Ohio
Here’s what we learned from Ohio State basketball’s Jake Diebler at Big Ten media day
Watch Ohio State’s Jake Diebler talk Bruce Thornton at Big Ten media day
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler talks about Bruce Thornton at Big Ten media day in Rosemont, Illinois, on Oct. 3, 2024.
ROSEMONT, Ill. – He took the stage first, leading a three-man Big Ten coaching entourage onto the makeshift television set.
Entering his first season as the Ohio State men’s basketball coach, Jake Diebler walked onto the risers ahead of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery and Northwestern coach Chris Collins. For a little more than 15 minutes, the three coaches sat for a panel discussion about their seasons, their jobs and, in Diebler’s case, his family.
The first question to the three was directed to Diebler: what’s it like now having a family of six? Diebler and his wife, Jordyn, welcomed a baby boy in early July, their fourth child.
“It’s been good,” Diebler said. “By number four you’re used to not sleeping as much. No, we’re blessed. Everybody is healthy. Our kids are having a great time. They’ve enjoyed being around the team and spending some time in the gym.”
It was an easy way to start a whirlwind of a day for Diebler and the Buckeyes inside the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. There was the four-person live chat, interviews with multiple national radio shows and dozens of quick, informal conversations caught in the hallways with fellow Big Ten coaches and players. It’s a quick business trip for the Buckeyes, who flew in Thursday morning and were slated to fly back home in the evening.
Ohio State, picked eighth in the unofficial official Big Ten preseason media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star, is in some ways as much an unknown as anyone else in the newly expanded, 18-team conference.
Here’s what else Diebler talked about.
Bruce Thornton lauded for his work ethic
In the televised chat aired live on the conference’s network, Diebler sat with McCaffery on his right and Collins on his left. As each coach was invariably asked about his roster, Diebler got a question about third-year guard Bruce Thornton and the leadership he provides the Buckeyes.
“Bruce isn’t an every-day guy: he is an every-rep guy,” Diebler said. “Every single day in practice, doesn’t matter the drill. If you are going live, if you are not going live, he goes hard every time. To have that in your program, there’s so much value around that, and he sets the standard for us of what it means to work.”
Thornton is a two-time Ohio State captain and one of the team’s two player representatives at media day. He is joined by fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson Jr., a former Buckeye who transferred to South Carolina and played there for two years before returning for his final season.
“We’ve been intentional about who we’ve invited into our family,” Diebler said. “We have a group of great guys. Now we have to build that chemistry in between the lines.”
Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy
Buckeyes are healthy as practice continues
Illness has hit Ohio State’s early practice portions, but Diebler said the Buckeyes are navigating the start of the fall pretty well.
“(We’re) mostly healthy,” Diebler said. “We’ve had some sickness go through the program a little bit. In talking to other coaches, that seems to be going around, but for the most part we’re moving forward mostly healthy.”
This time last year, Ohio State was without freshmen Taison Chatman and Austin Parks as both dealt with preseason injuries. That missed time would hinder their development, affecting their ability to impact the Buckeyes when the season began.
This year, at this point, nobody is in a similar situation after a summer that saw multiple players miss time here and there with minor injuries.
“As of right now, we’re going to have everybody available and I think we’ll have some consistent time to build some chemistry with the whole team together,” Diebler said. “We didn’t have that this summer. We’re now at a point where we can scrimmage against each other and try some different lineups. We’re heading in the right direction.”
Diebler likes Ohio State’s backcourt depth
Thornton, a preseason first-team all-Big Ten pick, and Johnson, a second-team all-SEC pick at South Carolina last year, will anchor Ohio State’s backcourt and provide leadership for this year’s team.
While they will play important roles for the Buckeyes, Diebler said they are part of a deep backcourt he will be relying on.
“I’ve been impressed with how organic and natural that chemistry (between Thornton and Johnson) has seemed,” Diebler said. “That’s been the case honestly for our whole backcourt. We have a great deal of depth in our backcourt. Micah Parrish, Ques Glover, John Mobley. We’ve got depth that’s a real strength for us, and the chemistry within that group has been impressive.”
Ques Glover an early surprise
One of the final additions to the 2024-25 roster has proven to be among Diebler’s biggest pleasant surprises in the early going. Asked what has surprised him, Diebler pointed to the play of Glover, a sixth-year player who was added to the roster when Taison Chatman was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
In 99 career games, Glover has averaged 10.3 points while shooting 46.1% from the floor and 30.6% from 3-point range. He played two years at Florida, transferred to Samford for two more, transferred to BYU, left during the summer, transferred to Kansas State and then missed the 2023-24 season due to injury.
“I’ve been surprised with Ques Glover and his ability to score,” Diebler said.
Two other transfers have been impactful, Diebler said. Ohio State signed Kentucky’s Aaron Bradshaw and Duke’s Sean Stewart, two McDonald’s All-Americans in 2023 who played sparingly for their blue-blood programs before transferring.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Before Ohio State, Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart starred in McDonald’s All-American game
“I also think as Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart have been in our program now for some time, (with) their lack of experience I didn’t fully know how consistent they would be,” Diebler said. “I think they’re developing that consistency. Certainly two very talented players that will play together, but they’re growing in their consistency and I think that really helps the ceiling of our team.”
ajardy@dispatch.com
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps must be restored, a divided panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
The decision comes as a blow to NetChoice, which has won court victories against identical digital identification laws in other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies said the Ohio decision went against “clear national consensus” and that it intended to keep fighting.
“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” said Paul Taske, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center.
Netchoice brought suit against Ohio’s law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.
The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit’s panel disagreed. In a 2-1 decision, it found that the law was not unconstitutional and sent it back to a lower court to have a block on the law’s enforcement vacated.
“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote in the lead opinion. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”
Judge Alice Batchelder concurred, writing that “a statute is not vague just because it has a wide berth.”
Known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act, the Ohio law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July 2023.
The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health, with then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator, saying at the time that social media was “intentionally addictive” and harmful to kids.
The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.
Republican Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called Thursday’s ruling “a win for Ohio families.”
“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”
Piketon, Ohio (WSAZ) – Folks in southern Ohio are waking up to power outages and road closures.
Route 32 in Pike County is down to one westbound and one eastbound lane due to debris on the roadway.
Drivers are also dealing with tree limbs on roadways.
The Athens County 911 dispatcher told WSAZ that it’s not believed a tornado touched down, but there is storm damage.
The dispatcher said storm damage from flooding and trees being knocked down has affected US 50.
Power outages are being reported in Athens, Pike, Vinton, Scioto and Meigs Counties and even as far south as Boyd County, Ky.
If you’re in a tornado warning area, you’re urged to get to the lower part of your home.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Clarence Burley, II, affectionately known as “Lil Man,” entered eternal rest on Thursday, June 5, 2026, at the age of 60, at Summa Health Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
Born on May 22, 1966, in Youngstown, Ohio, Clarence was the beloved son of Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley.
He attended Ursuline High School and graduated with the Class of 1984.
Clarence was a hardworking and dedicated man who spent many years employed at Classic Optical Corporation as a Lens and Frame Specialist. Known for his skill and precision, he was recognized as one of the top lens shapers during his tenure with the company. He also worked for Goodwill Industries, where his exceptional work ethic earned him recognition and awards for outstanding service.
A devoted fan of the Oakland Raiders, Clarence enjoyed football, boxing, roller skating, and bowling. In his younger years, he was also an accomplished swimmer. He loved life and cherished spending time with family and friends. Whether enjoying a cruise vacation, visiting the lake to admire the water, debating sports statistics from A to Z, or simply sharing laughter with loved ones, Clarence brought joy wherever he went.
Known for his impeccable style, Clarence was often dressed to perfection. He was especially proud of his many Cadillacs, but none more than his beloved Cadillac Seville, affectionately known as “the baby caddy.” He could often be found cruising through the city, listening to music and enjoying the ride. His infectious smile, strength, humor, and generous spirit will forever be remembered by those who knew and loved him.
In 1999, Clarence met the love of his life, the former Cathy Winphrie. Their friendship blossomed into a lasting bond, and they were united in holy matrimony in 2015. Together they shared a life filled with love, companionship, and cherished memories.
Clarence leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Cathy Burley; his children, Shannie (Meisha) Burley of Atlanta, Georgia; DeShawn Burley (fiancée Ziah) of Warren, Ohio; Eddie W. Matthews; and Montell Cochrane; his beloved grandchildren, Zaira, DeShawn, Jr., Deondra, Audrionna, Eddie, Jr., Quiara, Azel, Anyia, Marquel, Aiden, Adalese, Meadow, and Amatureas; five great-grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Eula Winphrie; brothers-in-law, James (Jamie) Winphrie and Timothy (Kori) Winphrie; sisters-in-law, Regina Winphrie and Azella Burley; niece Helleenia Winphrie; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence L. Burley and Jacqueline Wilkinson-Burley; his brother, Wesley Burley; and his grandmother, Carrie Davis.
Though Clarence’s earthly journey has ended, his legacy lives on through the lives he touched, the family he loved, and the countless memories he leaves behind. His strength, perseverance, laughter, and love will continue to inspire all who were blessed to know him.
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”2 Corinthians 5:8
A homegoing celebration will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday June 20, 2026 at Jerusalem Baptist Church , a visitation with the family will be 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Church.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Gregory-Martin Funeral Home. For additional information, please call (330) 743-4098.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
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