The 2021-22 Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to be very good in way-too-early rankings

The men’s college basketball national championship concluded a little less than 36 hours ago, with the Baylor Bears taking down a previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs team to win their first title in program history, so, it’s never too early to talk about the 2021-22 college basketball season, is it? While we certainly don’t want to wish away the summer, fall, baseball, or football (or all of the other sports and things in between), a number of outlets have already released their way-too-early rankings for the 2021-22 college basketball season.

Plenty can and will change prior to next season, including commitments from top prospects and transfers (or should I say college basketball free agency, which is essentially what it is nowadays), but with that said, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Buckeye Nation as a whole have plenty to look forward to next season, to say the least. I’m certainly not the biggest fan of preseason rankings, especially this early, they give us a glimpse of what the college basketball landscape could look like next season, one that as the scarlet and gray as one of the top teams in the country.

Although they suffered a gut-wrenching upset loss to No. 15-seeded Oral Roberts, a team that went on to upset No. 7-seeded Florida to advance to the Sweet 16, the Buckeyes have plenty of talent returning to Columbus. C.J. Walker (graduation) and Musa Jallow (transfer) have already announced their plans to leave to program, but the Buckeyes will return E.J. Liddell, Duane Washington Jr., Justice Sueing, and the rest of the roster, along with former Penn State guard Jamari Wheeler.¹ The All-Big Ten Defensive point guard has transferred to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility. Kyle Young could also return as a Super Senior as well, along with the additions from the upcoming 2021 recruiting class.

Worth noting that, while the Big Ten struggled immensely in the NCAA Tournament when it mattered most, the conference was the best team in college basketball throughout the regular season. With teams such as Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan State, the conference will be loaded once again.

So, while next season might be nearly seven months away from tipping off, let’s take a look at where some college basketball analysts have the Buckeyes in their way-too-early- 2021-22 rankings:

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello: No. 4

The Buckeyes were ranked near the top five for most of the season, before late-season inconsistency saw them lose four in a row to end the regular season, then make a run to the Big Ten title game — and then lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament to 15-seed Oral Roberts. Three key players from that group are back: potential preseason All-American E.J. Liddell and starters Duane Washington Jr. and Justice Sueing. Chris Holtmann addressed his point guard situation by going out and getting Penn State transfer Jamari Wheeler, while Zed Key will see an increase in minutes down low with Kyle Young likely gone. Ohio State was one of the best offensive teams in the country this past season, but its defense was lacking. The Buckeyes were 10th in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency and allowed eight of their final 10 opponents to score more than one point per possession. That needs to change.

Watch Stadium’s Jeff Goodman: No. 2

As long as Liddell and Washington return to Columbus, this is a group that should be among the preseason favorites. Chris Holtmann will need to find a replacement for Walker, but he’s hoping maybe Johnson can fill that role. He also has no shortage of veterans that were a part of a team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tourney.

The Athletic’s Seth Davis: No. 13

Liddell has entered his name in the NBA Draft but has not hired an agent, and Young is considering returning for an additional year. On the flip side, there’s a good chance Washington will test the waters as well. Beyond that, a key question will be whether Towns, the ballyhooed transfer from Harvard who played limited minutes after missing two years because of knee injuries, is ready to take a major step forward and be an all-conference caliber player.

NCAA.com’s Andy Katz: No. 7

Duane Washington Jr. will be even more of a stat stuffer.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish: No. 6

The projection here is that Ohio State will return the top three scorers – Duane Washington Jr., E.J. Liddell and Justice Sueing – from a team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Malaki Branham, a consensus top-30 prospect, is the best incoming recruit.

USA Today’s Scott Gleeson: No. 5

Sadly the 2020-21 Buckeyes will be best remembered for a first-round NCAA Tournament upset to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts. But OSU figures to return leading scorer Duane Washington Jr. (16.4 ppg) for his senior season, while rising junior E.J. Liddell (16.2 pgg, 6.7 rpg) entered his name in the draft but could still return. Either way, coach Chris Holtmann should have ample talent returning to contend for a Big Ten title and have a redemptive season.

Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney: No. 4

The Buckeyes’ stunning first-round NCAA tournament exit to Oral Roberts shouldn’t overshadow a great season in Columbus that saw Ohio State ranked in the top 10 for the entirety of February and March. The dynamic duo of guard Duane Washington Jr. and big man E.J. Liddell should be back for another year, and that’s as good a place to start as any in college basketball. Add in top-30 recruit Malaki Branham and a talented young stable of role players, and the Buckeyes should be legitimate Big Ten contenders yet again.

247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty: No. 10

Should Young return, as we expect him to, Ohio State would return four of its top five players in minutes played from a team that landed a No. 2 seed. That — along with the addition of Penn State point guard Jamari Wheeler and a potential impact wing in Malaki Branham, the No. 29 overall player in the 247Sports Composite — could mean that this ranking is too low. EJ Liddell put his name in but left the opportunity to return. If he does, he’ll be among the nation’s best players. And if the Buckeyes can develop any sort of depth at center, either through transfer or players like Zed Key returning, Ohio State will fix one of its biggest weak spots from a year ago. Like the team one spot ahead of Ohio State here, the Buckeyes will need to improve on defense.

1. Liddell will go through the NBA Draft process but will not hire an agent, so he can return. That only means good things for him and the Buckeyes because the All-Big Ten big man will improve his game and talk to NBA teams and bring all of that improvement back to Ohio State with him. [↩]