One down, two to go.
Four-star forward Alonzo Gaffney, who was the first addition to Ohio State's 2019 class in April, became the first player to sign his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. He makes up 1/3 of a top-10 class in the nation.
Congrats to our 4 Basketball signees today Kai Jones (Texas), Alonzo Gaffney (Ohio State), Joel Brown (Cal), and Anthony Walker (Miami) @NEPSAC #BobcatNation pic.twitter.com/ODDDqQUz1P
— BrewsterBobcats (@BrewsterBobcats) November 15, 2018
Four-star forward E.J. Liddell is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent on Thursday, and five-star point guard D.J. Carton should ink his signature on Monday. They will make up what is expected to be Chris Holtmann's first top-10 recruiting class as a coach, and will be the top class in the Big Ten.
The Gaffney File
- CLASS: 2019
- SIZE: 6-foot-9, 190 pounds
- POS: PF
- SCHOOL: Brewster Academy (NH)
- COMPOSITE RATING: ★★★★★
- COMPOSITE RANK: 39
Gaffney, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound forward, is the 39th overall prospect in the country and the second-highest-ranked player in Ohio State's class. He committed to Ohio State on April 10, choosing the Buckeyes over offers from high-profile out-of-state teams such as Michigan State, Florida and North Carolina.
Gaffney is second-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio – behind SPIRE Academy's Rocket Watts – though he is not spending his senior season in Ohio.
After playing his first two season of high school basketball at Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Gaffney transferred to play for Sonny Johnson's Garfield Heights team. He then averaged 18.2 points and nine rebounds as a junior before opting to attend Brewster Academy in New Hampshire as a senior. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Caribbean Tip-Off Classic in the Bahamas a week ago. Gaffney also earned praise from ESPN's Jonathan Givony, who said it's "tough to find guys with his tools."
Gaffney will join a loaded frontcourt and a team that will enter the 2019-20 season with high expectations.
The Buckeyes will return a trio of starting forwards – Kaleb Wesson, Kyle Young and Andre Wesson – to pair with Gaffney and Liddell. Ohio State will not lose any frontcourt players to graduation. Gaffney's length and athleticism will allow him to play multiple forward positions, and he offers Holtmann the defensive versatility he searches for in forwards.
