While Ohio State is at home watching this year’s NCAA tournament, some notable former Buckeyes are achieving their dreams in the Big Dance for their respective new schools.
The most notable former Ohio State player is competing in the tournament is now-Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who is playing a significant role in his once-rival program’s run to the Sweet 16.
Gayle, who transferred from Michigan to Ohio State last offseason after two seasons with the Buckeyes, started out the tournament strong in the first round by racking up 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting along with two assists and two rebounds in the fourth-seeded Wolverines’ thrilling 68-65 victory over No. 13 seed UC San Diego last Thursday. He also made a pair of key defensive plays in the final 2:30 to keep the Tritons off board and help his team survive with the three-point win.
Gayle followed up that outing with perhaps the signature moment of his career thus far in the Round of 32 on Saturday. Facing off against No. 4 seed Texas A&M on March 22, he erupted for a season-high 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting — 4-of-6 from three — along with four rebounds in an assist to power the Wolverines to a 91-76 win. He scored 21 of his 26 points in the half and netted 11 straight points midway through the period, all of which helped U-M come from 10 points down to advance to its first Sweet 16 since 2022.
Gayle, who has been criticized by Michigan fans at times this season for his regular season struggles, poked fun at those who doubted him after the game in the locker room.
“Social media has been all over the place. I feel like every comment I have, they call me a double agent for, you know, choosing Michigan after going to Ohio State,” Gayle said. “I feel like I beat those allegations as of recent, so it’s just an exciting feeling to be able to put everything in the past.”
Gayle will now look to further make his mark in March in the Sweet 16 against No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Friday.
Former Ohio State forward Felix Okpara is also producing in the NCAA tournament for his new school. He has helped second-seeded Tennessee make a run to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season by averaging 5.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks through the Volunteers’ first two games of the tournament.
Okpara’s best performance came in Tennessee’s 77-62 first-round win over No. 15 seed Wofford on March 20, where he racked up seven points, five rebounds, and one block to help his team cruise to the Round of 32. The former Buckeye, who transferred to Rick Barnes’ program last offseason after originally pledging his loyalty to the Diebler-led Buckeyes last April, then had four points, seven rebounds and a block in Tennessee’s 67-58 Round of 32 win over No. 7 seed UCLA on March 22.
Okpara and his Volunteers will look to advance to the Elite Eight on Friday against SEC rival and No. 3 seed Kentucky.
Gayle and Okpara aren’t the only former Buckeyes to have their moment in the spotlight. Former sharpshooting guard Bowen Hardman played 14 minutes in No. 13 seed Akron’s 93-65 loss to No. 4 seed Arizona and connected on one three while adding a steal.
Hardman, who transferred to the Zips last offseason after logging just 3.8 minutes per game his first two collegiate seasons with Ohio State, averaged a career-high 6.6 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent from three across 15.4 minutes per contest.
