Not every transfer portal move comes with fireworks. Some land more like a shrug… until you zoom out and realize what it means for the bigger picture.
Gabe Cupps entering the portal isn’t a headline that shakes the sport, but it’s the kind of roster shift that tells you exactly where Ohio State basketball is headed and what still needs fixing. After one underwhelming season in Columbus, the former four-star guard is moving on again, bringing two years of eligibility with him and leaving behind a backcourt that still feels like a work in progress.
This wasn’t a dramatic breakup. It was more like a realization. Ohio State needed more. Cupps needed more. And now both sides are hitting reset.
Cupps’ lone year in Columbus never found a rhythm.
In 12.3 minutes per game, he averaged just 1.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 37.8% from the field. Those aren’t just modest numbers, they’re the kind that make it hard to justify a consistent role, especially on a team that was already scrambling for reliable guard play.
He slotted in as the fourth option in the guard rotation behind Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., and Taison Chatman. That hierarchy rarely changed, and when it did, it wasn’t because Cupps forced the issue.
To his credit, he brought effort defensively. He competed on the perimeter, stayed engaged, and had moments where he disrupted opposing guards. But in today’s game, especially in a high-major conference, defense alone doesn’t keep you on the floor if the offense stalls every time you touch the ball.
And too often, that’s what happened.
Ohio State didn’t just struggle with depth this season, it struggled with trust. There were stretches where the offense felt like it shrank whenever the starters sat, and Cupps, fairly or not, became part of that problem instead of the solution.
What makes this move more interesting is the path that led here.
Cupps wasn’t some under-the-radar flyer. He was a decorated high school player, an Ohio Mr. Basketball, and a top-100 recruit in the 2023 class. He arrived at Indiana with real expectations and even started games as a freshman, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 assists.
Then came the injury.
A torn meniscus wiped out nearly his entire sophomore season, forcing a medical redshirt and stalling his development at the worst possible time. By the time he transferred to Ohio State, he wasn’t just trying to find minutes, he was trying to rediscover momentum.
That’s a tough combo.
Instead of rebuilding his trajectory, his year with the Buckeyes felt more like a holding pattern. The flashes never turned into consistency, and the confidence never fully returned. For a player once projected as a steady, high-IQ floor general, the fit just never materialized.
Now, he hits the portal again, this time with experience, eligibility, and something to prove.
Zoom out, and this move is less about Cupps leaving and more about what Ohio State still needs.
Bruce Thornton remains the engine. John Mobley Jr. is the wildcard with real upside, especially as he tests NBA waters while keeping the door open for a return. And Taison Chatman? He’s suddenly the guy with the biggest opportunity.
Chatman’s numbers from last season don’t jump off the page at first glance, 4.3 points per game, but the efficiency does. Shooting 46% from the field and a scorching 47.1% from three, he showed flashes of being exactly what modern offenses crave: a guard who doesn’t waste possessions.
The problem was consistency.
There were games where Chatman looked like a future starter, confident, aggressive, and in control. Then there were stretches where he disappeared, blending into the background instead of demanding the ball.
With Cupps gone, that margin for inconsistency shrinks fast.
He’s no longer competing for fringe minutes. He’s stepping into a defined role as the No. 2 guard in the rotation, at least for now. And if he takes the leap Ohio State is hoping for, this backcourt suddenly looks a lot more stable.
If not, we’re having this same conversation again next year.
Ohio State isn’t waiting around to find out.
The expectation is clear: they’re going shopping.
The Buckeyes need a veteran guard who can either start alongside Mobley or at least push him. Someone who can handle the ball, create offense, and most importantly, stabilize the second unit so the offense doesn’t collapse when Thornton sits.
And realistically, they probably need two.
One impact piece and one depth option. Because if this past season proved anything, it’s that you can’t survive a Big Ten schedule with a thin, unreliable guard rotation.
Cupps was supposed to help patch that issue. Instead, his departure reopens it.
Cupps isn’t the only one heading out.
He joins Devin Royal and Colin White as Buckeyes expected to enter the portal, signaling a broader reshuffling of the roster. This isn’t a tweak. It’s a recalibration.
At the same time, there’s some stability returning. Amare Bynum is back. Mobley, for now, is expected to return while testing the NBA draft waters. The core isn’t gone, but it’s clearly being reworked.
This is what modern college basketball looks like.
Continuity is a luxury. Fit is everything. And if something isn’t working, you move on quickly before it costs you another season.
For Ohio State, this is about raising the floor.
Not just adding star power, but eliminating weak links in the rotation. The difference between a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team and a real contender often comes down to those sixth, seventh, and eighth guys. The ones who don’t headline box scores but decide whether a team can survive tough stretches.
Last season, the Buckeyes didn’t have enough of those guys.
That’s what they’re trying to fix now.
Gabe Cupps’ exit won’t trend on social media, but it’s the kind of move that quietly shapes a season months before it starts.
For him, it’s another chance to reset and find a system that actually fits his game.
For Ohio State, it’s a reminder that potential doesn’t win you games, production does.
And right now, the Buckeyes are still searching for enough of it in their backcourt.