Ohio State's Jake Diebler Responds to Gus Johnson's Comments: 'It's a Fight, It's a Battle'
Emotional Statement: Ohio State's basketball team is in a battle to make the NCAA Tournament, and head coach Jake Diebler is facing a challenging task to raise funds and compete with top college basketball teams. But here's where it gets controversial...
On Saturday evening, Ohio State had a familiar experience. The Buckeyes went toe-to-toe with a ranked opponent, arguably outplaying No. 14 Virginia for much of the game before losing late. This pattern has repeated itself in games against Illinois, North Carolina, Nebraska, and Michigan, where the Scarlet and Gray were either leading or within striking distance late, only to come up short.
During the first half against the Cavaliers, FOX's Gus Johnson made comments about the cost of the two teams' rosters. Johnson pointed out that Virginia had paid for its roster, while Ohio State was giving all the money to football coach Ryan Day. As Johnson said, most of the revenue goes to football, which is different from 'basketball schools'.
Controversial Point: Diebler did not deny the discrepancy in roster spending between programs such as Ohio State and Virginia. The Buckeyes will have to work harder to raise the funds to be on a similar playing field with some of the top teams in college basketball.
However, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) money helps raise the 'cap' beyond the amount the men's basketball team receives from revenue share. Diebler said that information is not public — even between teams — so it's hard to determine who is spending how much. The NIL money comes from third-party deals organized by the Buckeye Sports Group, and it's safe to assume that plenty of NIL money went toward bringing back stars Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal, and John Mobley Jr.
Thought-Provoking Question: Can the Scarlet and Gray compete with top college basketball teams? Diebler has said the standard is for Ohio State to be a Big Ten contender and a regular NCAA Tournament team, but that is increasingly difficult as players getting paid has changed the sport's landscape.
Diebler did not shy away from the challenge. He said, 'I know (athletic director Ross Bjork), his team, myself, we are we are working and really have been working relentlessly to continue to push and increase our NIL situation. This landscape has been evolving right in front of our eyes. That plays a factor. But are there areas that we'd love to get better in and improve in? Absolutely.'
Controversial Interpretation: Some may interpret Diebler's comments as an excuse for the team's struggles against ranked opponents. But Diebler isn't using it as an excuse for going 0-6 against ranked opponents. His standards haven't changed as he prepares for the final six games of the regular season, beginning with Tuesday's home game against Wisconsin.
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