andrija Jelavic for a dunk.
In the process, Mobley went flying to the court after absorbing contact on the play before being helped up by two members of the team’s coaching staff.
“Everybody’s working on defense, but you saw he’s pressuring the ball more,” Diebler said. “He’s being more physical on the ball. I think he can do it.”
Improving in that area will help Mobley’s chances of one day playing in the NBA, but more immediately it should help Ohio State be a better team. For now, he’s one of the most recognizable faces on a team that ended Ohio State’s three-year postseason drought and reached the NCAA Tournament before losing to TCU in the first round.
As a junior and leader in a rebuild backcourt, Mobley said he’s using the feedback he received from the NBA to hopefully push the Buckeyes deeper into March Madness.
“I know what it takes,” he said. “Got there last year. Obviously came up short, but (now) we know what it takes to get there.”
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: After testing NBA draft, John Mobley Jr. applying feedback to Ohio State
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
