Cupps transferred to Ohio State on Wednesday after two seasons at Indiana.
In what could be a make-or-break season for Jake Diebler and a pivotal season for the Ohio State men’s basketball program, the Buckeyes kicked off transfer portal season on Wednesday afternoon by adding the 2022 Ohio Mr. Basketball award winner, Gabe Cupps.
Cupps, a Dayton-native and a graduate of Centerville High School, committed to Indiana in November 2021 over Ohio State and Stanford. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard started 22 games as a freshman at IU two years ago, averaging 2.6 points per game on 36.4% shooting and 35.9% from three-point land. Forty-four percent of his shots came from beyond the arc.
With the addition of Cupps, Ohio State now has each of the last three Ohio Mr. Basketball award winners on the roster: Cupps (2022), Devin Royal (2023), and Colin White (2024). The 2025 Ohio Mr. Basketball — Marcus Johnson — has already committed to play for Ohio State in the class of 2026.
As soon as Cupps entered the transfer portal last week, Ohio State was immediately rumored to be a school reaching out to him. Alleged NIL offers to Cupps were shared on the internet, but ultimately, the agreements between players and NIL collectives are not public, so none of those figures could be confirmed. By Wednesday noon, however, Cupps had tweeted out that he was headed back to the Buckeye state.
Let’s work @OhioStateHoops #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/rU8o7qIf3T
— Gabe Cupps (@CuppsGabe) March 26, 2025
Why did Ohio State pursue Gabe Cupps?
Diebler and the staff went out and got another guard who could handle running point behind Bruce Thornton and absorb some of the lost minutes from Micah Parrish, Ques Glover, and what should have been Meechie Johnson last season. Cupps is also an Ohio kid who was recruited heavily by Ohio State a few years ago, and — as we’ve seen — the relationships you build during high school recruitment can pay dividends down the road.
In a limited sample size, Cupps has shown the ability to knock down the three-ball, hitting them at 35.9% as a freshman. He will get more opportunities at Ohio State, so we will know pretty quickly if Cupps can be counted on as a shooter off the bench, or just a depth option behind Thornton and John Mobley Jr. to handle the ball on occasion.
Why did Cupps leave Indiana?
Cupps was recruited to Indiana by now-former head coach Mike Woodson, who was fired mid-season by Indiana but was allowed to coach out the remainder of the season. Once the season ended, Cupps entered the transfer portal and opted not to return to Indiana to play for new head coach Darian DeVries.
What did Cupps do at Indiana?
As a freshman, Cupps played in all 33 of Indiana’s games, starting 22 of them in place of Xavier Johnson, who was injured for much of the 2023-24 season. In 21.6 minutes per game, Cupps’ 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He only took 88 shot attempts all season long, which was eighth on the team, despite playing the fifth-most minutes on the team.
Cupps took more two-point attempts than three-pointers, but many of his jump shots were created off the dribble with a ball screen brought to him at the top of the key. He was adequate enough on catch-and-shoot threes, but more often Cupps was creating for himself off the dribble, either driving to the basket or firing away after waiting for one screen.
His career-high is an 11-point showing against Auburn on Dec. 9, 2023. In 31 minutes, Cupps was 4-of-6 overall, 2-for-3 from the three-point line, had five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Indiana lost the game, 104-76.
This past season, Cupps was shut down in early December with a meniscus injury that cost him the remainder of the season. He only appeared in four games, totaling 25 minutes, and did not score in those four appearances. He is expected to be granted a medical redshirt and will be considered a redshirt sophomore at Ohio State.
How excited should we be about the addition of Cupps?
It depends how aggressive Ohio State is in the transfer portal for the rest of the spring. If Diebler and his staff are able to also add a solid starting center and a small forward who can shoot, then the addition of Cupps is a smart depth move. In that scenario, the addition of Cupps may even get overlooked as we get closer to the season, and the team will be very grateful to have a former top-100 recruit as a backup guard.
If Cupps turns out to be the diamond of the off-season, it meant Ohio State did not go out and add the established talent and production it needed to in order to create a winning roster.
What will Ohio State do next in the transfer portal?
As of Wednesday night, Ohio State only has one more roster spot available for the 2025-2026 season, unless someone else transfers out. Odds are, at least one more spot will become available this week.
While having depth at guard is a blessing, adding more to the existing backcourt was not the priority for this team. Assuming no departures, Ohio State now has Thornton, Mobley, Taison Chatman, Cupps, and Dorian Jones vying for minutes in the backcourt.
Look for Diebler and his staff to prioritize an established center or power forward next. Ohio State did not have any post presence last season, and that lack of foundation made everything harder within the offense. A reliable center who could get Ohio State 8-10 points per game next year is a must.
Thus far, Ohio State has been linked to several post players, with former Rutgers center Lathan Sommerville being one and former Santa Clara center Chris Tilly being another.