Ohio State Starter Forgoes NBA Draft, Returns to Buckeyes

John Mobley Jr. is pushing pause on the NBA and returning to Ohio State for a third season.

Less than a month after declaring for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, Mobley has officially withdrawn from the Draft. He'll instead return to Columbus where he'll resume his career as the Buckeyes' starting two guard. Mobley started all 31 games he played last season for an Ohio State team that appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.

Mobley's return provides a massive boost to coach Jake Diebler's retooled roster that has already added a trio of guards: Justin Pippen, Curtis Givens III, and Jimmie Williams, along with center Andrija Jelavic via the transfer portal.

Pippen and Williams each averaged better than 14 ppg last season. Givens was just over nine points a night and Jelavic chipped in more than five points a game to go along with four boards.

All four should contribute immediately, though they'll likely take a backseat to Mobley who finished his sophomore campaign second in both points per game (15.7) and assists per game (2.8) for the Buckeyes.

Playing collegiately for any school other than Ohio State was never in the cards for Mobley. When he announed his intention to declare for the Draft, Mobley stated: "I will not be entering the transfer portal. If I return to college basketball next season there will be only one place for me and that's here in Columbus with Buckeye nation."

John Mobley Jr. Joined OSU As A Four-Star Recruit

Though Ohio State's surely pleased to have Mobley back, his return wasn't entirely unexpected. Upon declaring for the Draft, the general consensus among NBA talent evaluators was that Mobley would likely be a second round NBA pick who could benefit from another season of Big Ten basketball.

Mobley was simply testing the waters to gauge his value. Something that's not uncommon for college starters coming off strong seasons.

Keep in mind, second round NBA picks generally do not have guaranteed contracts and often times end up playing in the G-League or overseas. If you're not a surefire first rounder, the more favorable option is generally to return to school. Especially if you have a starting role for a team in a power conference with a wallet bursting from NIL funds.

And that's exactly what Mobley has at OSU.

With senior point guard Bruce Thornton off to the NBA and forward Devin Royal heading to Villanova, Mobley will likely be the Buckeyes' top scoring option. Amare Bynum, who's likely to only be in Columbus for one more season, and incoming freshman super recruit Anthony Thompson, should help shoulder the scoring load.

Mobley and the Buckeyes finished the 2025-26 season 21-13, eighth in the Big Ten conference before losing to TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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