Jake Diebler likes the direction Ohio State is headed, even if the Buckeyes still have a few loose ends to tie up before the games start counting.
After two scrimmages - an exhibition against Cincinnati in the CareSource Invitational and a secret scrimmage against Louisville - Ohio State has one more tune-up left, hosting Butler at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Schottenstein Center. Diebler said the biggest change he’s seen from one scrimmage to the next has come in the Buckeyes’ response to adversity.
"I think our resiliency and toughness and grit from the first one to the second one was improved, which you know how valuable that is," Diebler said after practice on Tuesday. "That's the best part about this time of year is if you're strategic, you can put yourself in those situations where you've got to either fight back or you've got to come together.
Maybe it's in lineups or maybe it's fouls, whatever. You can just find a way to have to fight together.
I think that's been the most valuable part of these scrimmages and exhibitions."
Ohio State’s first outing ended in a 79-68 loss to Cincinnati after the Buckeyes took a 35-30 lead into halftime. The second half got away from them quickly, as Cincinnati outscored Ohio State 49-33 and ripped off a 30-12 run. Rebounding was a problem in that one, too, with the Bearcats winning the glass 45-35.
The Louisville scrimmage went better in that area, though not perfectly. A source told Eleven Warriors that Ohio State lost 97-88, falling into a 17-3 hole in the first four minutes before settling in and outscoring the Cardinals in the second half.
John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum stood out, and freshman guard LJ Smith did not play while recovering from a groin injury. Smith, who reclassified after being a five-star prospect and is now rated a four-star freshman, did practice in some capacity during the media viewing window.
Diebler said the rebounding effort against Louisville was improved, but he stopped well short of calling it fixed.
"We didn't rebound as well as we needed to at the start or the finish, but throughout the bulk of that, we did better on the glass," Diebler said. "That was important for us."
That area has been a clear focus for Ohio State, especially after last season’s NCAA Tournament loss to TCU. In that 66-64 first-round defeat, David Punch, who has since transferred to Texas, and Xavier Edmonds combined for 21 rebounds, and the Buckeyes were beaten on the glass 38-32.
This year’s roster was built with that issue in mind. Josh Ojianwuna is back and fully cleared after missing last season with injury, and he arrives with a track record from Baylor, where he averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2024-25. Ohio State also added Andrija Jelavic from Kentucky, three-star freshman Vuk Lazarevic and Ivan Njegovan, while Christoph Tilly is gone after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Diebler believes the roster now has more answers on the boards.
"I feel like we addressed (the rebounding) with this roster and that should help. ... We're playing with physicality.
You've heard me talk about it a lot, but it's a mentality," Diebler said. "I think sometimes if you put too much emphasis on technique, you've just got to go make the play with the ball.
We've got guys who are able to do that."
Beyond rebounding, Diebler pointed to transition defense and half-court defense as areas the Buckeyes still want to sharpen. He also said Ohio State played more freely against Louisville and did not use any set packages, instead using the scrimmage to handle adversity.
Sunday’s exhibition against Butler should provide a more game-like test before the regular season begins Nov. 2 against BYU in Salt Lake City, Utah. It will also bring back Thad Matta, the program’s all-time winningest coach, who will be honored at halftime. And it will serve as a family gathering of sorts, with Diebler’s brother Jon - a former Ohio State guard - on Butler’s staff as an assistant.
Diebler said this final exhibition will feel more like the real thing, especially with the added game-day details Ohio State has begun to work into its preparation.
"There were some elements to the scrimmage as far as travel and cadence and things at the hotel that we started to implement," Diebler said. "The scouting report, the breakdown was not nearly as in-depth as what it will be for regular games - Butler will more resemble that."
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