Building on momentum with a lot still to play for, Columbus-native Devin Royal will need to be an X-factor for Jake Diebler’s squad this March.

Ohio State forward Devin Royal is a 6’6, 220-pound Junior who grew up 20 minutes from campus in Pickerington, Ohio. He made an impact on the team right away, getting playing time as a freshman and scoring in double figures in four games in a season that saw two different coaches.

Fast forward to his second season, just one year ago, Royal became a guy that the team leaned on and earned a lot more minutes because of it. Royal scored in double-figures 21 times, including 31 against Valparaiso and 29 at Illinois.

Now an upperclassman and one of the leaders that Jake Diebler has leaned on, he has found himself in a position to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time alongside his young coach. Bruce Thornton gets the headlines and rightfully so, and guys like John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum have been huge as of late. However, a guy like Devin Royal might be the type of player to win or lose a do-or-die game for the Scarlet and Gray this March.

Elimination Games

Going back to Royal’s freshman campaign, there were two games where if the Buckeyes lost, their tournament would be over. In the 2024 Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes beat Iowa in a game in which Royal hit all three of his shots. This was followed by a loss to Illinois, where Royal went 3-7 for six points as the Buckeyes lost a close one.

It was not a good enough season for the tournament as the Buckeyes accepted an NIT invitation with interim coach Jake Diebler. After beating Cornell and Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes suffered a two-point defeat to Georgia, in which Royal went 2-6 for five points in limited action.

Last season in Diebler’s first full season at the helm, the Buckeyes didn’t play any postseason basketball besides one game in the Big Ten Tournament. Royal logged 37 minutes in what ended up being a seven-point defeat to Iowa. He finished with 17 points on 7-12 shooting and six rebounds, a very solid effort from the Pickerington-native.

Jumping ahead to the current 2025-2026 campaign, it felt like the Buckeyes’ season was in jeopardy after a close loss to No. 15 Virginia, after leading the whole game essentially. Royal had a key turnover and didn’t hustle back, which was part of the discussion on most fan boards after the game. He shot just 2-12 for four points in the four-point loss, putting Ohio State in a tough spot for the rest of the season.

However, since that game, Royal has been more patient and hasn’t been forcing shots. This has led to the Buckeyes winning four out of five games, including ranked wins over Wisconsin and Purdue. Against Wisconsin, Royal poured in 25 points and has shot 50% or better from the field in three of the last five games.

Against Indiana, the game got close late, and Royal converted a four-point play, one of just six shots he took in the game. He has also been rebounding well, a glaring weakness at times for this team, with nine rebounds in two of the last three games.

Wins and Losses

Some of Royal’s worst shooting performances have resulted in losses, though it’s not a direct correlation. He went 4-15 against Illinois, 2-8 at Michigan, 5-13 at Wisconsin, and 2-12 against Virginia. He is a great player and can affect the game in so many ways, but taking smart shots and being aggressive has led to Royal and the team being at their best.

This will be his third time playing in the Big Ten Tournament, and he might face the Iowa Hawkeyes for the third-straight year in this event. A few weeks ago, the scarlet and gray got run out of the gym by Iowa, their only loss since February 15th. Royal had a solid 16 points but just two rebounds as the Buckeyes struggled to get anything going.

With an NCAA Tournament berth all but official, the Buckeyes will be able to play a little more loosely as they head to Chicago for this edition of the conference tournament. If they want to rack up a few wins in the two tournaments this March, Devin Royal will need to play how all of Buckeye Nation knows he is capable of.