# 2021–22 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented Ohio State University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Chris Holtmann, in his fifth season with the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes played their home games at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 20–12, 12–8 in Big Ten play to finish a three-way tie for fifth place. As the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they lost to Penn State in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the South region where they defeated Loyola in the First Round before losing to Villanova in the Second Round.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Buckeyes finished the 2020–21 season 21–10, 12–8 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place. They defeated Minnesota, Purdue, and Michigan before losing to Illinois in overtime in the championship game of the Big Ten tournament. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the South region. However, they were upset in the First Round by No. 15-seeded Oral Roberts, ending their season.

## Offseason

On October 14, 2020, the NCAA announced that all student-athletes in winter sports during the 2020–21 school year, including men's and women's basketball, would receive an extra year of athletic eligibility. Seniors CJ Walker and Kyle Young were eligible to use the extra year. Walker chose to forgo the extra year while Young remained with the team.

### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Musa Jallow | 2 | G | 6'5" | 210 | RS Junior | Bloomington, IN | Transferred to Charlotte |
| Duane Washington Jr. | 4 | G | 6'3" | 210 | Junior | Grand Rapids, MI | Entered the 2021 NBA draft |
| CJ Walker | 13 | G | 6'1" | 195 | RS Senior | Indianapolis, IN | Graduated |
| Ibrahima Diallo | 15 | C | 6'10" | 220 | Sophomore | Saly, Senegal | Transferred to San Jose State |
| Jansen Davidson Jr. | 40 | G | 5'11" | 190 | Senior | Kettering, OH | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Cedric Russell | 2 | G | 6'2" | 190 | Graduate Student | Alexandria, LA | Transferred from Louisiana. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Joey Brunk | 50 | C | 6'11" | 255 | Graduate Student | Indianapolis, IN | Transferred from Indiana. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Jamari Wheeler | 55 | G | 6'1" | 170 | Senior | Live Oak, FL | Transferred from Penn State. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |

### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Malaki Branham #4 SG | Akron, OH | St. Vincent–St. Mary | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 22, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Kalen Etzler #21 PF | Convoy, OH | Crestview | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 12, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

### 2022 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. SG | Mount Pleasant, UT | Wasatch Academy (UT) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Nov 13, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87 |||||||
| Bowen Hardman SG | Cincinnati, OH | Princeton (OH) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | May 13, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Felix Okpara C | Branson, MO | Link Year Prep (MO) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 20, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Brice Sensabaugh SF | Orlando, FL | Lake Highland Prep (FL) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Sep 29, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Bruce Thornton PG | Alpharetta, GA | Milton (GA) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Nov 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 1, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 17 | Indianapolis | W 82–46 | | 15 – Brown III | 9 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Value City Arena (8,302) Columbus, OH |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 17 | Akron | W 67–66 | 1–0 | 25 – Liddell | 11 – Liddell | 3 – Tied | Value City Arena (11,947) Columbus, OH |
| November 12, 2021* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 17 | Niagara | W 84–74 | 2–0 | 29 – Liddell | 7 – Tied | 6 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (9,749) Columbus, OH |
| November 15, 2021* 6:30 p.m., BTN | No. 19 | Bowling Green Fort Myers Tip-Off campus site-game | W 89–58 | 3–0 | 13 – Tied | 9 – Key | 5 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (9,808) Columbus, OH |
| November 18, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 19 | at Xavier Gavitt Tipoff Games | L 65–71 | 3–1 | 17 – Liddell | 8 – Brown III | 6 – Wheeler | Cintas Center (10,379) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 22, 2021* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | | vs. No. 21 Seton Hall Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division semifinals | W 79–76 | 4–1 | 28 – Liddell | 8 – Young | 3 – Tied | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 24, 2021* 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | vs. No. 23 Florida Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division Championship | L 68–71 | 4–2 | 23 – Liddell | 5 – Young | 3 – Ahrens | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 30, 2021* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | | No. 1 Duke ACC-Big Ten Challenge | W 71–67 | 5–2 | 20 – Key | 14 – Liddell | 6 – Liddell | Value City Arena (18,809) Columbus, OH |
| December 5, 2021 7:30 p.m., BTN | | at Penn State | W 76–64 | 6–2 (1–0) | 16 – Young | 7 – Young | 9 – Wheeler | Bryce Jordan Center (9,128) University Park, PA |
| December 8, 2021* 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 21 | Towson | W 85–74 | 7–2 | 18 – Young | 9 – Key | 5 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (9,472) Columbus, OH |
| December 11, 2021 12:00 p.m., BTN | No. 21 | No. 22 Wisconsin | W 73–55 | 8–2 (2–0) | 28 – Liddell | 14 – Young | 5 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (13,856) Columbus, OH |
| December 18, 2021* 5:15 p.m., CBS | No. 15 | vs. No. 21 Kentucky CBS Sports Classic | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada |
| December 21, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 14 | UT Martin | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Value City Arena Columbus, OH |
| December 28, 2021* 6:30 p.m., BTN | No. 13 | New Orleans | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Ohio State | Value City Arena Columbus, OH |
| January 2, 2022 8:00 p.m., BTN | No. 13 | at Nebraska | W 87–79 $^{OT}$ | 9–2 (3–0) | 35 – Branham | 14 – Key | 5 – Liddell | Pinnacle Bank Arena (14,478) Lincoln, NE |
| January 6, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 13 | at Indiana | L 51–67 | 9–3 (3–1) | 13 – Branham | 9 – Liddell | 6 – Wheeler | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (14,130) Bloomington, IN |
| January 9, 2022 5:30 p.m., BTN | No. 13 | Northwestern | W 95–87 | 10–3 (4–1) | 34 – Liddell | 8 – Wheeler | 6 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (10,620) Columbus, OH |
| January 13, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 16 | at No. 13 Wisconsin | L 68–78 | 10–4 (4–2) | 18 – Liddell | 8 – Key | 3 – Wheeler | Kohl Center (15,571) Madison, WI |
| January 16, 2022 12:00 p.m., BTN | No. 16 | Penn State | W 61–56 | 11–4 (5–2) | 19 – Liddell | 8 – Liddell | 3 – Liddell | Value City Arena (13,565) Columbus, OH |
| January 18, 2022* 7:00 p.m., BTN | No. 19 | IUPUI | W 83–37 | 12–4 | 14 – Brown | 10 – Liddell | 9 – Sotos | Value City Arena (10,666) Columbus, OH |
| January 27, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | at Minnesota | W 75–64 | 13–4 (6–2) | 23 – Liddell | 15 – Liddell | 5 – Liddell | Williams Arena (10,179) Minneapolis, MN |
| January 30, 2022 12:00 p.m., CBS | No. 16 | at No. 6 Purdue | L 78–81 | 13–5 (6–3) | 20 – Tied | 7 – Branham | 3 – Liddell | Mackey Arena (14,804) West Lafayette, IN |
| February 6, 2022 1:00 p.m., CBS | No. 16 | Maryland | W 82–67 | 14–5 (7–3) | 24 – Liddell | 11 – Liddell | 5 – Liddell | Value City Arena (15,912) Columbus, OH |
| February 9, 2022 7:00 p.m., BTN | No. 16 | at Rutgers | L 64–66 | 14–6 (7–4) | 19 – Branham | 12 – Key | 4 – Liddell | Rutgers Athletic Center (8,019) Piscataway, NJ |
| February 12, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | at Michigan Rivalry | W 68–57 | 15–6 (8–4) | 28 – Liddell | 8 – Brown | 2 – Young | Crisler Center (12,707) Ann Arbor, MI |
| February 15, 2022 8:30 p.m., BTN | No. 18 | Minnesota | W 70–45 | 16–6 (9–4) | 16 – Liddell | 10 – Liddell | 3 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (12,360) Columbus, OH |
| February 19, 2022 2:30 p.m., FOX | No. 18 | Iowa Rescheduled from February 3 | L 62–75 | 16–7 (9–5) | 22 – Branham | 8 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Value City Arena (15,876) Columbus, OH |
| February 21, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | Indiana | W 80–69 $^{OT}$ | 17–7 (10–5) | 27 – Branham | 7 – Liddell | 3 – Branham | Value City Arena (13,744) Columbus, OH |
| February 24, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 22 | at No. 15 Illinois | W 86–83 | 18–7 (11–5) | 31 – Branham | 6 – Liddell | 3 – Wheeler | State Farm Center (15,544) Champaign, IL |
| February 27, 2022 4:00 p.m., CBS | No. 22 | at Maryland | L 60–75 | 18–8 (11–6) | 13 – Branham | 6 – Tied | 3 – Branham | Xfinity Center (15,842) College Park, MD |
| March 1, 2022 7:00 p.m., BTN | No. 23 | Nebraska Rescheduled from January 22 | L 70–78 | 18–9 (11–7) | 27 – Liddell | 14 – Liddell | 3 – Brown | Value City Arena (12,268) Columbus, OH |
| March 3, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 23 | Michigan State | W 80–69 | 19–9 (12–7) | 22 – Branham | 8 – Liddell | 4 – Branham | Value City Arena (14,951) Columbus, OH |
| March 6, 2022 12:30 p.m., FOX | No. 23 | Michigan Rivalry | L 69–75 | 19–10 (12–8) | 18 – Branham | 13 – Liddell | 3 – Wheeler | Value City Arena (18,809) Columbus, OH |
| Big Ten tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 9:15 p.m., BTN | (6) | vs. (11) Penn State Second Round | L 68–71 | 19–11 | 25 – Liddell | 8 – Liddell | 4 – Branham | Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2022 12:15 p.m., CBS | (7 S) | vs. (10 S) Loyola–Chicago First Round | W 54–41 | 20–11 | 16 – Liddell | 10 – Liddell | 2 – Branham | PPG Paints Arena Pittsburgh, PA |
| March 20, 2022 2:50 p.m., CBS | (7 S) | vs. (2 S) No. 6 Villanova Second Round | L 61–71 | 20–12 | 23 – Branham | 11 – Key | 4 – Branham | PPG Paints Arena (18,506) Pittsburgh, PA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 17 | 19 | RV | RV | 21 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 23 | RV | RV | Not released |
| Coaches | 17т | 17т^ | RV | RV | 22 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 25 | RV | |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.