Three transfer portal priorities for Jake Diebler, Ohio State

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler during a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images For college basketball coaches pre-2021, the months immediately following the end of the season allowed them a little time to catch their breath. High school recruiting picks up — save for a specific one-week dead period in early April — but generally speaking, your roster for the following season was set, and preparation for next year will kick back up in May or early June.

Those days are long gone. With immediate eligibility for transfers instituted in 2021 and the cap on number of transfers (per player) removed in 2024, the weeks immediately following the NCAA Tournament have now become an all-out free agency blitz to pursue available players, fill gaps, and retain your most important pieces before other teams lure them away with promises of money or bigger roles. Ohio State is no exception.

After getting bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week, Jake Diebler and his staff are already hard at work trying to A) ensure Ohio State’s most talented players remain in Columbus and B) scout, contact, and recruit players who could help the Buckeyes take another step forward next season. The transfer portal officially “opens” on April 7, which means players cannot officially put their name in or commit to new programs until then. However, that doesn’t mean players can’t announce that they plan on transferring, and it doesn’t mean that teams aren’t actively reaching out to players to gauge interest — even if they have not entered their name into the portal.

As of Thursday night, no Ohio State players who have eligibility to return next season had made any announcement implying that they were not returning. However, in this new age of college basketball, we can assume the Buckeyes will be losing at least a player or two. Additionally, not a single player confirmed they would be returning to the team next season when asked in the locker room after the Buckeyes’ 66-64 loss to TCU on March 19.