Where is Ohio State men's basketball in way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2023-24?
It’s never been more challenging to forecast what college basketball will look like from one season to the next. With the transfer portal humming, players still able to utilize the extra year of eligibility afforded to all who played during the COVID-19 pandemic season of 2020-21 and the impact of name, image and likeness rights still settling in, roster management has never been trickier.
Still, the closing of the 2022-23 season with UConn’s win against San Diego State in last week's national championship game means it’s officially time to start casting a look ahead to next season. And despite tallying up the most losses in a season since going 8-22 in 1997-98, Ohio State is garnering some early top-25(ish) projections from national media for 2023-24.
Even while predicting that forward Brice Sensabaugh will remain in the NBA draft and not return for a sophomore season, Seth Davis of The Athletic has Ohio State at No. 22 in his “way-too-early” top 25.
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“It was a difficult season for the Buckeyes, but they ended on a positive note, winning five of their last seven and advancing to the Big Ten tournament semis,” Davis wrote. “Sensabaugh has entered the draft and will maintain his eligibility, but he is probably going to get picked high enough for him to turn pro, even though he missed the Buckeyes’ last two games because of a knee injury.”
Underclassmen have until May 31 to withdraw from the draft. Should he opt not to return, Ohio State will lose its top two scorers and three of its top five. Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes at 16.3 points per game, ahead of sixth-year senior Justice Sueing (12.3) and West Virginia graduate transfer Sean McNeil (9.7).
The Buckeyes will enroll a four-man recruiting class that is ranked No. 8 nationally to go along with cornerstones Zed Key, a fourth-year center; second-year guards Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bruce Thornton; as well as second-year center Felix Okpara.
“Thornton has the potential to be a first-team All-Big Ten point guard,” Davis wrote. “Gayle played behind McNeil but did great after he was put into the starting lineup. (Incoming first-year center Austin) Parks in particular has a ready-made Big Ten body, and his presence inside should allow Key and Okpara to play with more space and freedom.”
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Davis has two Big Ten teams ahead of Ohio State and one behind the Buckeyes in the top 25. Purdue is No. 2, Michigan State is No. 6 and Rutgers is No. 25.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has only two Big Ten programs in his top 25, with the Buckeyes No. 2 on a list of teams that should be considered “next in line,” essentially placing them 27th nationally. Borzello assumes that all players in the top 60 of ESPN’s NBA draft board and all COVID seniors will not return. Sensabaugh is ranked No. 19 on the draft board.
Similarly, Kevin Flaherty from 247Sports.com didn’t put Ohio State in his top 25 but included them among a list of “15 more to watch” that is arranged alphabetically.
“Brice Sensabaugh kept the door ever so slightly ajar for returning, and while he’s likely gone, the Buckeyes have a nice combination of young talent and a top 10 recruiting class,” Flaherty wrote. “A bounce-back season could be in the cards for Chris Holtmann’s crew.”
CBSSports’ Gary Parrish did not include the Buckeyes in his “Top 25 And 1” rankings, which are frequently updated throughout the offseason as roster moves necessitate. Like Borzello, he has only two Big Ten teams on his list, and they’re the same ones: Purdue and Michigan State. The same goes for Mike DeCourcy from The Sporting News and Kevin Sweeney from Sports Illustrated, neither of whom have the Buckeyes among their top 25.
DeCourcy has Purdue (4), Michigan State (11) and Northwestern (23) in his top 25 but no other Big Ten teams while Sweeney included Purdue (4), Michigan State (10) and Maryland (21).
What are Ohio State’s chances for a national championship?
Meanwhile, according to BetOnline, the Buckeyes have better odds of winning the 2024 national championship than one of the teams that played in last Monday's title game.
Ohio State opens the offseason with 55/1 odds to win it all, tying them with Auburn for the 31st-best odds in the nation. The Buckeyes and the Tigers check in just ahead of this season's runner-up San Diego State at 66/1.
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Kentucky is the favorite at 11/1, just ahead of Duke and Purdue at 12/1 each. Michigan State is at 25/1, Michigan at 33/1 and Illinois, Indiana and Maryland all at 75/1.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State appears on some 'way-too-early' preseason top 25 polls
