"Ohio State actually won the analytics battle on Saturday, as Michigan gained three yards per play over 54 plays. Unfortunately the Wolverines ran 59 plays.
- Ramzy Nasrallah, THE SITUATIONAL: FILM STUDY FROM HELL, November 30, 2022
And he will be a hero at Depaul when he wins like 15-17 games one season.
That place is the perfect fit for him. It's actually kind of interesting to see him building an entire team from scratch out of the portal. He will do good there, but holy shit he was a terrible fit here
You can never live a lie and die a legend - Cal Scruby
Oh I'm well aware. I probably should have added /s after my post.
I was tired of him 3 years ago.
"Ohio State actually won the analytics battle on Saturday, as Michigan gained three yards per play over 54 plays. Unfortunately the Wolverines ran 59 plays.
- Ramzy Nasrallah, THE SITUATIONAL: FILM STUDY FROM HELL, November 30, 2022
EXACTLY... I was already on my way out but still holding onto hope. But that... THAT game... Was so exposing in how the obvious needed adjustments weren't made.
You were on your way out before the Oral Roberts game? After the team made a run in the Big Ten Tourney and earned a 2 seed in the Dance? And you were already out? I get that it’s popular to hate Holtmann round these parts but c’mon lmao
Did you close your eyes while sneezing when reading and miss the part where I clearly said... I was still holding onto hope. I still wanted hin to succeed. The B10 tourney run wasn't so convincing that I was fully believing. Hoping? Yes. I still love me some Holtmann for the man/person I've seen him as.
For crying out loud. F'in move on. The Bucks get a blue chipper, a 7 footer, and an experienced player and y'all want to keep beating the same old worn out drum. How about kudos to Diebler and some enthusiasm about what is to come?
Great pickup! Hopefully, Felix can teach him how to block shots, because FO is darned good at it.
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
Looking forward to watching these big guys! It will be nice to be able to match up with whatever the next Purdidn't 7 footer Coach Painter finds on his bench next year!
We're going to run and the rotation might be 10 deep. There might be 1-2 guys that approach 30 minutes per game and a bunch in the 15-20 minute range. Others have also said Bradshaw fits as a 4 and Jardy says he and Okpara will play together. Jardy is basically state media so I'll take his word for it.
yet those players seem to do well if not thrive in the NBA when they get good coaching. I'm not expecting him to come out of the gate and be an elite player but if Jake can coach him up some he would fit well into this team.
He only needs to be a good 3rd option with Meechie and Thornton running the show. I think that is very possible.
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
Might see T.Dails work with him? ... not sure if he is still around and his position ... I don't think he was a coach... there is no Oden around .. he is coaching somewhere else... having an actual C to coach him up would be ideal...
Doesn’t even have to be the third option. We’re still searching for a guard/wing who is an outside threat, and Royal took some big steps in my mind to end the year. If Bradshaw can simply be the 5th or 6th option with Okpara as a rim running big guy, that’s enough. Any scoring beyond that would be bonus points.
I was on my way to say EXACTLY this! I am so happy to see the undersized lineups of Holtmann in the past. Finally a coach who wants size to match...the BIG TEN!
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
jw; Another site said os picked up a forward in bradshaw, I thought hope he's at least 6-7, yep and then some. Diebs keeps it up, he's gonna spoil some people. Tall guys, before you know it, you won't recognize the team.
Does he have a tall sister? Asking for a friend...
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
This^^^
These types of moves make us look serious to the outside world.
The transformation of a 15 man roster and coaching staff could take any program to the top quickly.
I think we knew Diebler was a good recruiter. I think the question regarding the transfer portal was whether basketball had enough money to spend to land talent.
Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm more elated at this news or even more pissed off at Chris Holtmann for his failure to recruit one single highly-rated true center over 7 fucking years. That idiot was flat-out stealing money from us.
Interested to see if he is comfortable with being a backup big after starting some games at Kentucky as a true freshman. I wonder if Diebler told him there would be opportunities to play the 4 or alongside Felix in some moments? Nevertheless, glad to have him in Columbus!
I am not positive he will be a back up this kid is a 5 star that has the ability to hit a few shots 18ft and a few 3s,solid on defense,very athletic. There may be spots OSU plays big ball.
Hate to see him leave Kentucky, but glad OSU got him. Needs a little more strength and touch. Hopefully can be developed into a cornerstone to some big things here.
UK b ball fan here…he definitely had his moments last yr, was hampered by a foot injury that slowed his development though.
Really skinny so still needs to add strength. Defense got worse as the yr went on but no one on the team played D anyway. Nice pickup though - wanted him back on UK for next yr.
Meh initially but I’ll warm up and talk myself into it. Wanted Oats but I’m glad to see it’s someone who wants to be there vs some of the other coaches that were rumored and needed a ton of convincing.
Plays a modern five out offense - I’ll of course support him and can’t wait for next yr.
Hope to see great news about Bradshaw as I check football news here next winter too.
What are the prospects he can play the 4 for Ohio State? If he can shoot pretty well it might be better for him with his skinny frame than trying to bulk up as a center.
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
I’ll agree the staff didn’t coach defense well this year and it slowed AB’s development.
But I also bet AB didn’t have to even try to play D in high school. He was so far behind coming in.
And I always pushed back on Cal doesn’t develop guys. SGA, Herro, Sheppard all come to mind. Considered multi yr guys out of HS but he had them ready for the league by February
Yeah, looking back, Cal develops good guards. Not as sure about big men. I think Cousins, AD, KAT, and Randle were just dominant guys and didn't need a ton of development.
This not bad news. Boom! I have no idea how good the b-ball team will be next year, but anything less than a NCAA tournament appearance seems like a disappointment.
Higher offensive upside Trevor Thompson (who was absolutely awesome for us)?
Even just from a defensive perspective, Okpara + Bradshaw will allow us to match up with pretty much any frontcourt in the country without having to commit extra defenders.
This seems good.
I keep seeing m fans excited about a bunch of FAU players possibly following their coach to Ann Arbor (that whore).
We'll take SEC players I guess while they go after those guys.
Congratulations to Coach Dibler, his staff and to Aaron Bradshaw! It is clear thisstaff understands the great basketball tradition at OhioState. We’ve Ohio State Basketball have made it to 11 Final Fours! (one vacated)
The Buckeyes 10 or 11 Final Fours rank sixth ( 6th ) Alll time in NCAA history!
it’s clear coach Dealer understands this rich elite Buckeye Basketball tradition, and wants to bring us back to competing annually for Big Ten championships, elite eights, and final fours in the seasons to come. Go Bucks!
Imagine, a frontcourt that isn't a PF moonlighting as a C, a PF that's treasurer than 6'6", and a SF that isn't just a guard. 2 Quality, true bigs and if Parks can develop into a 4 to let okpara get some rest for okpara and the UK transfer.... Man. What a difference 2 months makes
Everything that happens-good and bad-should motivate you to be persistent. ~JT
Holy shit! This kid needs to be a focal point of the team next year and play a lot of minutes. Just watched some highlights and I'm crazy impressed. He's so long, moves pretty naturally, and actually looks like a good shooter too. Huge potential, he was ranked that high for a reason.
Yes! Finally OSU getting the kind of depth they need with the big men. We are still undersized at forward and need some athletic dudes checking in around 6-8 or so.
I most definitely love the new additions. If the whole squad could add about 15lbs of muscle we could have some problems in OH-IO. Imagine Diebs creating his own Space Jam Lineup:
C: A. Bradshaw
PF. F. Okpara
Sm: D. Royal
SG. M. Johnson
PG: B. Thorton
Dope ppl do Dope things.. Instead of fighting and pointing fingers let’s help find a solution.. Be Great Not Good!!
Flip Okpara and Bradshaw. Felix isn’t a 4 and AB has said in the past his goal is to be a 4. Guarantee that’s why he’s coming here. And we need to find a 3 who can shoot. Devin is more of a 4. Either talk Scotty into coming back, or get Ryan Conwell or someone comparable. Then you’ve got Bruce, Meech, TBD, Bradshaw and Okpara. With Royal, Chatman, Mobley and Mahaffey off the bench.
Yeah, though I will add that Okpara, because of his lateral agility, might defend the 4 more than Bradshaw will. Devin will still play plenty of minutes at the 4, we are going to need the majority of Okpara's and Bradshaw's minutes at the 5 and with Diebler's desired tempo and aggression on defense I am not sure how much over 20 mpg either guy will be able to play.
My first reaction hearing some insiders say they expect Felix and Bradshaw to share the court a lot was this can't be good for Royal. If they do go two bigs like that, much more likely we go 3 guards with two bigs out there.
Jesus H Bonnie. Diebler is really in it to win it. He isn't playing games. I fully expect a 15pt/gm scoring wing to be added. With close to a 40% 3pt% and a solid rebounder to boot. Now the guys who entered the portal are Starting to look like they may have been nudged into it. Especially Key.
Bullets will be back to save the season, and Stroud's dignity.
This is a HUGE pickup for Coach Diebler & our BasketBucks...still holding out hope that either Gayle or Middleton decide to pull out of portal & return ...
Use the South Carolina women's model and play 8-9-10 deep where the drop off between 4-8 is marginal. Their bench scored 37 points in a championship game. More players contributing = more happier players
This is a great pickup. Finally a talented big man. As far as the posters salivating over Parks and Etzler being developed into contributors. that’s supposedly why they were on the team in the first place. If it hasn’t kicked in after 2 or 3 years, it’s not going to happen. Those guys didn’t get more than 10 minutes total game time for the whole year. They offer us the same thing Ibrahima Dialla did a couple years ago. Remember that 7 footer from Senegal? Just a couple big bodies that simply make the team look better getting off the bus.
I love all the comments “wow, Diebs isn’t playing around”. Did you guys think he was sitting in his office saying to himself, “ Well, I got hired. My work is done here”. This is exactly why this guy got hired. Coach is a leader, a recruiter and totally invested in making Ohio State basketball great! This is what he signed up for and as fans this is what we signed up for. Get used to this. Let’s sit back and enjoy the show. Go Bucks!!
Absolutely love the addition, we actually are going to have some size next year to compete in the Big Ten. Now, just add 6-6 - 6-8 sharp shooting wing, and this is going very, very good team next year.
I'm hoping his lack of off season work due to his foot injury accounted for some of those issues. A full off season with OSU and maybe he'll feel more comfortable.
The 2024/2025 Ohio State Basketball Starting Five:
Center - Bradshaw over Okpara. N.I.L money brought him to O.S.U. for a purpose and it wasn’t to sit on the bench. He also has a higher ceiling than Okpara. Almost like Howard at Quarterback.
Power Forward - T.B.D. Need Battle’s replacement. A multi skilled forward in the 6-7 to 6-9 range.
Small Forward - Devin Royal. No one else has his ability on the roster to beat him out!
Off Guard - Meechie Johnson. Same as Royal.
Point Guard - Bruce Thornton. Same as Royal and Johnson above.
If the Bucks can find a “4” … they may very well have one of the top starting fives in the BIG!
I'd say it depends on who we pick up to fill out the roster. Could see a lot of 3G lineups especially if we add someone like Conwell. The only for certain is Thornton starting at guard. I agree that I think Bradshaw is the starting C. I imagine Royal will play some 3, but I think he's better suited for the 4 until he can consistently hit from three and still question whether he can guard the position with lots of teams playing 3G lineups.
Obx, no way Felix doesn’t start. Hes by far their best defender and may be best in big blocking shots. If you are going to keep playing guards like Bruce who don’t play defense somebody needs to meet them at the rim and that is Felix.
Okpara is not a good defender. Terrible in the pick and roll, doesn't fight for or hold position well in the post. He does one thing at a high level defensively and that is coming off his man to block shots.
I don't know that Bradshaw is much better, but he gives you something offensively that Okpara doesn't.
I have to respectfully disagree. Bradshaw is not at Okpara’s level right now. Okpara will start. I believe Diebler will start both big guys - jmo….no doubt they need a shooting small forward - Diebler will get one!
Last coach wouldn't have taken him because that big man is actually big. Holtmann thought a big man couldn't be taller than 6' 8'. Thank God we moved on.
I'm getting extremely excited about this coming Buckeye basketball team. And that's a nice thing to say bc I haven't in a long time. My dad is smiling somewhere bc his favorite basketball team could be back, and and un a Big way!
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
Comments Show All Comments
A true center. And one who is an athletic freak at that.
The Holtmann era is so over boys and girls...let us celebrate
You can never live a lie and die a legend - Cal Scruby
But he was such a nice guy..................
"Ohio State actually won the analytics battle on Saturday, as Michigan gained three yards per play over 54 plays. Unfortunately the Wolverines ran 59 plays.
- Ramzy Nasrallah, THE SITUATIONAL: FILM STUDY FROM HELL, November 30, 2022
And he will be a hero at Depaul when he wins like 15-17 games one season.
That place is the perfect fit for him. It's actually kind of interesting to see him building an entire team from scratch out of the portal. He will do good there, but holy shit he was a terrible fit here
You can never live a lie and die a legend - Cal Scruby
Oh I'm well aware. I probably should have added /s after my post.
I was tired of him 3 years ago.
"Ohio State actually won the analytics battle on Saturday, as Michigan gained three yards per play over 54 plays. Unfortunately the Wolverines ran 59 plays.
- Ramzy Nasrallah, THE SITUATIONAL: FILM STUDY FROM HELL, November 30, 2022
Oh, you good Cutlass - I understood the joke hahaha
Beau Bishop still crying that Holtmann got let go because of how nice a guy he was!
You can never live a lie and die a legend - Cal Scruby
Beau Bishop can go kick rocks. Worst radio guy in Columbus hands down.
It is never right to do what is wrong.
It is never wrong to do what is right.
It is always right to do what is right.
lol shookster if he makes a ncaa tourney there I’d shit my pants I don’t see it happening
Lmao.
Depaul should be aiming for the NIT
You can never live a lie and die a legend - Cal Scruby
The ORU loss is when things went sideways
EXACTLY... I was already on my way out but still holding onto hope. But that... THAT game... Was so exposing in how the obvious needed adjustments weren't made.
You were on your way out before the Oral Roberts game? After the team made a run in the Big Ten Tourney and earned a 2 seed in the Dance? And you were already out? I get that it’s popular to hate Holtmann round these parts but c’mon lmao
Did you close your eyes while sneezing when reading and miss the part where I clearly said... I was still holding onto hope. I still wanted hin to succeed. The B10 tourney run wasn't so convincing that I was fully believing. Hoping? Yes. I still love me some Holtmann for the man/person I've seen him as.
For crying out loud. F'in move on. The Bucks get a blue chipper, a 7 footer, and an experienced player and y'all want to keep beating the same old worn out drum. How about kudos to Diebler and some enthusiasm about what is to come?
Just sayin. I’m not a negative fan at all. As every politician says, I stand behind my record lol
Izzo said so ... so it must be true!!
"Captain, over here, I've found someth... AHHHH!!!!!!"
He will pair nicely with Okpara. It will be lights out for anybody trying to bring the ball inside.
Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect - Woody Hayes
Players are going to dread driving the lane.
Great pickup! Hopefully, Felix can teach him how to block shots, because FO is darned good at it.
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
Looking forward to watching these big guys! It will be nice to be able to match up with whatever the next Purdidn't 7 footer Coach Painter finds on his bench next year!
How is his run blocking?
SalemBuckeye
Mark
How does Diebs play Okpara & Bradshaw?
If not now, when?
We're going to run and the rotation might be 10 deep. There might be 1-2 guys that approach 30 minutes per game and a bunch in the 15-20 minute range. Others have also said Bradshaw fits as a 4 and Jardy says he and Okpara will play together. Jardy is basically state media so I'll take his word for it.
That's a nice name. Todd Gack. Is that Dutch?
Thanks!
If not now, when?
Taming my expectations here til we see better on court results (consistently). Kentucky recently always had a bunch of 5 stars with nothing to show
Calipari was a great recruiter, not the best coach.
I'll tame nothing, thank you. #4 overall recruit in the country. I'll expect accordingly!
Pain of Discipline
Pain of Regret
Take Your Pick
yet those players seem to do well if not thrive in the NBA when they get good coaching. I'm not expecting him to come out of the gate and be an elite player but if Jake can coach him up some he would fit well into this team.
He only needs to be a good 3rd option with Meechie and Thornton running the show. I think that is very possible.
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
Might see T.Dails work with him? ... not sure if he is still around and his position ... I don't think he was a coach... there is no Oden around .. he is coaching somewhere else... having an actual C to coach him up would be ideal...
Doesn’t even have to be the third option. We’re still searching for a guard/wing who is an outside threat, and Royal took some big steps in my mind to end the year. If Bradshaw can simply be the 5th or 6th option with Okpara as a rim running big guy, that’s enough. Any scoring beyond that would be bonus points.
I was on my way to say EXACTLY this! I am so happy to see the undersized lineups of Holtmann in the past. Finally a coach who wants size to match...the BIG TEN!
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
So he starts over Okpara? FWIW, I think Okpara is a better athlete, but Bradshaw can shoot and extend the D.
I don't want to see the clown coach name on this site again.
You mean Holtman? You’re talkin about Holtman right?
Baaaaaalllerrrr
Nothing like a Big, Tall Boom to start the week!
Welcome to Columbus !
JWilly3
Fantastic work by coach Diebler and staff. Made my day.
jw; Another site said os picked up a forward in bradshaw, I thought hope he's at least 6-7, yep and then some. Diebs keeps it up, he's gonna spoil some people. Tall guys, before you know it, you won't recognize the team.
B
O
O
M
!
Does he have a tall sister? Asking for a friend...
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
Well the women did pickup 6'3" Petty from KY as well, so a good day for OSU!
JWilly3
Boom!!!
Go Bucks
Deibler is on fire RN!! BOOOOMMM!!
He's done more for this program in the last few month than any of us could've imagined
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Cheerish every single day
Boom! Lovin it like McDonalds
You still eat there?
Michigan. lol.
PSA: grayed out comments get read the most. Thanks!
only ocne in a while, when I have a craving for a steak bagel, no onions.
Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect - Woody Hayes
As a father of two young kids...yes, lol. I sure miss the grilled chicken though.
I used to LOVE the chicken whopper at the BK lounge.
This is huge and now the Buckeyes are going to be very hard to beat.
Raider85
Leave no doubt
Huge boom that should catch the eyes of the one more big fish we'll be searching for in the portal. Home run for Diebler
High T, Alpha Male
This^^^
These types of moves make us look serious to the outside world.
The transformation of a 15 man roster and coaching staff could take any program to the top quickly.
Game. Changer. It's on, muthafuckas!
The question of "Can Diebler recruit?" has been answered pretty quickly in his first few weeks. Man this is exciting
"Because I couldn't go for 3."
I think we knew Diebler was a good recruiter. I think the question regarding the transfer portal was whether basketball had enough money to spend to land talent.
BOOM!
holy Boomage!!! What a great addition. Now they need to land a shooter and we are gonna be golden. Coach Diebler is on fire!
Go Bucks.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM GOES THE DYNAMITE!!!
Two legit bigs on the roster. Thank goodness we have turned the page from Coach Clapper
Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Big Time BOOM!!!!
I'm too tired to get excited and I'm too old to be ashamed.
Doing big things
I know there's a game Saturday, and my ass will be there.
I Believe In Ohio State.
I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now.
Offseason. Boomage.
Basketball-style.
Yes, indeed.
Congratulations and welcome aboard to Aaron Bradshaw - go Buckeyes.
Did you check over your post before hitting save? Opinions only matter with clear titles and full details.
Reloaded my signature at a good clip, while consulting a magazine. Go Buckeyes.
Fugyea!
Heck yes! BIG TIME BOOOOOOM!!!!
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Heck yes! BIG TIME BOOOOOOM!!!!
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm more elated at this news or even more pissed off at Chris Holtmann for his failure to recruit one single highly-rated true center over 7 fucking years. That idiot was flat-out stealing money from us.
I'm more pissed about the lack of winning
And he still is stealing money, RBloodworth. (thanks A-LOT, Gene)
DePaul ain't payin him like OSU did
It is never right to do what is wrong.
It is never wrong to do what is right.
It is always right to do what is right.
This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Lamplighter LLC unless otherwise noted.
peidiwch â ffycin gyda'r Cymry
Now you develop parks to be able to play behind these two….or even with them.
Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Austin Parks at the 3 was the master plan all along, haha.
the empire never ended
Now parks has a chance to do what he should have done last year, redshirt. It's all about development.
man acouple of these bigs in at the same time..."whoooo that s a Bingo!!!"
man acouple of these bigs in at the same time..."whoooo that s a Bingo!!!"
Interested to see if he is comfortable with being a backup big after starting some games at Kentucky as a true freshman. I wonder if Diebler told him there would be opportunities to play the 4 or alongside Felix in some moments? Nevertheless, glad to have him in Columbus!
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Nothing should be promised to any of these kids. He'd only backup Felix if Felix wins the job this fall.
Go Bucks!!!
I am not positive he will be a back up this kid is a 5 star that has the ability to hit a few shots 18ft and a few 3s,solid on defense,very athletic. There may be spots OSU plays big ball.
Raider85
LFG!!!!!!!! We’re on our way back boys!
BOom
In Ryan Day & Ross Bjork We Trust.
Jardy says to expect Bradshaw and Okpara to play together a decent bit next season.
I swear, if I see one post complaining about how small we are...
Anyways, this is exciting stuff. Add a talented wing (preferably one that can shoot the rock), and the cooking might be getting done with gas.
the empire never ended
makes you wonder if any of our guys still in the portal would now consider staying? that is if Coach Diebler wants them to...
Leave no doubt
Would love it if Scotty would change his mind.
Ohhhhhhhhh Snnnnnaaaaapppppp! BOOOOM!
If not now, when?
Diebler doing Diebler things - better get used to it.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Cheerish every single day
Hate to see him leave Kentucky, but glad OSU got him. Needs a little more strength and touch. Hopefully can be developed into a cornerstone to some big things here.
How firm thy friendship
Just as Felix is doing / has done?
Maybe they will spur each other on.
Our honor defend, we'll fight to the end !
"it's not magic, it's fundamentals" that lead to Ohio State's success. - Ryan Day
Much needed add to the Team! Love it! Go Bucks!
Rob84
Holy effing boooom!! Go Bucks!!!
Holy effing boooom!! Go Bucks!!!
You can say that again..
UK b ball fan here…he definitely had his moments last yr, was hampered by a foot injury that slowed his development though.
Really skinny so still needs to add strength. Defense got worse as the yr went on but no one on the team played D anyway. Nice pickup though - wanted him back on UK for next yr.
How do you like the Pope hire?
Meh initially but I’ll warm up and talk myself into it. Wanted Oats but I’m glad to see it’s someone who wants to be there vs some of the other coaches that were rumored and needed a ton of convincing.
Plays a modern five out offense - I’ll of course support him and can’t wait for next yr.
Hope to see great news about Bradshaw as I check football news here next winter too.
What are the prospects he can play the 4 for Ohio State? If he can shoot pretty well it might be better for him with his skinny frame than trying to bulk up as a center.
I saw a UFO once.......it told me to have a goodyear!
He can play the 4 with another big.
His defense was just hard to watch. He gets bullied pretty easily. Didn’t know what to do on the pick and roll.
Would you chalk some of that up to Calipari seemingly only being a recruiter and not much of a coach/developer?
High T, Alpha Male
I’ll agree the staff didn’t coach defense well this year and it slowed AB’s development.
But I also bet AB didn’t have to even try to play D in high school. He was so far behind coming in.
And I always pushed back on Cal doesn’t develop guys. SGA, Herro, Sheppard all come to mind. Considered multi yr guys out of HS but he had them ready for the league by February
Yeah, looking back, Cal develops good guards. Not as sure about big men. I think Cousins, AD, KAT, and Randle were just dominant guys and didn't need a ton of development.
How firm thy friendship
BOOM! Chacka lagga!
Too bad Zach is no longer around, but Aaron is the "Edey Annihilator!"
Bucks Fan since 1970
Wow... I mean, okay. Diebs isn't messing around. Love to see it. And I have faith he'll use our bigs effectively going forward.
Eggs-actly, Cincy.
When opportunity knocked at the door, Diebs swung that mother WIDE OPEN!
Bucks Fan since 1970
These are the guys Holtmann flirted with and never got. Never.
He didn't have $3M to hand out.
Late to the party but HELLS YEAH
It always seems impossible until it’s done
BIG get!
I understand the Gayle and Middleton transfers less and less each moment.
This not bad news. Boom! I have no idea how good the b-ball team will be next year, but anything less than a NCAA tournament appearance seems like a disappointment.
Hello friends, logging on after a long hiatus to say BOOM!!! Let's get another shooter and do some damage next year!
Higher offensive upside Trevor Thompson (who was absolutely awesome for us)?
Even just from a defensive perspective, Okpara + Bradshaw will allow us to match up with pretty much any frontcourt in the country without having to commit extra defenders.
Imagine actually having players tall enough to guard Purdue well for once…
There is no greater moment in The Game’s history than giving the full one-finger salute to 107,601 Michigan fans at the same time.
This seems good.
I keep seeing m fans excited about a bunch of FAU players possibly following their coach to Ann Arbor (that whore).
We'll take SEC players I guess while they go after those guys.
Congratulations to Coach Dibler, his staff and to Aaron Bradshaw! It is clear thisstaff understands the great basketball tradition at OhioState. We’ve Ohio State Basketball have made it to 11 Final Fours! (one vacated)
The Buckeyes 10 or 11 Final Fours rank sixth ( 6th ) Alll time in NCAA history!
it’s clear coach Dealer understands this rich elite Buckeye Basketball tradition, and wants to bring us back to competing annually for Big Ten championships, elite eights, and final fours in the seasons to come. Go Bucks!
85 inches of BOOM! Things are looking up. Go Bucks!
Toker2
85 inches through the heart of the north?
Scooter
Welcome home Aaron!
To honor Vern making his call at the Masters….”Yes, Sir!!!”
TG Proud Buckeye alumnus.
Imagine, a frontcourt that isn't a PF moonlighting as a C, a PF that's treasurer than 6'6", and a SF that isn't just a guard. 2 Quality, true bigs and if Parks can develop into a 4 to let okpara get some rest for okpara and the UK transfer.... Man. What a difference 2 months makes
Everything that happens-good and bad-should motivate you to be persistent. ~JT
And of course, Holtmann didn't even offer this kid out of HS. That worthless shitbird stole millions from this university.
Nice pick up. Definitely needs to add strength. We've learned that a dominating big man in college basketball still goes a long way.
This is one exciting off-season, and far from over.
You need to be humble or you will get humbled. - Jocko Willink
Saban and Calipari need to leave more often!!!
~We'll Get Em' Next Year~
So True!
Ayyy!
Awesome!
Diebler is rolling!
Holy shit! This kid needs to be a focal point of the team next year and play a lot of minutes. Just watched some highlights and I'm crazy impressed. He's so long, moves pretty naturally, and actually looks like a good shooter too. Huge potential, he was ranked that high for a reason.
Yes! Finally OSU getting the kind of depth they need with the big men. We are still undersized at forward and need some athletic dudes checking in around 6-8 or so.
I most definitely love the new additions. If the whole squad could add about 15lbs of muscle we could have some problems in OH-IO. Imagine Diebs creating his own Space Jam Lineup:
C: A. Bradshaw
PF. F. Okpara
Sm: D. Royal
SG. M. Johnson
PG: B. Thorton
Dope ppl do Dope things.. Instead of fighting and pointing fingers let’s help find a solution.. Be Great Not Good!!
Flip Okpara and Bradshaw. Felix isn’t a 4 and AB has said in the past his goal is to be a 4. Guarantee that’s why he’s coming here. And we need to find a 3 who can shoot. Devin is more of a 4. Either talk Scotty into coming back, or get Ryan Conwell or someone comparable. Then you’ve got Bruce, Meech, TBD, Bradshaw and Okpara. With Royal, Chatman, Mobley and Mahaffey off the bench.
Yeah, though I will add that Okpara, because of his lateral agility, might defend the 4 more than Bradshaw will. Devin will still play plenty of minutes at the 4, we are going to need the majority of Okpara's and Bradshaw's minutes at the 5 and with Diebler's desired tempo and aggression on defense I am not sure how much over 20 mpg either guy will be able to play.
the empire never ended
I said it above, but Middleton's leaving makes less sense to me each day. Two rotating big men makes for great spacing for a shooter.
My first reaction hearing some insiders say they expect Felix and Bradshaw to share the court a lot was this can't be good for Royal. If they do go two bigs like that, much more likely we go 3 guards with two bigs out there.
Go Bucks!!!
Plenty of minutes for Royal to get at the 3 and 4
High T, Alpha Male
Minutes sure, but op had him starting with the 2 bigs. I just dont think that's going to be a thing. I expect the next boom will be a shooting guard.
Go Bucks!!!
I think the OP was being a big tongue-and-cheek about creating a monster lineup
High T, Alpha Male
Yeah, he really needs to improve his outside shot if he wants to play at the next level. He’s strongest at the inside game, but he’s undersized.
Okpara at the 4? Doesn't make much sense. Bradshaw has more 4 skills, but he's not a 4 either. The two will play together in limited scope.
I'd start Bradshaw and they both play in the 22-24 minute range unless one shows out.
Buckeye basketball is officially back! Thank u Diebler
"Ice! It's in my veins!" - D'Angelo Russell
Go get Cade Tyson now and be all set.
Double take
From what I read it was us or North Carolina - nice! Oh, and Roddy Gayle is visiting Michigan - oof!
MW
Jesus H Bonnie. Diebler is really in it to win it. He isn't playing games. I fully expect a 15pt/gm scoring wing to be added. With close to a 40% 3pt% and a solid rebounder to boot. Now the guys who entered the portal are Starting to look like they may have been nudged into it. Especially Key.
Bullets will be back to save the season, and Stroud's dignity.
This is a HUGE pickup for Coach Diebler & our BasketBucks...still holding out hope that either Gayle or Middleton decide to pull out of portal & return ...
plsSJbuckeye
The rumor with Middleton is that it was a mutual decision to move on. He was suspended earlier in the season so that's not surprising.
That's a nice name. Todd Gack. Is that Dutch?
Men’s and Women’s basketball teams getting their Booms.
Football team getting their Booms.
Damn it’s Great to be a Buckeye fan!!
After every snap you hit'em and you hit'em and you hit'em if you feel you didn’t hit'em enough hit'em some more
Do you go after Wagner too since they were HS teammates? He just entered the portal today as well.
Ohio State > *ichigan Day > Hairbaugh
I wouldn't worry about playing time.
Use the South Carolina women's model and play 8-9-10 deep where the drop off between 4-8 is marginal. Their bench scored 37 points in a championship game. More players contributing = more happier players
Dupe
Fantastic! Now sign the Guard from Princeton.
Fantastic! Now sign the Guard from Princeton.
This is a great pickup. Finally a talented big man. As far as the posters salivating over Parks and Etzler being developed into contributors. that’s supposedly why they were on the team in the first place. If it hasn’t kicked in after 2 or 3 years, it’s not going to happen. Those guys didn’t get more than 10 minutes total game time for the whole year. They offer us the same thing Ibrahima Dialla did a couple years ago. Remember that 7 footer from Senegal? Just a couple big bodies that simply make the team look better getting off the bus.
I believe Parks is still a Freshman and he was a 4 Star. Plenty of time for development.
Hard to overtstate how cool this is imo. Now we have good size to disrupt our opponents' inside game
"The minute we stop expecting greatness, we become Wisconsin."
Got a little Naz Reid in his game…
Somebody call the Dr. Ive had a 4 hour erection
Got a little Naz Reid in his game…
Somebody call the Dr. Ive had a 4 hour erection
So excited I posted it twice
I love all the comments “wow, Diebs isn’t playing around”. Did you guys think he was sitting in his office saying to himself, “ Well, I got hired. My work is done here”. This is exactly why this guy got hired. Coach is a leader, a recruiter and totally invested in making Ohio State basketball great! This is what he signed up for and as fans this is what we signed up for. Get used to this. Let’s sit back and enjoy the show. Go Bucks!!
BOOM! Nice addition JD, Welcome to TOSU Aaron. Go Bucks.
Absolutely love the addition, we actually are going to have some size next year to compete in the Big Ten. Now, just add 6-6 - 6-8 sharp shooting wing, and this is going very, very good team next year.
Steve
As a Kentucky fan, he was horrible last year. Soft, unmotivated, and played with absolutely zero fire.
However, the potential is there. If Diebler can coach the kid up, he has a high ceiling.
He had his moments. Florida and Arkansas come to mind. But yeah there were other games it was obvious he couldn’t hang and got pulled pretty quickly.
I'm hoping his lack of off season work due to his foot injury accounted for some of those issues. A full off season with OSU and maybe he'll feel more comfortable.
Ayyy!
If Bradshaw has a jumper, I wouldn't mind him on the court with Okpara as the 4-5 combo with Royal as the 3.
He has a jumper
The 2024/2025 Ohio State Basketball Starting Five:
Center - Bradshaw over Okpara. N.I.L money brought him to O.S.U. for a purpose and it wasn’t to sit on the bench. He also has a higher ceiling than Okpara. Almost like Howard at Quarterback.
Power Forward - T.B.D. Need Battle’s replacement. A multi skilled forward in the 6-7 to 6-9 range.
Small Forward - Devin Royal. No one else has his ability on the roster to beat him out!
Off Guard - Meechie Johnson. Same as Royal.
Point Guard - Bruce Thornton. Same as Royal and Johnson above.
If the Bucks can find a “4” … they may very well have one of the top starting fives in the BIG!
I'd say it depends on who we pick up to fill out the roster. Could see a lot of 3G lineups especially if we add someone like Conwell. The only for certain is Thornton starting at guard. I agree that I think Bradshaw is the starting C. I imagine Royal will play some 3, but I think he's better suited for the 4 until he can consistently hit from three and still question whether he can guard the position with lots of teams playing 3G lineups.
Obx, no way Felix doesn’t start. Hes by far their best defender and may be best in big blocking shots. If you are going to keep playing guards like Bruce who don’t play defense somebody needs to meet them at the rim and that is Felix.
Okpara is not a good defender. Terrible in the pick and roll, doesn't fight for or hold position well in the post. He does one thing at a high level defensively and that is coming off his man to block shots.
I don't know that Bradshaw is much better, but he gives you something offensively that Okpara doesn't.
I have to respectfully disagree. Bradshaw is not at Okpara’s level right now. Okpara will start. I believe Diebler will start both big guys - jmo….no doubt they need a shooting small forward - Diebler will get one!
Don’t forget NIL money kept Okpara here….
Artthedart
BOOOOOOM!
Welcome aboard Aaron!
GO BUCKEYES!
GO BUCKEYES!
17-5 since 2001!
But 1-3 since 2019 REALLY SUCKS!
Now just need a shooter !!!
Last coach wouldn't have taken him because that big man is actually big. Holtmann thought a big man couldn't be taller than 6' 8'. Thank God we moved on.
Heck yeah!
Indiana State transfer Ryan Conwell is taking a visit to Ohio State.
Averaged 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore. Previously played for South Florida.
Indiana State transfer Ryan Conwell is taking a visit to Ohio State.
Averaged 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore. Previously played for South Florida.
BIG BOOM!
I'm getting extremely excited about this coming Buckeye basketball team. And that's a nice thing to say bc I haven't in a long time. My dad is smiling somewhere bc his favorite basketball team could be back, and and un a Big way!
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
Woody Hayes
Congrats to all involved - this is absolutely a HUGE "get"
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Cheerish every single day
Very hard not to be excited after watching that highlight reel!
Deibler just continues to make the clown look worse and worse, and the sad thing is, I don't think he is even trying.