Ibrahima Diallo Signs National Letter of Intent with Ohio State

After choosing the Buckeyes over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Diallo officially signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Ohio State on Friday.

Ibrahima Diallo is officially a member of #Team121. Welcome to Buckeye Nation, @ibrahimaa24️#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sPTvC210Yx

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) April 19, 2019

By signing to play for the Buckeyes, Diallo joined a class ranked ninth in the nation and first in the Big Ten. Alonzo Gaffney, E.J. Liddell and DJ Carton signed their letters of intent in the fall.

“Ibrahima is a terrific young man and young big with upside and potential,” Chris Holtmann said in a statement. “He has been coached well and has played against quality competition.  His measurables speak for themselves but we were also really struck by his maturity in the recruiting process.  As with most freshmen, especially bigs, we understand there will be a process to his development.  Having said that, we are really excited about what his future holds.”

Diallo, a 7-foot center with a 7-foot-9 wingspan, came onto Ohio State's radar late in the recruiting process. The coaching staff ramped up its recruitment of him after watching him in the Flyin' To The Hoop event in Dayton. He visited both Ohio State and Pittsburgh before ultimately choosing to become a Buckeye.

Diallo, who attends Prolific Prep in Napa, California, is the No. 210 overall prospect in the country and the 44th-ranked center.

RELATED Relationships with Coaches, Players Attracted Ibrahima Diallo to Ohio State 

Though he's viewed as a developmental prospect, especially on the offensive end, Diallo will likely serve as Kaleb Wesson's backup during the 2019-20 season. Last week, Chris Holtmann said the team was in search of a backup to Wesson, and Diallo was the answer.