Episode Details

Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball up the ante with a fierce non-conference schedule, squaring off against national powerhouses like UConn, Kansas, BYU, and Notre Dame—all away from home. Can head coach Jake Diebler’s bold approach sharpen the Buckeyes’ edge for Big Ten play and the NCAA Tournament? New transfer Justin Pippen arrives with championship expectations, raising questions about team chemistry and adaptability against top-tier opponents.

Jay Stephens breaks down the impact of scheduling marquee games in hostile and neutral environments, including Diebler’s trend of dropping high-stakes matchups during Big Ten season for a true March Madness trial run. Discussion covers the potential benefits of returning to prestigious holiday tournaments like the Maui Invitational, testing Ohio State’s endurance and mental toughness. Will this grueling slate pave the way for a deeper postseason run? Buckeye fans won’t want to miss what’s next for their squad.

00:00 Jake Diebler on team preparation

04:55 Non-conference road game challenges

07:14 Diebler's coaching strategy and challenges

11:25 Prepping for high stakes games

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast

Rugiet
Get 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhl
Rugiet. Performance medicine for men.

FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.
 

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.