Ohio State's Jake Diebler focusing on program, players as postseason questions mount
MINNEAPOLIS – For more than a month now, Jake Diebler has handled every question thrown at him.
There have been plenty. Abruptly promoted to interim head coach on Valentine’s Day, the former Ohio State associate head coach stepped into a difficult situation and helped guide the Buckeyes from Big Ten afterthoughts to NCAA Tournament bubble in a run that seemed improbable a few weeks ago.
But after Friday’s 77-74 loss to No. 2 seed Illinois in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, the biggest question involving what could be next was the one Diebler couldn’t answer: Does he feel like he did enough to earn the full-time job?
“As far as what’s next, I don’t think there’s been appropriate time to think through that because the focus has been on the here and now,” Diebler said inside the locker room after the game. “There will be a time for that. Sorry, that time’s not now. Appreciate the question, but going to keep my focus on these guys.”
Where to aim that focus is a moving target. The lack of sleep showed on Diebler’s face as the Buckeyes as, after beating No. 7 seed Iowa on Thursday night in the most important game of the year to set up their new biggest game of the year against Illinois, the trip to Minneapolis was long on game preparation, managing a tight turnaround and trying to keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
It was a lot for anyone to manage, much less a coach with a temporary tag on his title. Since he was promoted to replace Chris Holtmann after he was fired with six games left in the regular season, Diebler has spoken openly and passionately about doing everything he could to best serve the players who represent a program that matters deeply to him. Diebler is an Ohio native, the son of a longtime prep coach and brother of the Buckeyes’ all-time leading 3-point shooter, and those connections to Ohio State run deep.
It’s enough to garner serious consideration for the job despite the fact that until Holtmann’s firing Diebler had not been a head coach before. In taking over for Holtmann, though, Diebler guided the Buckeyes to a 6-2 record and had them playing like an NCAA Tournament team.
From a season-opening win against Oakland on Nov. 6 through a tenure-ending loss at Wisconsin on Feb. 13, Ohio State rated as the No. 52 team in the nation according to the analytics at BartTorvik.com. The Buckeyes were 35th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency at 115.4 points per 100 possessions, 96th in adjusted defensive efficiency at 100.5 points allowed per 100 possessions and 14-11 overall. Worse, Ohio State rated as the No. 99 team nationally, No. 76 in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.8) and No. 147 in adjusted defensive efficiency (104.0) during a 2-9 stretch in Big Ten play that ultimately cost Holtmann his job.
The Buckeyes then took down No. 2 Purdue at Value City Arena on Feb. 18. Under Diebler, the same roster rated as the nation’s No. 14 team with the No. 43 offense (117.8) and No. 11 defense (94.0).
“Whatever ‘it’ is, he has that,” fifth-year forward Jamison Battle said of Diebler as a head coach. “He recruited a lot of us here, and with that he has a relationship with all of us. It’s easy to play for someone who you have a relationship with, who cares so much about you.”
Diebler made tweaks and changes where he could, increasing Ohio State’s tempo and expanding his rotation to help guys play harder for shorter stretches. He also preached family above all, welcoming in former players such as Mike Conley Jr., Aaron Craft, Michael Redd and Matt Terwilliger to talk to the players in practice.
“I feel like he gave us hope,” sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “We were all kind of scared, not knowing what was coming next, not knowing what to do from here. I feel like he was able to give us all hope, to be able to give us something to look forward to. Also, his connectedness with each one of us allowed us to play freely and play hard for him.”
That has undoubtedly caught the attention of incoming athletic director Ross Bjork, currently on staff in a senior advisor role as outgoing athletic director Gene Smith prepares for retirement. Both were in Minneapolis for the tournament and embraced Diebler as he headed into a jubilant locker room after Thursday’s win against the Hawkeyes as well as after Friday’s loss.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy
The Buckeyes flew home Friday night after the loss. Diebler said he was hoping to catch up on some long-overdue rest while his players said they would make a team decision about participating in the NIT, with the consensus largely being in favor of continuing the season. A potentially complicating factor: the transfer portal opens Monday, creating a situation in which players ready to move on could opt to leave rather than play.
Whatever lies on the immediate horizon, Diebler said he had a primary goal for the coming days.
“When Gene asked me to do this, I just want to serve these guys as best as I possibly can until the absolute last second of this year,” Diebler said. “I want to serve this program. I love this program. This program means so much to me and my family and I want to serve this program with everything I have.”
Get more Ohio State basketball news by listening to our podcasts
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio state basketball: Diebler focusing on players after Illinois loss
