Ohio State basketball gets major piece back for next season
Ohio State basketball gets major piece back for next season
The Ohio State basketball roster is starting to take shape and it just got another huge piece back.
It was assumed that former Mr. Basketball, Devin Royal, was coming back to the team, but you just never know in today's college basketball world where players can transfer at will -- especially with the dismal season that the Buckeyes just put together this past season. But on Saturday, Royal made it official with an announcement on social media that he'll be back in the Scarlet and Gray for the 2025-2026 season.
Out of Pickerington Central High School just outside Columbus, Royal committed to OSU in the class of 2023. His freshman season was one of learning and development, but this past year during the 6-foot-6-inch forward's sophomore campaign, he became one of the Buckeyes' best options on the offensive end. He upped his minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game significantly and finished the year second on the team in scoring with an average of 13.7 points per contest. He also led Ohio State with 6.9 rebounds per game.
There's no doubt that there is still some reshaping of the roster that still will have to occur with the Buckeyes, but now that Royal, John Mobley Jr., and Bruce Thornton are returning, there's a solid base of stars to work with. Thornton has one year of eligibility left, Royal has two, and Mobley is just a rising sophomore.
Now, we'll have to watch to see what kind of pieces head coach Jake Deibler continues to surround his nucleus with as we continue through the offseason.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Mike Evans Pleased with Suddenly Crowded WR Room
Buccaneers' Mike Evans Pleased with Suddenly Crowded WR Room originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In April, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shocked many at the NFL Draft in Green Bay by selecting wideout Emeka Egbuka with their first pick in the selection show. Advertisement Most assumed general manager Jason Licht would take a defensive player, which was thought to be the focus for the team during the draft. While Licht ended up improving the defense anyway, with later picks, the Egbuka pick is thought of as one of the steals of the 2025 season. And star receiver Mike Evans, who's fresh off 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, has been impressed by what he sees so far of the former Ohio State Buckeyes pass catcher. "I didn't [expect to draft a receiver] either, but you know Jason has always been great in drafts, and we wanted to pick the best players available, and from what I've seen so far, he was definitely the best player available," Evans said on Thursday. "So, looking forward to a great year for him, Emeka." Advertisement Evans was Licht's first-ever draft pick back in 2014 when he took over as GM of Tampa Bay. And he's been a significant piece of the Bucs offense ever since. Even after being joined by Chris Godwin in the 2017 draft, the combo have been one of the best tandems in football. And Evans thinks this is one of the best rooms he's been a part of. "I know I say it a lot, but this might be the best receiving room I've been a part of," Evans said. "I say that every year, but we always get great players to come in, so that's been very fortunate for me in my career to be around great young players. And they've added to the room tremendously. They're already very polished. Emeka's really strong hands, super smart, Tez is speed, quickness." Related: Buccaneers' Star WR Makes Subtle Name Change to Honor Father Related: Ex Bucs QB Tom Brady Offers Post-Draft Advice to Shedeur Sanders This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
BOOM! Ohio State receives commitment from 2028 running back from Florida
BOOM! Ohio State receives commitment from 2028 running back from Florida While Ohio State is still putting the finishing touches on the 2026 class and has the framework in place for the 2027 class, the Buckeyes just got their first commitment for the 2028 cycle with the addition of Florida running back Elijah Newman-Hill. Out of Tampa, Florida, it's still too early for Hill to be ranked by the major recruiting services but you can bet if Ohio State offered and accepted a commitment from a kid that doesn't graduate until 2028, the coaching staff must be impressed with what it sees. And for Hill, the feeling must be mutual if he was ready to get on board shortly after attending one of the camps at Ohio State. Though Hill plays on both sides of the ball in high school, there's no doubt he's being looked at as a running back for OSU. This past season, he carried the ball 80 times for 829 yards for Blake High School. It's pretty early on in the 2028 recruiting class, and more than ever, in today's age, it'll still take a lot to keep him in the recruiting class. ontact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Michigan Takes Subtle Dig at Ohio State With Bryce Underwood in Latest Social Media Post
Michigan Takes Subtle Dig at Ohio State With Bryce Underwood in Latest Social Media Post originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes have one of the most famous rivalries in college football, dating back to their first meeting on Oct. 16, 1897. Advertisement The Big Ten rivals last met on Nov. 30, when Michigan upset heavily favored Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus. Nine days before that game, the Wolverines made news of another sort when 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood decommitted from LSU and chose to attend Michigan. Underwood, 17, originally committed to the Tigers in January 2024 but changed his decision after meeting with Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore, according to ESPN's Eli Lederman. In his senior year of high school football, Underwood passed for 2,509 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and was awarded Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year honors. Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood.© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images While Michigan stood tall over the Ryan Day-led Buckeyes in November, Ohio State ultimately rebounded to win four straight games in the College Football Playoff to capture its first national title since 2014. It was the first championship for the 46-year-old Day and the ninth in program history. Advertisement While the Buckeyes dominated the college football scene during the playoff, their rivals took the opportunity to take a subtle dig at the national champs on X. In a new video promoting EA Sports College Football 26 posted to the Wolverines' X account on Thursday, a video game version of Underwood can be seen scrambling around the pocket before spinning past a Buckeyes defender and getting open to sling the ball down the field. While College Football 26 will be enjoyed by fans around the world, the next time the Buckeyes and Wolverines face off outside of a video game will be Nov. 29 at Michigan Stadium. Despite the joy of watching their team win the national title, Ohio State fans are desperate to see their team defeat rival Michigan for the first time since 2019. Advertisement Related: Cade Klubnik Encourages Tigers Fans To Support A Cause Pivotal For Clemson Student Athletes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
