FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The two current pledges in Ohio State basketball's 2018 recruiting class don't have any intentions of leaving.
Both Justin Ahrens and Dane Goodwin said Saturday they're firmly committed to the Buckeyes. Ahrens and Goodwin are both competing over the weekend at the Spiece Run N Slam — one of the top non-shoe company sponsored AAU events of the spring.
“I’m still firmly committed,” Ahrens said. “Both me and Dane are.”
"Yep," Goodwin added. "I'm 100 percent."
The news was expected but relevant given Ohio State's current situation. Darius Bazley, a four-star prospect in the 2018 class, recently decommitted from the Buckeyes on April 26.
Ahrens is a former AAU teammate of Bazley's. The two played together for C2K Elite on the Under Armour circuit this spring but Bazley opted to change AAU programs shortly after his decommitment. Ahrens said he was surprised by his former teammate's decision to re-open his recruitment.
Goodwin said he doesn't believe Bazley will be back in Ohio State's class. That door seemed to be left open when Bazley announced his decommitment, saying "Ohio State is still one of the schools I will be considering," but in a recent interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Bazley didn't exactly have glowing things to say about the state of the Buckeyes' program.
"After saying those things, I don't think he would come back," Goodwin said. "Or that he should because that's not right."
Ohio State's 2018 class figures to have at least four members in it just based on the state of the current roster and the number of open scholarships.
As of Saturday, Ahrens and Goodwin have every intention of being part of it.
"We’re still excited for the future and we’re excited to change the program," Ahrens said.
