STAYIN’ ALIVE. Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament hopes are still alive.
In a win that improved Jake Diebler’s record against perennial top-10 team Purdue to 3-0, Bruce Thornton (20 points, five rebounds), John Mobley Jr. (21 points, five made 3s) and Devin Royal (12 points, nine rebounds) led Ohio State to a postseason-resurrecting 82-74 victory over the No. 8-ranked Boilermakers.
I just love this month. pic.twitter.com/b7Ai6PDkvM — Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 1, 2026
I just love this month. pic.twitter.com/b7Ai6PDkvM
While Thornton, Mobley and Royal are often Ohio State’s top contributors — and by often, I mean usually the only ones — the Buckeyes’ Big Three received much-needed support from Amare Bynum (14 points, five rebounds) and Christoph Tilly (seven points, five rebounds).
The captain and his mom postgame@OhioStateHoops | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Lz6DEmWYgb — Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) March 1, 2026
Diebler shortened his rotation to Ivan Njegovan (two points, six rebounds), Gabe Cupps (one personal foul away from an 8 trillion) and Taison Chatman (six points), as neither Puff Johnson nor Colin White saw the floor.
SING IT THEN TONY #GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/rvyZeXhdzc — Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 1, 2026
SING IT THEN TONY #GoBucks | #FightToTheEnd pic.twitter.com/rvyZeXhdzc
This was a massive game for Diebler and the Buckeyes. Two years ago, a win over No. 2 Purdue served as the catalyst for Diebler earning the job. Now, a victory over the No. 8 Boilermakers could spark an NCAA Tournament run.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Ohio State still has work to do. The Buckeyes must handle business Wednesday at Penn State, which knocked off Iowa 71-69 at home over the weekend. Then they’ll need to beat NCAA Tournament hopeful Indiana in the regular-season finale and make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament.
The opportunity is there. Now they have to seize it.
NEVER SUCH DEVOTED SISTERS. The Ohio State women’s basketball team also earned a vital win over a ranked opponent on Sunday, defeating No. 15 Michigan State to snap a three-game skid and finish the regular season on a high note.
Jaloni Cambridge (33 points, seven 3-pointers) once again led the Buckeyes, as she so often does. While I could spend this entire section praising her performance — both against the Spartans and throughout the season — I’ll instead shift the spotlight to her sister, Kennedy, who has put the clamps on nearly every player she’s faced this year.
Cambridge recorded five steals against Michigan State, pushing her season total to a program-record 120 in a single season.
RECORD BROKEN. Kennedy is the new single-season all-time steals leader in Ohio State women's basketball history pic.twitter.com/KuHltxbmtK — Ohio State Womens Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) March 1, 2026
Kennedy is the new single-season all-time steals leader in Ohio State women's basketball history pic.twitter.com/KuHltxbmtK
She also filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the win. Four of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, helping fuel Ohio State’s 22 second-chance points.
Ohio State now enters the Big Ten Tournament at 24-6 overall and 13-5 in conference competition. The Buckeyes tied Minnesota (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten) for fourth in the league standings, behind UCLA (27-1, 17-0), Michigan (24-5, 15-3) and Iowa (24-5, 15-3).
The Buckeyes will need both Cambridge sisters at their best in Indianapolis — and then, of course, in the NCAA Tournament. No one in Columbus wants to see a third straight second-round exit in the Big Dance. Not one.
ALWAYS SONNY IN INDIANAPOLIS. Sonny Styles is the same height as Calvin Johnson (6-foot-5), three pounds lighter than Derrick Henry (244), jumps as high as Nate Robinson (43.5”), runs the same speed as Bijan Robinson (4.46) and leaps the same distance as Julio Jones (135”).
Those measurables made him, one, the talk of the NFL Scouting Combine and, two, earned him a perfect Relative Athletic Score. According to Yahoo Sports, Styles is the first linebacker to post a perfect 10.00 RAS since 2022.
The kind of combine Sonny Styles is having: pic.twitter.com/6peTSsRLvF — Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 27, 2026
The kind of combine Sonny Styles is having: pic.twitter.com/6peTSsRLvF
Players who scored a 10.00 RAS score in 2025 were NFL Rookie of the Year finalist Nick Emmanwori and (close your eyes, Bengals fans) Shemar Stewart.
By the looks of it, Styles has a 50% chance to be great as a rookie.
ALL IN THE FAMILY. Sonny Styles is great. So is his brother, Lorenzo.
In a Wednesday interview at the NFL Combine, Sonny told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and persona non grata Chris Simms that his brother was one of the fastest players on Ohio State’s roster, frequently competing with known specimen Jeremiah Smith to finish first in team sprints.
Sonny’s comments were flattery for his brother. No, it was God’s honest truth. Lorenzo proved it on Friday when he ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, becoming the fastest Buckeye in NFL Combine history. Styles’ time was also tied for the ninth-fastest all-time until Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson ran a 4.26-second 40 on Saturday.
Lorenzo Styles Jr.s official time: 4.27 https://t.co/TTUdVFQzUH — Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 27, 2026
Lorenzo Styles Jr.s official time: 4.27 https://t.co/TTUdVFQzUH
TRY THIS ONE SOMETIME. Carnell Tate ran a surprisingly slow 4.52-second 40 on Saturday. Not that 4.52 seconds is slow — it’s faster than, I don’t know, 99% of the planet? — but it felt slow for an athlete of Tate’s caliber.
However, if ESPN’s Adam Schefter is to be believed, several NFL executives and general managers clocked Tate’s 40 time between 4.45 and 4.47 seconds.
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, a potential top 10 pick, was timed by several NFL executives and GMs on Saturday with a 40 time in the range of 4.45-4.47 seconds. Although the combine registers official times, teams always conduct their own timing, and those measurements with some — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2026
Although the combine registers official times, teams always conduct their own timing, and those measurements with some
Even if Tate’s 40 remains in the 4.5 range, who cares? The two best receivers in the NFL last year were Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua, both of whom ran 4.5s. Tate is a smooth route runner who creates elite separation and hauls in contested passes like no other. He’ll be just fine at the next level—I have no doubt about it.
Oh, and one more thing. If the police ever pull you over for speeding, try this excuse out:
Yes officer I know you clocked me going 78 in a 65, but several NFL executives and GMs had times in the 62-64 range — Brad Spielberger (@SpielbergerBrad) March 1, 2026
Let’s be real, we all speed, some of us just get caught — we all may need to use this excuse someday!
