Top 5 college basketball players who could return to Ohio State for 2024-25 season ft. Bruce Thornton

The Ohio State Buckeyes finished ninth in the Big Ten Conference and saw the departure of seven players from their roster.

Roddy Gayle Jr., Zed Key, Felix Okpara, Scotty Middleton, and Bowen Hardman all entered the transfer portal, while Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner exhausted their college eligibility.

Coach Jake Diebler has already signed Meechie Johnson from South Carolina, Micah Parrish from San Diego State and Aaron Bradshaw from Kentucky. Here are some of the returning players.

Top basketball players who could return to Ohio State

#1 Bruce Thornton

Ohio State's leader in scoring, assists and steals announced his return to college for junior season in early April. The two-time captain, Bruce Thornton, has started every game he played and missed only one in the last two years due to migraine.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

In his sophomore season, Thornton averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals. while shooting 42.7%, including 33.3% from deep and 85.0% from the free-throw line.

He is a foundational piece on Ohio State's roster and his return is crucial for their campaign next season.

#2 Taison Chatman

The freshman's season began late as he battled with early injuries in early summer and missed the Buckeyes' preseason. Taison Chatman played just 17 games averaging 4.2 minutes per game and scoring 1.0 points and 0.5 rebounds.

NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Second Round-Ohio State vs Iowa

During the Buckeyes' NIT run coach Diebler said:

"He’s (Chatman) been really good in his minutes. You can see we’ve tried to give him an additional part of the rotation. He’s earned that. He’s a good player. There’s no question about it." (via Yahoo Sports)

Taison Chatman came into college as the No. 1 player in Minnesota, and the overall No. 33 national recruit in the 2023 class. His return for the next season will be his chance to showcase his skills once again.

#3 Devin Royal

In his freshman season, Devin Royal played an average of 11.2 minutes and had 4.7 points with 2.4 rebounds. His season started slow as she only averaged 3.3 points in the first 27 games and was mostly a rarely used substitute player.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

However, in the final nine games, Devin Royal averaged 9.3 points per game, scoring 84 of his 155 points and went 29-for-56 from the floor.

“Devin’s been really good down the stretch. He works hard, got some great feel and instincts. You’re starting to see the versatility that I think is only going to improve significantly with another good offseason. Devin’s got a really bright future,” said coach Jake Diebler. (via Yahoo Sports)

#4 Evan Mahaffey

The forward arrived from Penn State for his sophomore season with the Buckeyes and had immense expectations. However, he averaged 4.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 43.2%.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

With many experienced players exiting the team, Mahaffey and others will be expected to take on a larger role in the coming season.

#5 Austin Parks

The center had an extremely limited role in the team and played 9 games averaging 2.2 minutes and had 0.3 points with 0.6 rebounds. With the other center, Felix Okpara gone, Austin Parks' playing time could be extended.

While he may not become a starter, expect him to spend more time on the court and show why he was a four-star, top-10-ranked center out of high school.

What do you think of Ohio State's returning five? Let us know in the comments section.