John Mobley's Injury Status Devastating for Buckeyes During March Madness Push

The star guard was dealt some unfortunate news following a Buckeyes win vs. the USC Trojans last Wednesday.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) reacts after a turnover during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Feb. 8, 2026. Ohio State lost 82-61. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to be without a critical asset on both sides of the ball as the Big Ten regular season winds down ahead of the conference and NCAA tournaments.

The Buckeyes (16-8, 8-6 Big Ten) are going to take a brief break from their league schedule when they play the No.15-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (21-3, 10-2 ACC) Saturday night from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. They will just have to do so without their star guard John Mobley Jr., who the Buckeyes ruled out for an undisclosed period Saturday as the hours trickle toward an 8 p.m. ET tip-off.

In a statement released via social media, Mobley's injury is nearly identical to that of fellow Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell in an indirect way, as both of their respective statuses are unknown (although Boswell has been out since the fracture was sustained Jan. 19).

For now, the Buckeyes deem Mobley Jr.'s status as "indefinitely."

A statement on John Mobley Jr.’s status. pic.twitter.com/OPFdNGM25g

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 14, 2026

Mobley had appeared in all 24 games to this point for the Buckeyes, averaging 15.1 points per game as the team's second leading scorer.

"Ohio State sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. sustained a hand injury in the game against the USC Trojans Feb. 11," part of the statement read.

The statement clarified further that the injury Mobley Jr. sustained isn't enough to miss the remainder of the season. Therefore, should the Buckeyes survive the "bubble watch," Mobley Jr.'s production could return in postseason play.

Although coach Jake Diebler has yet to comment further about Mobley Jr.'s injury, he has remained level-headed about the Buckeyes' recent on-court struggles while citing what is directly in control for his team: its résumé.

Ohio State head basketball coach Jake Diebler following the loss to Michigan this afternoon pic.twitter.com/jNKqgoL8jq

— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) February 8, 2026

"Everything that we're doing right now is to be better in the controllables," Diebler told reporters following Ohio State's loss to Michigan this past Sunday. "And to make sure that when we step foot [on the floor] on game day that we are at our best. We want that to be the best day of the week. That's all we're focused on right now."

The Buckeyes beat the Trojans despite losing Mobley, protecting home court with an 89-82 win. This broke a dry spell for the Buckeyes, one that had them lose two of their previous three games while snagging a road win Feb. 5 against the lowly Maryland Terrapins, 82-62.

Luckily, the Buckeyes draw home-court advantage in three of their next four games after Saturday night, making the final stretch of the season crucial even without Mobley Jr.