They returned six upperclassmen, including three major contributors, and three sophomores who had played significant time as freshmen.

[1] This season also saw the opening of a dedicated basketball practice facility, the Mills Morgan Center / Setzer Pavilion.

They exited the Horizon League Tournament early at 6th seed Illinois-Chicago, however the spirited comeback gave supporters reason for optimism about the future of their team.

[6] This turned into a liability just a year later when O’Brien was fired by Ohio State due to an ongoing NCAA recruiting violation investigation.

[11][12] On March 10, 2006 the NCAA issued its report on the situation and cited failings by O’Brien, Biancardi and The Ohio State University.