Gus Johnson said the quiet part out loud about the failures of Ohio State basketball with a name drop of Buckeyes football HC Ryan Day
Ohio State basketball suffered a crucial loss on Saturday and Gus Johnson called it like it is with the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes badly needed a win in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday against the No. 15 Virginia Cavaliers. Ohio State was unable to do so and fell 70-66 to Virginia.
Ohio State is now 16-9 on the season and they’re in real danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season. The Buckeyes need more Quad 1 wins on their resume and time is running out.
Gus Johnson raises a fair point about Ohio State men’s basketball
When looking at the Buckeyes’ roster, there are several standout players. Bryce Thornton, Devin Royal, and John Mobley are Ohio State’s best players. Freshman forward Amare Bynum has great potential and Christoph Tilly was a solid transfer portal addition. But beyond those players, the Buckeyes lack the talent those old Thad Matta teams had.
“The difference between UVA and Ohio State is that UVA paid for [their players. Ohio State has given all of the money to Ryan Day,” Fox’s Gus Johnson said during the game against Virginia on Saturday.
It’s hard to argue the statement from Johnson, in fact you can’t at all. Ohio State is a football school first and foremost, perhaps the biggest brand in the sport. Ohio State allocates way more funds toward the football program, and that was evident with a team in 2025 that took north of $30 million to put together.
Jeremiah Smith makes north of $4 million, and likely higher in 2026 for the Buckeyes. There isn’t a player on the basketball team coming close to sniffing that number and there shouldn’t be. But if Ohio State wants to compete again in this current basketball landscape, they’re going to have to pony up the funds.
Ohio State basketball HC Jake Diebler is on the hot seat with the Buckeyes in range of missing the tournament once again. With the funds put toward fielding a good team out on the court, it’s hard to see anyone winning at Ohio State right now.
Johnson raised a very true point about Ohio State and just the reality of them being a basketball school. With just six games left in the regular season, Ohio State needs to string some wins together fast.
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