It’s been more than a week since Ohio State took its first official steps toward the 2025-26 season. On Sept. 22, the men’s basketball team gathered inside the practice gym at the Jerome Schottenstein Center to hold its first official practice of the preseason.
Fourteen Buckeyes were in uniform for the start of coach Jake Diebler’s second season, one they hope will mark a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Ohio State returned 49.5% of its minutes from last year, second-most in the Big Ten behind Purdue, and its starting lineup has looked settled for months.
With Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., Devin Royal, Brandon Noel and Christoph Tilly all penciled into the lineup for the Nov. 3 season opener against IU Indy, there is still a lot for Diebler and his staff to figure out as the preseason continues.
With the second week of workouts underway, here are four positional battles to keep an eye on:
Who will be Christoph Tilly’s top backup?
There’s no other player on Ohio State’s roster with the size and skill of Tilly, a senior transfer from Santa Clara. At 7 feet, 240 pounds, Tilly had an assist rate of 16.1 as a junior with the Broncos. Ohio State hasn’t had a post player dish out the ball at that rate since E.J. Liddell was at 17.0 in 2021-22.
From a size standpoint, sophomore Ivan Njegovan is the most comparable given that he’s listed one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Tilly. And after playing limited minutes as a freshman, Njegovan has shown growth in his game throughout the offseason and is in better position to make an impact as a sophomore. He’s likely to improve upon his 5.7 minutes per game in 20 appearances last season, but he doesn’t have the same type of game as Tilly.
If Ohio State goes small, freshman Amare Bynum (6-8, 220) or Wright State transfer Brandon Noel (6-8, 240) could be options. Baylor transfer Josh Ojianwuna could be an option down the road as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
Who plays more: Amare Bynum or Brandon Noel?
This doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario, and don’t be shocked if the aforementioned power forwards find their way onto the court at the same time this season. But the daily battles between the veteran Noel and newcomer Bynum are likely to be among the most entertaining as the Buckeyes prepare for the start of the season.
After two redshirt years and three as a starter at Wright State, Noel is among the nation’s oldest and most experienced players. He’s a proven double-digit scorer and high-level rebounder who can shoot and has size. Plus, the chance to play his final year at Ohio State and have a chance to help the program get back into the NCAA Tournament is meaningful to the Lucasville native.
Bynum, meanwhile, has done nothing but impress since his arrival on campus and looks ready to be an instant contributor. Both will play significant roles on this year’s team regardless of who starts.
How do other pieces fit in around Devin Royal?
It’s possible that Noel or Bynum could see playing time as a small-ball center with the 6-6, 220-pound Royal reprising his power forward role from last year’s breakout sophomore season. This year, though, Diebler has been clear that Royal is going to see significant time at small forward and use his size, physicality and burgeoning shooting ability to create mismatches for the offense.
Behind Royal, the depth chart here gets fluid. Freshman international signing Mathieu Grujicic proved his scoring bona fides while playing for Germany’s youth team in the U18 EuroBasket tournament but needs to make gains with his athleticism and defensive quickness to help harness the talents inside his 6-6, 205-pound frame. He’s an option, as is sophomore Colin White, although the returner was hampered by injury for most of the offseason. It’s difficult to forecast White’s impact given how much time he has missed since last season.
Then there’s the possibility of playing three-guard lineups with either third-year Indiana transfer Gabe Cupps or third-year returner Taison Chatman to give the Buckeyes another look.
Who else solidifies themselves in the backcourt rotation?
This team begins the season with its strength unquestionably in the backcourt. Fourth-year starter Bruce Thornton is on pace to challenge for the school’s all-time scoring record and sophomore John Mobley Jr. is poised for a breakout season after impressing as a freshman. Any talks about where the Buckeyes will go this season will start with those two, who with Royal form a three-headed monster of experienced players prioritized for retention during the offseason.
So who else fits into that conversation? Cupps and Chatman present interesting profiles, and both are coming off of medical redshirts for knee injuries. Cupps started 22 games as a freshman at Indiana in 2023-24. Chatman is the highest-rated recruit on the roster (No. 33 in the 2023 class per 247Sports.com) and also stands 6-4 but has been limited in his first two years due to injury. His size alone gives him a different profile than Thornton (6-2), Cupps (also 6-2) and Mobley (6-1), which might be important in a three-guard lineup that otherwise is not blessed with great height.
Grujicic will also factor into this equation. With Royal possibly rotating between small and power forward, and with Thornton and Mobley in line for the bulk of the minutes, it feels like Cupps, Chatman and Grujicic will be battling over two spots.
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.