After missing the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season, Ohio State opted out of the College Basketball Playoff.
The Buckeyes declined their invitation to participate in FOX’s College Basketball Crown tournament on Monday, ending their 2024-25 season. They are contractually prohibited from participating in any postseason tournament other than the NCAA Tournament or the Crown.
Five losses in the final seven games of Jake Diebler’s first season will leave a bad taste in the mouths of Ohio State basketball fans, as the Buckeyes had a chance to lock down an NCAA Tournament bid all season long. Other close early season losses against teams like Pitt And Oregon also contributed to OSU finishing as the only third team eliminated of the Great Dance.
The first order of business for Diebler and his coaching staff now is to try to retain the team’s stars who will be targets in the transfer portal from other schools. Ohio State will have to do its best to keep Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr. while trying to make improvements through the portal itself when it opens next week.
The College Basketball Crown begins March 31 in Las Vegas. The college basketball transfer portal window opens on March 24.
