Ohio State Basketball Enters the Season With Legitimate NBA Talent to Track
We’re just two months away from the start of the 2026-27 college basketball season, with programs like Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisville drawing plenty of preseason buzz as top national contenders. But Ohio State deserves its own share of attention this year, headlined by a roster that features multiple legitimate NBA Draft prospects. Between a five-star freshman phenom, a breakout sophomore forward, and one of the best shooting guards in the country, the Buckeyes have real intrigue heading into Jake Diebler’s second full season at the helm. Here’s a closer look at the three Ohio State prospects NBA scouts will be watching most closely this year.
Anthony Thompson: Ohio State’s Best Recruit in Over a Decade
Anthony Thompson enters Columbus as one of the most decorated recruits in recent program history. A consensus five-star prospect and a top-10 player nationally in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, Thompson is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound wing from Lebanon, Ohio, who spent his high school career at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. He’s the highest-rated prospect to sign with Ohio State since Jared Sullinger back in 2010, and he became the program’s first McDonald’s All-American since D’Angelo Russell in 2014 — a gap of 12 years that speaks to just how rare Thompson’s recruitment truly was. He chose the Buckeyes over a long list of high-major programs, including North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, and Texas, ultimately signing in November after committing the previous October.
Thompson’s game is built around terrific shotmaking ability, and his physical tools only add to the excitement. His 7-foot-3 wingspan and demonstrated defensive playmaking give him legitimate two-way upside, not just offensive polish. As a senior at Western Reserve Academy, Thompson averaged 24.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 47% from the field and 35% from three, production that also earned him Naismith Third Team All-American honors. He’s already logged experience on the international stage as well, taking part in the Team USA U18 camp in May.
All of that has translated into serious NBA buzz well before he’s played a single college game. Thompson is currently viewed as a projected lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, and scouts are especially intrigued by how his combination of size, shooting touch, and defensive versatility might translate to the next level. Speaking about his decision to sign with Ohio State, Thompson pointed directly to the relationship he built with the coaching staff, saying their vision for his role and how they connected with him was what ultimately stood out during his recruitment.
Amare Bynum: The Breakout Candidate Nobody Should Sleep On
While Thompson brings the recruiting pedigree, rising sophomore Amare Bynum might be the most fascinating name on this list heading into the season. Bynum, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward out of Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, turned in an encouraging freshman campaign in 2025-26, averaging 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game across 34 appearances, including 24 starts.
His shooting splits tell an interesting development story. Bynum was highly efficient at the rim, converting 69.3% of his attempts there, but scuffled on non-rim two-point attempts (35.1%) and from beyond the arc (30.8%) — a common profile for a young, physically gifted big man still rounding out his perimeter game. He was a reliable 72.6% shooter from the free-throw line, another encouraging sign for his offensive development going forward.
What makes Bynum such an intriguing name entering this season is how he closed out his freshman year. Over Ohio State’s final six games — a stretch that began with a signature upset win over then-No. 8 Purdue on March 1 — Bynum averaged 12.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, a clear signal that his role and production were trending sharply upward as the season wore on. Analysts around the Big Ten have specifically flagged him as one of the conference’s top breakout candidates for 2026-27, with some suggesting that if Bynum becomes Ohio State’s primary interior presence and approaches double-double numbers, he could realistically push his way into the All-Big Ten conversation. His defensive versatility, high motor, and active rebounding already give him a well-rounded foundation — continued growth in his perimeter shooting will likely determine just how high his eventual NBA ceiling really is.
John Mobley Jr.: One of the Best Shooters in College Basketball
Rounding out the trio is rising junior John Mobley Jr., a 6-foot-1 guard from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who’s coming off a breakout sophomore season in Columbus. Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game last season, while posting elite shooting efficiency across the board: 46.7% at the rim, 47.4% on non-rim two-point attempts, and an excellent 41.1% from three-point range on a healthy volume of 14.5 three-point attempts per 100 possessions. He capped it off by knocking down 86.8% of his free throws, numbers that firmly establish him as one of the premier shooters in all of college basketball heading into this season.
Mobley’s return to Ohio State was one of the biggest storylines of the Buckeyes’ entire offseason. After testing the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, Mobley ultimately elected to come back to Columbus for his junior season — a decision widely viewed as the single most important development for Ohio State’s roster this offseason. With longtime backcourt running mate Bruce Thornton now out of eligibility, Mobley will take on an even larger role as the offense’s primary engine, no longer able to rely on Thornton to help draw defensive attention away from him.
From a draft perspective, Mobley’s shooting is already translatable at an elite level. His continued development as a playmaker and on-ball defender will likely be the deciding factor in whether he’s viewed as a fringe draft prospect or someone capable of climbing into a more significant range by the time his college career wraps up.
Why Ohio State’s 2026-27 Season Is Worth Watching Closely
Between Thompson’s rare recruiting pedigree, Bynum’s ascending two-way game, and Mobley’s status as one of the most consistent shooters in the country, Ohio State enters this season with as much combined NBA intrigue as almost any roster in the Big Ten. Add in transfer additions like Justin Pippen and Jimmie Williams, and Jake Diebler’s group has the pieces to make real noise both in conference play and on NBA draft boards. For fans tracking which college programs are producing the next wave of professional talent, Ohio State’s trio of Thompson, Bynum, and Mobley deserves a spot near the top of the watch list heading into the 2026-27 season.
Discover more from Allsportsreports
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
