Ohio State is 5-1 since appointing Jake Diebler as interim coach. 
The Buckeyes might be the most dangerous team heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Because of Ohio State’s recent success, Diebler deserves serious consideration to be the permanent head coach.
Nobody from within Ohio State’s athletic department is calling me and asking for my input while conducting a search for the next basketball coach. If they did, though, I’d tell them to give Jake Diebler a shot.
The Buckeyes closed out the regular season strong on Sunday, pummeling Rutgers 73-51 at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the team with 14 points and Bruce Thornton had 11 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Jamison Battle and Felix Okpara each added 10 points in the dominant road win. Ohio State improve to 19-12 overall and 9-11 in Big Ten play — heading into the conference tournament with a lot of momentum.
Diebler deserves a ton of credit for the recent success? After the program decided to part ways with Chris Holtmann, Ohio State has rattled off a 5-1 record. You could argue that the Buckeyes are playing as well as any team in the league right now.
In the last six games, Ohio State has taken down No. 3 Purdue and defeated Michigan State on the road. The Buckeyes defeated a red-hot Nebraska team and closed out the season with a pair of 20-point victories over Michigan and Rutgers.
Ohio State has won each of its last four games. With a good showing in the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes might squeak into the March Madness field.
