Head coach Chris Holtmann walks onto the court during a timeout during the Ohio State-Purdue Big 10 Tournament game on March 12. Ohio State won 87-78. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State men’s basketball will kick off the season as the No. 17 team in the country after ending the 2020-21 season as No. 7 in the AP poll.
The Buckeyes lost their entire starting backcourt from last season, but, after some patchwork through the transfer portal, were able to remain a top 25 team heading into the 2021-22 season.
Head coach Chris Holtmann’s squad is one of five Big Ten teams to land in the preseason top 25, with Michigan and Purdue ranked inside the top 10. Illinois comes in at No. 11, while Maryland rounds out the conference at No. 21.
Michigan State, Indiana and Rutgers all received double-digit votes as well.
Gonzaga comes in as the top-ranked team, after making a run to the NCAA National Championship last season, with UCLA, Kansas, Villanova and Texas rounding out the top five.
