Ohio State basketball has wasted no time in targeting one of the best players in the transfer portal following NCAA Tournament loss
Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes are already targeting a transfer to make changes to the roster following the March Madness loss to TCU.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team finished the season just like the football team did with two straight losses following the regular season.
Ohio State was bounced from the NCAA Tournament with a 66-64 loss to TCU, which came a game after the Buckeyes fell to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.
With the Buckeyes’ season over, they must turn their attention to the transfer portal and reshaping the roster for the 2026-2027 season.
Ohio State basketball has already been connected to a top transfer
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, the Buckeyes are already a school gaining traction for Cornell G Jake Fiegen, who is one of the best players currently set to enter the portal when it opens on April 7. Fiegen is a terrific shooter who knocks it down at a 41 percent clip from deep, and he averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this past season.
Fiegen is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who started 17 of the 24 games he played in for Cornell as a junior. As a sophomore, Fiegen started 29 games while averaging 10.9 points and 3.7 points per game. Fiegen played in 30 games as a freshman at 15 minutes per game and averaged 3.9 points.
According to 247 Sports, Fiegen is the No. 7 player in the transfer portal and No. 4 shooting guard. The former Cornell standout is hearing from programs such as Northwestern, Indiana, Villanova, Vanderbilt, DePaul, and Wake Forest.
Ohio State will have plenty of scoring to replace with PG Bruce Thornton and his 19.9 points per game. In addition to Thornton leaving, starting center Cristoph Tilly will be out of eligibility. Returning John Mobley Jr., Amare Bynum, and Devin Royal will be most key for the Buckeyes.
If Ohio State can land a player like Fiegen who can clearly put the ball in the hoop at a good clip, they’d be off to a strong start with reshaping next year’s squad.