If any team needed momentum heading into March Madness, the Ohio State Buckeyes fit the description. On Sunday, before a packed crowd at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeyes secured a significant victory.
Behind guard John Mobley Jr.’s 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting in 36 minutes, Ohio State defeated the eighth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers 82-74. With the win, the Buckeyes now have larger ambitions in sight.
Ohio State’s John Mobley Jr. Eyes Tournament Run
After Ohio State’s impressive win, Mobley spoke with CBS Sports college basketball analyst Robbie Hummel about the importance of Sunday’s result. CBS Sports College Basketball’s account on X posted a clip of the postgame interview.
Hummel asked Mobley how he was able to capitalize on Purdue’s aggressiveness early in the game. “I mean, just film, you know, studying what they do, hard edge, you know,” Mobley said. “At first, it’s big at first. You know, make it easy for myself, down the run. They started playing the short roles; today, opened it up for me.”
Hummel then asked Mobley what was different in Ohio State’s defensive approach Sunday compared with its game against Iowa.
“Like I said before, we knew what was at stake,” Mobley said. “We’ve got to keep that streak going. Never lost to Purdue before, so I wanted to keep that going.”
Hummel then asked Mobley if Ohio State would reach the NCAA Tournament. Mobley’s response reflected confidence in himself and his teammates. “Got to,” he said. “We’re gonna make a run, too. Promise that.”
Will Ohio State make the NCAA Tournament?
“Got to. And we gonna make a run too. Promise that.”@OhioStateHoops‘ John Mobley Jr. with our @RobbieHummel after taking down No. 8 Purdue pic.twitter.com/7WFCpMfplk
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2026
Bruce Thornton added 20 points for Ohio State, while Amare Bynum scored 14 and Devin Royal contributed 12. The Boilermakers cut the margin to six with 31 seconds remaining, but Thornton sank two free throws to push the lead back out.
For the 2025-26 season, Mobley is averaging 15.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 42.6% from the floor. If he continues to perform as he did against Purdue, Ohio State could be well-positioned for an NCAA Tournament run.
That belief was evident among the Buckeyes as they turned back the Boilermakers in a pivotal game Sunday.
Ohio State wraps up its regular season this week with a March 4 trip to Penn State, followed by a March 7 home clash against Indiana.
