The 2015 Buckeyes were led by freshman D'Angelo Russell, but still finished in sixth place in Big Ten play with an 11–7 record. Despite losing to Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, OSU received a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They upset No. 7-seeded VCU in the second round, before losing to No. 5 Arizona in the third round. Following the season, Russell declared for the NBA Draft and was selected second overall.