Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State climbs in latest Top 25 And 1 rankings from CBS Sports
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Ohio State climbs in latest Top 25 And 1 rankings from CBS Sports
Ohio State has missed the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons. The last time the Buckeyes watched The Dance from home three straight years was 2003-05.
The Buckeyes won’t match that drought in 2024-25, at least that’s what the national media is indicating. Ohio State landed at No. 24 in a way-too-early Top 25 from ESPN in late April. Around that same time, the Buckeyes clocked in at No. 18 for the latest edition of FOX’s way-too-early Top 25.
But, following the addition of Duke transfer forward Sean Stewart — the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class — Ohio State is sitting pretty in Gary Parrish’s most recent Top 25 And 1 rankings for CBS Sports.
The Buckeyes are No. 14, one spot higher than they were in Parrish’s previous installment. What’s more, the only Big Ten team ahead of Ohio State in Parrish’s rankings is Purdue. That’s quite the statement, considering the Buckeyes have finished in the bottom half of the league standings back-to-back years.
Here are Parrish’s top-15 teams at the moment:
- Kansas
- Houston
- North Carolina
- UConn
- Iowa State
- Duke
- Gonzaga
- Alabama
- Auburn
- Baylor
- Texas A&M
- Purdue
- Arizona
- Ohio State
- Marquette
Get Parrish’s complete Top 25 And 1 rankings here.
The Buckeyes never ranked inside the AP Top 25 last season. They haven’t finished a season inside the AP Top 25 since 2020-21 when they ended the year at No. 7.
Ohio State is preparing for the first full season under head coach Jake Diebler, who took over as interim head coach after Chris Holtmann was fired on Feb. 14. Diebler then led the Buckeyes to an upset win over national runner-up Purdue, the start of a seven-game stretch in which Ohio State ripped off six wins and knocked on the door of the NCAA Tournament before getting knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament by conference champion Illinois.
In addition to graduating both Baylor grad transfer guard Dale Bonner and Minnesota grad transfer wing Jamison Battle, Ohio State has lost five players to the transfer portal this offseason. The Buckeyes have, however, returned two-time captain Bruce Thornton, starting wing Evan Mahaffey and promising forward Devin Royal, along with guard Taison Chatman, forward Kalen Etzler and center Austin Parks. Ohio State is welcoming in a pair of freshmen, wing Colin White and guard Juni Mobley.
The Buckeyes have brought aboard four transfers so far — guard Meechie Johnson (South Carolina), wing Micah Parrish (San Diego State), center Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky) and the aforementioned Stewart — and are expected to add one more frontcourt player in the portal.
Sean Stewart ready to showcase full skill set with fresh start at Ohio State
Playing for Duke last season was a dream come true for Sean Stewart. Except, the Montverde Academy product didn’t get an opportunity to showcase his full skill set in 2023-24.
The forward entered the transfer portal last month to find a spot where he could have a bigger role. That’s when Ohio State, which he seriously considered back in high school, came up again.
Stewart committed to the Buckeyes Friday. It’s the start of a new chapter for Stewart, once a borderline five-star prospect in the 2023 class.
“It’s just time for a fresh start,” Stewart told Lettermen Row Thursday. “I love Duke with all my heart. It was my dream school. And I’m glad I got to play for the team.”
Stewart reiterated: “But I think it’s just time for a fresh start.”
Get the full story here.
RELATED
Ohio State offensive line target Avery Gach commits to Michigan
Whereas Ohio State men’s basketball received a key transfer commitment Friday, Ohio State football saw one of its offensive line targets in the high school recruiting sphere pick rival Michigan.
Four-star Franklin (Mich) Wylie E. Groves interior offensive lineman Avery Gach chose Michigan over Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound O-Lineman is the No. 249 overall prospect, the No. 19 interior offensive lineman and the No. 2 recruit in the state of Michigan, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
For more on Gach’s decision, head on over here.
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