It wasn't an April Fools' Day joke, just an early-morning surprise when 2016 big man — and one of Ohio's top-rated prospects in the class — Derek Funderburk took to his Twitter account Wednesday to announce his college destination.
I've made the decision to become a Buckeye. I will pursue my college career at The Ohio State University. #BuckeyeNation
— Derek Funderburk (@TooEvsy4) April 1, 2015
The 6-foot-9, 210-pound Funderburk was a big get for Ohio State. He was the Buckeyes' first commitment in the 2016 class and adds some much-needed depth to a frontcourt that has been lacking since Jared Sullinger's departure.
Funderburk obviously won't be on the court for Ohio State next year, but his commitment means the Buckeyes currently have the full allotment of 13 scholarships for the 2016-17 season. However if D'Angelo Russell declares early for the NBA Draft, as expected, one more scholarship would open up.
Obviously, there's potential for players to transfer out of the program, as well, and thus would create room for another scholarship in the 2016 class — which is very talented, especially in the state of Ohio.
Here's how Ohio State's scholarships breakdown by class for next season as of right now, Russell included:
- Seniors: Jake Lorbach
- Juniors: Marc Loving
- Sophomores: Russell, Kam Williams, Jae'Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop, Trevor Thompson
- Freshmen: A.J. Harris, Mickey Mitchell, Daniel Giddens, JaQuan Lyle, Austin Grandstaff, Dave Bell
Lorbach, a former walk-on, rarely sees any playing time for the Buckeyes meaning next year's team has no seniors on it who play significant minutes. Loving is the only player in the junior class.
What this means is Ohio State will be an extremely young team next season. Even the following year, when Funderburk arrives as a freshman, the Buckeyes will still have just one senior.
“Next year, we’re going to have a whole new team, a whole new feel,” Tate said following Ohio State's 73-58 third-round NCAA tournament loss to Arizona. “We’ll be more athletic and younger so toughness is going to be one thing to work on with such young guys we’re just going to have to run the system.”
There will be a lot of new faces at Ohio State next season as the much-maligned 2011 recruiting class — featuring Shannon Scott, Sam Thompson, Amir Williams and Trey McDonald — departs. And after back-to-back underwhelming seasons, it could be exactly the kind of fresh start Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta is looking for.
With the sixth-ranked class in the country in 2015 and the addition of Funderburk on Wednesday, Ohio State seems headed back in the right direction.
