With Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler working to guide the Buckeye men’s basketball program back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, Ohio State president Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. voiced his strong support for the second-year coach.
In an interview with 10TV’s Dom Tiberi on Monday, Carter shared his optimism about Diebler and the Buckeyes as they head into the final stretch of the season.
“I think Jake, in his second year, has been doing a really good job as our basketball coach,” Carter said. “We’ve been competitive in most of our games, even against No. 15 Virginia.”
In his second full season leading the men’s basketball program, Diebler — who took over for Chris Holtmann as the interim head coach on Feb. 14, 2024, before being officially hired March 17, 2024 — has guided Ohio State to a 16–9 overall record and an 8-6 mark in conference play in 2025.
Although Diebler has compiled a 38-26 record at Ohio State, including a 17-15 mark in 2024-25 that saw the Buckeyes miss the NCAA tournament for the third-straight season, some Buckeye fans and critics have already called for his dismissal.
However, Carter emphasized the importance of patience when evaluating a coach early in his tenure, pointing to his past experience in college athletics at Nebraska as an example of how quickly fortunes can change with stability and support.
“I go back to my experience at Nebraska. Fred Hoiberg, in his second year, won one Big Ten game. One. There were a lot of people calling for him to be fired. We didn’t do it. Look at what he’s done at Nebraska,” Carter said. “These things can be cycling. I’m not saying that’s what’s gonna happen here. Again, we should have an expect-to-win attitude.”
Carter went on to highlight the potential of this year’s roster, emphasizing the importance of giving 19.6 points per game scorer and senior guard Bruce Thornton the opportunity to play in March Madness, while noting that the Buckeyes still have opportunities for resume building ahead despite star guard John Mobley Jr.’s recent hand injury.
“Now you got John Mobley Jr. with his little pinkie finger broken on his shooting hand, and yet with Bruce Thornton, who is one of the nicest guys you’re ever gonna meet in your life, that guy should be in the NBA, I want to see him get into the tournament more than anything, they’ve still got a chance,” Carter said.
Ohio State still has multiple marquee matchups remaining, including a trip to No. 15 Michigan State on Feb. 22 and a home matchup against No. 7 Purdue on March 1, providing a crucial opportunity for multiple Quadrant 1 wins, which the Buckeyes have been unable to obtain so far in 2025-26.
“They’ve still gotta play some big games,” Carter said. “They’ve gotta play Wisconsin. They’ve gotta play Purdue. We’re gonna have to get a win or two out of there for us to get in, and then we probably have to win at least a game or two in the Big Ten Tournament.”
Though the Buckeyes are currently slated to be one of the first few teams out of the tournament, if Ohio State can end pull off strong close to the regular season, coupled with a solid showing in the Big Ten Tournament, it could be enough to secure the program’s first NCAA tournament berth in four years and further validate Carter’s confidence in the Diebler’s leadership.
Ohio State will look to get back on track from its loss to No. 15 Virginia when the Buckeyes host No. 24 Wisconsin (18-7, 10-4 Big Ten) at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Value City Arena.
