Like most college basketball coaches this time of year, Jake Diebler loves his team.
It’s just about time for summer workouts out get underway for the Ohio State men’s basketball team, and Diebler settled into his customary place in the postgame interview room at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in a jovial mood. Some of the 2026-27 Buckeyes were already on campus while others were still planning to filter in before week’s end, and this June 1 press conference marked the first one of the offseason.
“This is the deepest team that we’ve had and I don’t even know that it’s close,” Diebler said. “I’m excited about that. I’m also excited because there’s a newness to this team.”
With three freshmen and four transfers joining the program and a few tweaks to the coaching staff, Diebler had plenty of ground to cover in what ultimately proved to be a 40-minute interview session.
Here are five quick takeaways from the first look into Ohio State’s summer and upcoming season:
Hiring Mike Wells was out of Jake Diebler’s comfort zone
Diebler replaced outgoing associate head coach Joel Justus with central Ohio native and longtime NBA veteran Mike Wells. In deciding what to do with the position, Diebler said he had to get comfortable with doing something he hadn’t yet done as a head coach – hiring someone he didn’t particularly know well.
“I took my time getting to know Mike and the more I got to know him and talk to him it was clear to me that he makes us better,” Diebler said. “He’s got experience coaching, being a head coach, player development with some of the best players in the history of the game, working for some hall of fame coaches, but he’s also got experience in a GM role, putting a professional team together, which is very similar to what we’re trying to do now.
“All that experience, bringing in someone who sees the game differently, has been in different places, is going to push me too.”
Wells started his NBA coaching career as a video coordinator with Houston in 1994 and, after five years, was promoted to assistant coach. He’s held that role with the Rockets (five years) Los Angeles Lakers (one year), San Antonio (four years), Washington (two years), Utah (eight years) and Charlotte (two years) with stops at George Mason and South Florida, Team USA and most recently a head coach for Australia’s Adalaide 36ers.
“You look at the experience Mike Wells has and the experience at the highest level of basketball both here and globally, (that’s) really, really important,” Diebler said. “It’s going to push me.”
Diebler said Wells’ addition has already been helpful in recruiting while discussing player development and said he will help with Ohio State’s offense and international recruiting. This summer, Diebler said Wells has already brought some new concepts to planned small group workouts that he’s excited about.
Josh Ojianwuna is back to playing basketball
Ohio State’s biggest roster piece never saw playing time last year as Baylor transfer center Josh Ojianwuna worked his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered during a game in February 2025. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound Ojianwuna ultimately took a medical redshirt season but is in line to battle for a starting spot in 2026-27.
“He’s progressing,” Diebler said. “He’s playing contact one-on-one. We’ve been conservative just to try to make sure, because we haven’t needed him to play five-on-five. I like where he’s at right now. We’re fully anticipating him being available this summer.”
When Ojianwuna signed with Ohio State, the possibility existed that players would all be given a fifth year of eligibility. Had that rule changed early enough in the season, Ojianwuna could have potentially returned before season’s end, played down the stretch and still had the ability to play the 2026-27 season as a fifth-year senior. As the year progressed and the rule didn’t change, Diebler said the Buckeyes and Ojianwuna altered their approach to ensure that he could still have a full season to play.
He will now battle for a starting spot as a fifth-year senior.
“This isn’t a thing that’s going to drag out until the fall before we’re able to see him play,” Diebler said. “We’ve just been conservative for his sake and for ours, because he’s an important part of the team. He’s moving well. Working extremely hard. Been extremely impressed with the progress he’s made even since the last month. I wouldn’t say all the way back yet, but getting closer and closer and it’s been great to see.”
The Buckeyes got bigger
A healthy Ojianwuna isn’t the only “new” player with size on the 2026-27 roster. Returning junior center Ivan Njegovan was listed at 7-2, 260 last year, while Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic (6-11, 235) and freshman Vuk Lazarevic (7-1) add more size to the frontcourt.
In the backcourt, Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams (6-5, 210), Memphis transfer Curtis Givens III (6-3, 190) and Cal transfer Justin Pippen (6-3, 190) all add to Ohio State’s overall size. It’s all got to fit together, but Diebler repeatedly mentioned how much bigger the Buckeyes will be this season.
Getting bigger was an offseason priority.
“We’ve had some guys walk around here and I’ve said, ‘Man, we just look and feel bigger,’ which was important,” he said.
Another high-major game will be added
Although Ohio State has multiple marquee games already on its 2026-27 nonconference schedule, there’s at least one more on the way – and it will be at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
The Buckeyes will open the season playing BYU in Salt Lake City, will face Kansas in Madison Square Garden as part of the CBS Sports Classic, are starting a home-and-home series with a game at UConn and will also go to Notre Dame to conclude that home-and-home series.
Diebler didn’t give specifics, but he did say that Ohio State is close to finalizing the start of another home-and-home high-major series that would begin in Columbus this season.
“It’ll be a team that, if there’s no hiccups, will be a team that played in the NCAA Tournament last year,” he said. “It’s a good team. Scheduling is insane. Until we get this thing across the line we’re going to hold any announcements.”
The BYU game will be Nov. 2, the UConn game Nov. 13, the Notre Dame game on Dec. 12 and the Kansas game Dec. 19.
Big things are expected from Anthony Thompson
The Buckeyes are enrolling five-star McDonald’s All-American Anthony Thompson, the program’s highest-rated recruit since Jared Sullinger in 2010. The 6-foot-9 lefty will immediately slot into the starting lineup with high expectations, but Diebler said the freshman will have to run his own race while adjusting to the collegiate game while drawing a comparison to Malaki Branham’s lone season with the program.
“Malaki Branham got off to a slow start, but by the second half of the season was an all-league player,” Diebler said. “We all have to remember that he is a freshman, and a young freshman at that. He’s young for his class. There’s certain markers we’ve got to watch, see where he is at the end of the summer, in November, January 1 and then hopefully by that time it’s taking off.”
Thompson won’t turn 18 until August 9.
“This summer and offseason is going to be really important because we’re expecting him to play a major role for us, but he’s got the personality and characteristics and work ethic to do that,” Diebler said.
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: As Ohio State assembles, 5 takeaways from Jake Diebler’s summer preview
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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