Ohio State is expecting big things out of its new power forward and center.
Friends and colleagues, we are past the halfway mark of the college basketball off-season, which means we’re four months away from games being played and about three months away from secret scrimmages and open practices. The transfer portal window has come and gone, and while the Buckeyes technically may add one more player to the team, the odds of that diminish a little bit every day as we grind through July and approach August.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated which “classic” Ohio State team would be fun to play as in a new college basketball video game. Since the last NCAA Basketball game came out in 2009, the options were limited to teams that existed since that last game came out.
Connor went with the 2011-2012 team that made it to the Final Four, while Justin picked the 2014-2015 team that had D’Angelo Russell, Jae’Sean Tate, and Keita Bates-Diop. 56% of the readers sided with Connor, 6% of the readers agreed with Justin, and the final 38% actually picked a different team than either of those two options.
After 212 weeks:
Connor- 96
Justin- 90
Other- 20
(There have been six ties)
This week, our basketball writers are pitting two incoming transfers – Christoph Tilly and Brandon Noel – against each other. Both came from the mid-major ranks – Tilly from Santa Clara and Noel from Wright State – and both are expected to start this year at Ohio State. Neither has played in the NCAA Tournament before, and both are banking on this team to get them there for the first time ever.
Jake Diebler’s second Ohio State team will return three double-digit scorers in Bruce Thornton, John Mobley, and Devin Royal, and all three are expected to improve with another year of experience under their belt. But the Buckeyes will also need production from their two new big men, and will likely need one of them to be more than just productive – they need one of them to be impressive.
With that said, which guy do you think will average more points per game this season?
This week’s question: Will Brandon Noel or Christoph Tilly score more points per game this season?
Connor: Tilly
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
I’m more confident in Tilly adjusting to the Big Ten than I am in Noel. While both guys weigh in at a hefty 240 pounds, Tilly is four inches taller than Noel and to the naked eye looks a bit more athletic. I’m not convinced that either of these two guys are going to be stud defenders for Ohio State, so in my opinion that side of the ball is a draw.
However, if both players struggle to adjust to the higher level of play, I like that Tilly will have plenty of looks right beneath the basket. Those high-percentage looks fill the stat sheet, and even more importantly they are confidence boosters. Noel will likely rely on hitting jumpers more than Tilly will, and if his 36% three-point shot from last season doesn’t carry over, he’s going to need to be creative to get the ball through the basket on some nights.
Something else to consider: from day one, A’mare Bynum will be pushing Noel for minutes. I’m sure the freshman will get plenty of opportunities off the bench, but when he starts to figure things out, it will be Noel’s minutes — not Tilly’s — that start to get bitten into.
Since Josh Ojianwuna is a big question mark, Tilly’s biggest threat for minutes at center right now is Ivan Njegovan. The former Santa Clara Bronco has never played more than 23 minutes per game in a collegiate season, so he’ll likely play somewhere between 20 and 25 this season. But if we’re picking between these two guys of “who is more likely to wind up in a bench role at some point” it is Noel, not Tilly.
Justin: Noel
Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
At Wright State, Brandon Noel was an elite three-level scorer that had some of his best games against top competition.
For his career, he has averaged 15.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 97 games. He has shot 56.3 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three-point range and 77.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Last season, he averaged 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three-point range and 75.3 percent from the free-throw line.
At Wright State, the 6-foot-8 forward was a two time All-Horizon League member, made the Horizon League All-Freshman team and was the 2022-23 Horizon League Rookie of the Year.
Noel had some big performances in a handful of marquee matchups in 2024-25, scoring 20 points against Kentucky, 27 points against Miami (OH) — who made the MAC Championship Game — 24 points against Toledo, and 26 points against Bradley.
In the annual Kingdom Summer League, Noel was a part of Team Committed to My Craft, and showed out. He recorded 26 points, had three rebounds and recorded one assist. He also made a couple of three-pointers to show off his range.
Christoph Tilly might be a better overall player and contributor for the Buckeyes as the main big man next season, but Noel will average more points. My prediction is around 11 points per game, while Tilly is around nine or 10.