Ohio State forward Amare Bynum announces that he is coming back for his second season in Columbus.
There were a handful of bright spots for the Buckeyes during the 2025-26 basketball season, and one of those was freshman Amare Bynum.
The highly-touted forward took to social media on Monday to announce that he is returning for his sophomore season in Columbus after the Buckeyes came up short in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Bynum was very solid in his first year in college. He finished averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest for the Buckeyes. He played over 20 minutes in all but four games for Ohio State as they earned their way to an eight seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Bynum had six games of 15 points or more, with his top output being a 20-point night against the Washington Huskies in mid-January. He was a 50 percent shooter from the floor and a 30 percent shooter from behind the arc.
Bynum and the Buckeyes are going to be feeling a ton of pressure heading into the 2026-27 season. Of Jake Diebler's three seasons as the Buckeyes' head coach, the program has missed the tournament twice and were bounced in the first round this past season.
Earlier this year, athletic director Ross Bjork said that the expectation in Columbus is not only a tournament birth, but a long run in the tournament.
The Buckeyes needed, and got, a miracle for the former and were the first team eliminated in the latter. It is not an acceptable standard at Ohio State, and it needs to improve. Bynum staying put could be the first very big step in the correct direction.
Bynum is a player that Ohio State can build its program around. He stands at 6'8" and tips the scale at a slim 220 pounds. At that size, with the ability to stretch the floor, Bynum can be a real matchup nightmare for opposing coaches and teams.
Bynum is the first domino to fall in what is going to be a very busy few weeks in Columbus as Ohio State turns its basketball attention towards the future. Now, they need to get a couple of star guards to come play for them, and then all of a sudden, they will be competing for the tournament and for National Championships on a year-in-year-out basis.
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