While the Ohio State football team returns to the field, Saturday, the Buckeye hoops staff is putting in some work of its own.
After spending much of September on the road, Thad Matta and his assistants will need to return to Columbus and host a pair of highly-rated recruits. Kobi Simmons and Braxton Blackwell – AAU teammates, as both played for the Atlanta Celtics – are planning to take unofficial visits and attend the Cincinnati game. Simmons is counting down the days until his trip, while the news of Simmons' visit was reported by 247Sports.
Blackwell, profiled in the notebook last week, is a composite four-star forward from Nashville. His high school coach thinks Blackwell is a proverbial "program changer."
"That's the first thing every single coach always speaks about him," C.P.A. head coach Drew Maddux told Eleven Warriors, via e-mail. "He will change the locker room he enters, he'll change the program that he enters, he'll certainly leave the program better having played there just because of the type of young man he is."
Ohio State watched Blackwell compete at an open gym in April and offered him in August. Matta recently attempted to watch him as the September recruiting period opened, but reportedly ran into weather-related issues. Instead, he'll come to Columbus. Coaches can't, technically, organize a practice and scout Blackwell, so they'll look to get a better sense of what he's like off the court.
Meanwhile, Simmons marks another Buckeye target from Alpharetta, Georgia. The last time OSU waded into that territory, they ended up with current starting point guard Shannon Scott. Slight difference is, Scott graduated from Milton while Simmons attends St. Francis. Marietta-native and current 2015 center commit Daniel Giddens is also from the area.
Geographic familiarity comes into play with Simmons' father, as well, since he is a retired U.S. Marine from Ohio. Combine family ties with the upcoming visit, plus Ohio State's need for point guard depth, and the Buckeyes appear to be a serious contender for his services.
Simmons, a five-star recruit, would be a great grab for any high-major hoops program. He already has offers from Kansas, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, and is drawing interest from Kentucky. Matta offered him in July and has quickly turned around an opportunity for a visit from the 6-foot-5-inch point guard.
"Kobi has a higher ceiling than most prospects his age due to his ability to not only play the shooting guard position, but his ability to be an elite level point guard, as well," Future150.com's scouting report says. "He possesses excellent athleticism, size and court vision on the floor, and as he continues to improve his game, his national ranking will keep rising."
Around The B1G
Ohio State appears to be done adding to the 2015 class, considering they already have four commits and don't want to limit flexibility for the following year.
The Buckeyes currently sit fifth in 247Sports' composite team rankings, but another Big Ten team is gaining on them. Illinois moved up to sixth, up 14 spots, thanks to a recent commit with Ohio ties:
Excited to announce that I will be attending the Univ of Illinois. Looking forward to adding banners and accomplishing my academic goals.
— Jalen Coleman (@ColemanJalen) September 23, 2014
Coleman, who played for All-Ohio Red in AAU competition, had an Ohio State offer since 2012 but was not heavily recruited in the two years since. Instead, he winds up committing to Matta assistant John Groce. If the Illini can add Elijah Thomas or another one of their highly-rated targets, they might have the best recruiting class in the conference.
Michigan State also landed a commitment from a four-star wing, this week:
Matt McQuaid (@mattblast3) gives MSU one of the best shooters in the country. 6-5 shooter with deep range and a quick trigger.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) September 25, 2014
