Ohio State HC Jake Diebler gives fans major update on Buckeyes star Taison Chatman's season ending ACL injury
The Ohio State backcourt faces a setback for the 2024-25 basketball season, as sophomore guard Taison Chatman will be sidelined for the entire season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Chatman suffered the injury during a summer training session.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler spoke about Chatman suffering another injury setback.
"I'm incredibly sad for Taison that he's going to miss the entire year. After a tough start to his collegiate career, he worked his way back and played a role for us at the end of last season," Diebler said per the Columbus Dispatch.
"He continued that development this spring and was working out really well. I was looking forward to watching him take the next step this year. But I know he'll work hard and get back to form as soon as he can."
During practice, Chatman went up for a rebound and landed badly without any contact. The left knee is the same one where he previously had a meniscus injury. That injury caused him to miss the first half of his senior year in high school, and he experienced persistent pain in that knee leading up to his freshman season at Ohio State.
Chatman, a top-rated recruit from the 2023 class, experienced a difficult freshman year with the Buckeyes as he averaged 1.0 points per game. With his current season-ending injury, his sophomore year is also set to be disappointing.
With Chatman out, freshman Juni Mobley and transfer wing Micah Parrish are set to be key contributors coming off the bench.
Jake Diebler invites Buckeyes alums to train alongside current team
Jake Diebler welcomed former Ohio State hoopers to join in training sessions and scrimmages alongside the current team.
Former stars like D'Angelo Russell, Duane Washington Jr, E.J. Liddell, Brice Sensabaugh, Kaleb Wesson, and Jae'Sean Tate were at the venue. Coach Diebler shared a picture with Sensabaugh on X/Twitter with the hashtag '#GoBucks'.
"Had a blast today. Ohio State Hoops family everywhere…a lot of knowledge shared between our vets and current players. Can’t wait to run it back tomorrow"
Jake Diebler believes that his players would learn from veterans who have already achieved success in their careers.
Under his coaching, Ohio State had a lackluster previous season, ending up 10th in the Big Ten Conference with a 9-11 record. Additionally, they were ousted in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.