For as much great news as Ohio State hoops received this past weekend, things have not improved in the class of 2017. While 2018 has three commitments, each from Ohio and ranked among the nation's top 150 prospects, the recruiting class of 2017 has yet to pick up much steam.
Conditions worsened on Monday when Ohio State's top target in the class, Massillon Jackson senior wing Kyle Young, chose Butler over the Buckeyes. Committing to Butler after an official visit that went very well for the Young and the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-7 wing forward's snubbing of Ohio State has left Thad Matta and the Buckeyes searching for answers. For more than a year, Kaleb Wesson has been the lone member of Ohio State's 2017 class.
Where can Ohio State go in 2017 and how may this shift the program? Let's take a look at some possible outlooks for the program going forward.
Thomas Allen
While not a highly-regarded prospect, 2017 Brewster Academy guard Thomas Allen is an intriguing wing player that is high on Ohio State. At 6-foot-3, Allen is more of a combo guard, but has elite skills and IQ that could help him become an instant impact player for the Buckeyes.
Originally from Garner, North Carolina, Allen's stock has blown up this summer with impressive performances on the AAU circuit and at the Adidas Nations camp in July. One highly qualified source told us that he believes Allen is "right outside the top 100," adding that will be a "very good college player," despite not being ranked by any major recruiting service.
With Ohio State cracking Allen's top five on Tuesday, the Buckeyes will compete against NC State, St. Louis, Virginia Tech and conference foe Nebraska for his services. Scheduled to take an official visit from Oct. 7-9, Allen would fill an immediate need for Ohio State in its backcourt, as the Buckeyes desperately need depth at both guard spots. If JaQuan Lyle were to opt for the NBA Draft following next season, the presence of another guard coming in for the 2017 class would be more comfortable for the Buckeyes, as the transfers of AJ Harris and Austin Grandstaff have created a few gaps in the OSU depth chart.
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Allen's skill set and scoring ability, in addition to Kam Williams and CJ Jackson would create for a dynamic backcourt for Ohio State, that would fit in nicely with the quality wing and post pieces that the Buckeyes have picked up in the recruiting cycle. If Ohio State is to only go with two commitments in the 2017 class, that would create for another open scholarship in 2018, which could help the Buckeyes haul in five big-time prospects.
The Ohio Thad Five? Possibly So
Three of the five pieces are already there. With the commitments of Darius Bazley (No. 47 in ESPN 2018 Top 60), Dane Goodwin (No. 52), and Justin Ahrens (No. 128 according to 247 Sports) in the 2018 class, Ohio State is winning the recruiting battle in its home borders up to this point in a deep class in the Buckeye state. The only missing pieces are Dwayne Cohill, No. 57 according to ESPN, and Jerome Hunter, a budding 6-foot-7 wing forward whose stock is in the middle of an all-out explosion, in a 2018 top five in Ohio that is as strong as any class in the last few years.
Cohill, who received a Buckeye offer on May 16, is a dynamic scoring guard much to the liking of Allen. Out of the Cleveland area, Cohill has dominated on the Adidas AAU circuit with Ohio Basketball Club, and has become a major target for the Buckeye staff. Regarded as the state's top player in the 2018 class according to 247 Sports, Cohill is the lead guard that Ohio State could greatly benefit from in a class that is already as strong as any in the nation at this point. According to six predictions in the 247 Crystal Ball, Cohill is predicted at 100 percent to land with Ohio State.
For Hunter, his standing with Ohio State could depend greatly on what the Buckeyes do in 2017. If Ohio State is to go with two commitments only, the extra scholarship will allow for the program to possibly reel in five prospects in 2018. With Hunter receiving an offer on Aug. 18, the Buckeyes intensified its pursuit of the 6-foot-7 wing, which dates back to his freshman season at now defunct Columbus City Prep.
A hard-working kid that embraces competition and the idea of being elite, Hunter plays with a chip on his shoulder and motor that cannot be undervalued. Receiving offers from West Virginia, Michigan and Florida, Hunter has established himself as arguably one of the nation's top 75 players, while possibly having the best summer out of any of the state's 2018 prospects.
Hunter has yet to name any leaders or favorites up to this point in his recruiting process, but with any Columbus kid, it is hard to ignore Ohio State, especially when an opportunity to join four of the state's premier players could be on the table. While it is still early, possible additions of Cohill and Hunter to an already stacked class for Ohio State could be the Buckeyes' deepest haul since 2010.
News and Notes
- Ohio State target and 2017 power forward Jericho Sims committed to Texas on Wednesday. Choosing the Longhorns over the Buckeyes, Florida, Kansas, Xavier and Oregon, among others, Sims is the second ESPN Top 100 commit for Shaka Smart in Texas' 2017 class. For Ohio State, Sims represents another 2017 option that is no longer there.
- 2017 four-star point guard Matt Coleman has removed Ohio State from consideration, cutting his list to 10 schools. While a long shot for Coleman, Ohio State will now focus its attention even more to the aforementioned Allen.
- The prominent Nike-sponsored AAU program King James Shooting Stars is no longer, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The news broke on Wednesday with Rothstein announcing that LeBron James will no longer have his name associated with the program, followed up with a report that the entire program in itself will be discontinued. However, per a tweet from Dru Joyce, the King James program is likely to operate under the name NEO Shooting Stars, while remaining in the EYBL. This is important news for Ohio State commits Ahrens and Bazley, who both played for King James this past summer at the 16u level. Stay tuned to Eleven Warriors for more developments on the story.
