RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe comments and excitement oozing from head coach Jake Diebler about what this year's Ohio State basketball team could be are palpable. The Buckeyes retained key contributors like John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum and welcome in five-star freshman Anthony Thompson. Even former players who have come back have been vocal about the upgrade in length and athleticism.
That optimism hasn't permeated through the national media, however, at least not yet. Case in point: ESPN resident NCAA Tournament bracket projection expert Joe Lunardi updated his latest bracketology efforts , and he still has the Buckeyes squeaking into the field as a No. 9 seed, the same seed line they were on during the last update. That means Ohio State would be a part of the dreaded No. 8/9 game, the same as it was last year as a No. 8 seed when it lost a heartbreaker to TCU.
Of course, these things can -- and will -- change many times over from this point in the offseason through the official 2026-27 season, but for now, Lundardi has OSU in the South region, playing No. 8 seed Auburn in San Antonio. That's not giving Ohio State much in the way of improving from last season, and might have OSU squarely on the bubble as the season heads down the stretch.
https://t.co/guOIkbAd1Y 🏀🏀 A year ago, Michigan nailed the transfer portal and ended up with UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg. Throughout last summer, the Wolverines continually rated higher in Bracketology than the eye test might have suggested. It turns out that Lendeborg elevated the…
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) July 14, 2026 Regardless, all of these projections are simply a best-guess on how things will go, so we'll see if the positive vibes around the program result in on-court success or not as we continue to follow where the bracketologists out there have Ohio State landing in the postseason.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Summer ESPN Joe Lunardi Bracketology update: Where is Ohio State?
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