Brandon Noel – and Ohio State – is prepared to see if his game translates to the Big Ten.
The former Wright State star forward is transferring to Ohio State, he announced on Monday, giving Jake Diebler a diverse scoring and rebounding option for the wings or frontcourt in his second season as the Buckeyes' head coach.
Noel, a native of Lucasville, Ohio, racked up 19 points per game for the Raiders in 2024-25, adding 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range. He earned second-team All-Horizon League honors for his efforts.
The Noel File
- Class: Senior
- Size: 6-8/235
- Pos: Forward/Wing
- Previous School: Wright State
- Stats: 19 points, 7.7 rebounds per game in 2024-25
For an Ohio State team in need of more productive players to support stars Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal in 2024-25 – a reminder the Buckeyes' bench scored just three points in their season-ending loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament – Noel's efficiency numbers are intriguing.
Effective field goal percentage properly weighs 3-point shots as 1.5 times more valuable to give an overall picture of scoring efficiency. Thornton had the best effective field goal percentage of Ohio State players who attempted at three shots per game in 2024-25 at 58%. Noel topped that with Wright State last year at 59.6%.
Noel also produced as a rebounder with 9.1 boards per 40 minutes. He's been a starter and scoring weapon for Wright State since his freshman year of 2022-23, when he averaged 13 points per game. In his career, Noel averages 15.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, shooting 37.3% from 3 for an effective field goal percentage of 60.4%.
Given that Noel flexed plenty of dribble-drive and shooting ability with the Raiders, he could be a wing option for Ohio State to replace graduated guard Micah Parrish and forward Evan Mahaffey, who transferred to Akron this offseason. Sophomore Colin White would be his top competition for a starting small forward job, or he could play power forward while Royal plays the 3.
Noel is the Buckeyes' third transfer portal addition this offseason, joining former Indiana guard Gabe Cupps and Santa Clara center Christoph Tilly. Further additions for depth, particularly on the wing and in the frontcourt, could still be made.
