Eric Boggs
For the third consecutive season, Ohio State has been left out of the NCAA Tournament field, as confirmed on Selection Sunday. The Buckeyes failed to secure one of the 37 at-large bids, marking the program’s longest tournament drought since missing three straight from 2003 to 2005. While Ohio State was projected as a No. 9 seed less than a month ago, a disappointing finish to the season—losing five of its final seven games—ultimately doomed its chances.
Despite a solid NET ranking of 41 and six Quad 1 victories against the nation’s 20th-most difficult schedule, the Buckeyes’ 17-15 record and late-season struggles left them as the third team out. Meanwhile, eight other Big Ten schools punched their tickets to the Big Dance, including Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Maryland, UCLA, Illinois, and Oregon. Indiana, which defeated Ohio State in the final game of the regular season, also found itself on the outside looking in despite being projected in the field by multiple experts.
With no NCAA Tournament berth, Ohio State was invited to FOX’s College Basketball Crown Tournament as an automatic qualifier from the Big Ten. However, on Monday, the Buckeyes declined the invitation, effectively ending their 2024-25 season. Per contractual obligations, Ohio State is only permitted to participate in either the NCAA Tournament or the Crown, leaving no further postseason options.
The bitter ending to Jake Diebler’s first season as head coach leaves plenty of questions heading into the offseason. Early-season losses to Pitt and Oregon, coupled with the late collapse, proved costly. Now, Diebler and his staff must focus on retaining key players such as Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal, and John Mobley Jr., all of whom are likely targets in the transfer portal. Simultaneously, the Buckeyes will need to be active in the portal themselves as they look to strengthen the roster.
While the College Basketball Crown tips off in Las Vegas on March 31, Ohio State’s attention will shift to rebuilding for next season. The transfer portal window opens on March 24, setting the stage for a crucial offseason in Columbus.
