The Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team had plenty of high hopes coming into the 2024-25 campaign, especially with the momentum Head Coach Jake Diebler built when he took over the role midway through last season. He proved he could get some talent to Columbus via the transfer portal with the likes of Meechie Johnson, and Aaron Bradshaw, among others. However, talent isn’t working in one facet of the game. It appears the Buckeyes have some off-the-court issues to deal with.
It’s hard enough keeping guys happy with playing time in this new era to have off-the-court issues popping up in what seems nearly every week isn’t helping the team. Sure, the Buckeyes aren’t playing that terribly, but the problems have to be a distraction. Bradshaw spent several games away from the team, with some form of legal trouble. If that isn’t enough, Johnson has now taken a leave of absence from the team. That once again leaves Ohio State without a true point guard. It begs the question, what is going on in Columbus?
Does Ohio State Have Too Many Off-the-Court Issues?
Bradshaw looked like he was going to have a much more important role with the Buckeyes after transferring in from Kentucky. That has been far from the truth. It appears more like he’s away from the floor than he is making an impact. He has played in four of the Buckeyes’ 11 games to this point, with those four games all being starts. That’s where things get complicated.
He hasn’t played in a game since November 19th. That’s where things get fuzzy. It was later reported by the Columbus Dispatch, that Bradshaw was under investigation for a domestic issue. He had since returned to the team, according to Coach Diebler. However, there has been no sign of Bradshaw getting back on the floor since. Diebler certainly isn’t giving much of an answer as to why he remains out.
The Buckeyes have a huge clash with his former team coming up, but it doesn’t appear that he’s going to be taking the floor for that match-up.
More Questions Than Answers for Buckeyes
The situation in Columbus still has more questions than answers. As it turns out, Bradshaw isn’t the only player the Buckeyes are missing. Johnson will miss his second-straight game as he stepped away from the team. It has been cited as a leave of absence. That certainly isn’t going to help this team moving forward.
Johnson had started the Buckeyes’ first 10 games before missing their win against Valparaiso early this week. Following the game, Diebler cited that there isn’t a timetable for Johnson’s return. It is crazy that no one seems to have a straight answer about what is going on at Ohio State. it’s certainly a tough look, especially when I thought the Buckeyes could’ve contended at the top of the Big Ten with all the talent they have.
Is Diebler In Over His Head?
They took a huge chance when they hired Diebler as the head coach. Sure, he got some nice wins as the interim coach in 2023-24. That doesn’t mean he isn’t in over his head a little bit. I’m not saying he’s lost the locker room. Far from that, but having players away from the team because of off-the-court issues, no matter what they are, is very concerning.
It’s good to see Devin Royal step up, but Ohio State would be better off if they had all their players available. Time will tell if we see Bradshaw and Johnson anytime soon. It doesn’t seem very likely going forward. It’s certainly a difficult situation for a first-year head coach.
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