Bruce Thornton and Coach Jake Diebler after Bruce Thornton becomes all time points leader. Credit- Dominic Ferraro | Freelance Photographer
The drought is over.
For the first time since 2022, the Buckeyes will return to the NCAA Tournament. No. 8 seed Ohio State will battle No. 9 seed TCU Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Head coach Jake Diebler reflected on the moment Ohio State punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, the first with Diebler at the helm.
“It was really exciting,” Diebler said. “This team has overcome a lot to get to this point and not just to get to this point, but to be playing our best late. It’s a blessing.”
While the two teams haven’t played since 1970, the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs each faced Michigan, Wisconsin and Notre Dame this season. Ohio State went 2-4 in those games, while TCU defeated Wisconsin but fell to Michigan and Notre Dame.
“[TCU] had success in a good conference and they’ve won a lot of games here down the stretch of the season,” Diebler said. “This time of year, everybody’s in this tournament for a reason and you had to play well and be a really good team to get to this point.”
Although the Buckeyes fell to top-seeded Michigan 71-67 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Friday, Ohio State enters the NCAA Tournament with momentum.
The Buckeyes had won four straight games prior to the loss to the Wolverines, their longest winning streak against Big Ten teams this season.
“There’s a chemistry within our program — players, coaches, everybody involved is on the same page and everybody’s moving in the same direction,” Diebler said. “We want to ride that momentum as long as we possibly can.”
Diebler said while some teams are looking to establish rhythm heading into the NCAA Tournament, Ohio State is focused on building off its recent play.
“There’s some teams right now [that] are probably saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got to reset and regain momentum,’” Diebler said. “For us, we’ve got to keep our momentum going and I think that’s really valuable.”
Behind All-Big Ten guards — second-team honoree Bruce Thornton and honorable mention recipient John Mobley Jr. — Diebler said it’s critical that the Buckeyes have an established backcourt heading into the NCAA Tournament.
“Make no mistake, it gives you a sense of confidence as a coach when you go into a game when you have this level of guard play on your team,” Diebler said.
And while the Buckeyes have snapped their streak of missing the NCAA Tournament, simply hearing their name called on Selection Sunday isn’t enough.
“This season still is not finished and we’ve got a final chapter to write,” Diebler said. “I’m excited about our guys, where their minds are at, where we’re at health-wise, so we can write this last chapter well.”