Three clear needs have emerged in the transfer portal for Ohio State as Jake Diebler’s first full offseason rages onward.
With the Buckeyes already having reclaimed the services of Meechie Johnson Jr. from South Carolina, portal attrition from four players – three that played a significant role in 2023-24 – gives Ohio State exactly three open scholarships as well.
Starting shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr. is taking his talents elsewhere, as are rotational pieces in guard Scotty Middleton and forward Zed Key along with reserve guard Bowen Hardman.
Diebler’s transfer to-do list includes adding a shooting and scoring wing to replace at least some of Jamison Battle’s production, a big to provide depth down low with Felix Okpara and Devin Royal and a guard to give the same to Bruce Thornton and Johnson in the backcourt.
The following nine players are among those available in the transfer portal who have either had confirmed interest from the Buckeyes or would be logical targets based on roster fit and past recruiting interest.
Matt Allocco, Princeton guard
There’s no more prolific shooter on this list than Allocco.
Dropping in 42.7% of his attempts from distance this season, the former Princeton off-guard collected 12.7 points and 3.3 assists per game in 2023-24. Despite his gaudy 3-point percentage, 56% of his shots still come from inside the arc. He’s a two-time second-team All-Ivy League performer hailing less than 20 minutes from Columbus in Hilliard, Ohio.
Allocco has both been offered by and visited Ohio State and is considering the Buckeyes along with Notre Dame, Villanova and Butler, per The Columbus Dispatch.
Jalen Sullinger, Kent State guard
The son of former Ohio State guard JJ Sullinger and nephew of two-time All-American Buckeye center Jared Sullinger, Jalen Sullinger has had contact with Diebler and company as he makes a move from the MAC to prove his mettle at a larger program.
A career 39.9% 3-point shooter who averaged a team-high 15.4 points per contest in 2023-24, Sullinger will have one year of eligibility remaining at his next school, as will Allocco.
Bronny James, USC guard
There are a lot of directions Bronny James, son of future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James, could go.
USC Trojans freshman guard Bronny James will enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and will also enter the transfer portal, he said on Instagram Friday. pic.twitter.com/uZlqrfQPvb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 5, 2024
He’ll have his share of collegiate suitors, even if there’s work to be done in his development after a freshman season averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per contest for the Trojans. James is also entering the NBA draft process to potentially join his father in the professional ranks, though he is maintaining his collegiate eligibility and has until May 29 to decide whether to remain in the draft.
One of the possible roads James could take does lead to Value City Arena, though. There are obvious Ohio State ties through his father, a noted Buckeye fan, native Ohioan and frequent shoe provider to the men's hoops, women's hoops and football programs. The Buckeyes were also heavily involved in Bronny’s initial recruitment.
Selton Miguel, USF guard
While the other guards listed above have clear pre-existing Ohio State ties, Miguel is one contacted by Diebler and staff that doesn’t seem to have any.
Since entering the transfer portal, Selton Miguel has heard from
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 7, 2024
Louisville
Michigan
Providence
Nevada
Dayton
Texas
Illinois
Villanova
Ohio state
Cincinnati
Texas Tech
DePaul
Virginia
SMU
Texas A&M
BYU
UCF
He averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 pic.twitter.com/sI9RMT9qil
Originally from Angola, Miguel played his first two seasons at Kansas State, scoring exactly 7.2 points per game in each campaign. His best field-goal percentage stood at 37.5%, though, and he transferred to South Florida ahead of 2022-23.
This year served as a giant breakout for Miguel in his penultimate collegiate season. He put up a career-high 14.7 points per game and shot 39% from outside despite never previously shooting better than 33% in a season from 3-point distance. As such, a multitude of marquee programs are interested in his services, also including Louisville, Michigan, Texas, Illinois, Villanova and Virginia, among others.
Rowan Brumbaugh, Georgetown guard
Brumbaugh is another portal prospect at guard that Ohio State has been in contact with. There’s more of a leg up here than on the surface for a Washington, D.C. native, too, as a source has told Eleven Warriors that he grew up a Buckeye fan.
In his first season of college basketball, Brumbaugh averaged 8.3 points and 2.6 assists per game. Still developing as a shooter, he converted a respectable 37% of his triples in 2023-24.
The split in experience between Diebler’s current guard targets is intriguing. Brumbaugh joins James as targets who have played just one year of college basketball while Allocco, Sullinger and Miguel have just one year of eligibility remaining.
Otega Oweh, Oklahoma wing
Oweh is searching for a new destination after taking a great leap forward in 2023-24. Ohio State is reportedly “gaining traction” with the 6-5 wing, as are Oregon, Vanderbilt, Illinois and Texas A&M.
After putting up just 4.8 points per game in his freshman season, Oweh posted 11.4 points, one assist and 1.5 steals per contest as a sophomore with the Sooners, flexing some two-way firepower. His 3-point percentage ticked up from 25% to 37.7% – though just 19.2% of his shots come from outside – and he shot an efficient 49.3% from the field overall.
Adou Thiero, Kentucky wing
Thiero offers more length than Oweh at 6-foot-8, but the two are similarly interior-oriented with Thiero taking just 16.6% of his shots from distance in 2023-24. He made 31.8% of his 3-point looks this year.
A high-flyer in transition, Thiero could replace parts of what both Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr. offered the Buckeyes in the fast break, and he’s a scrappy rebounder with five boards per game in just 21.4 minutes. With three years of eligibility remaining, he’s another player who could be a long-term piece as well.
Carey Booth, Notre Dame forward
Booth has emerged as the top target to date down low for Ohio State. He picked up 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for Notre Dame as a freshman after becoming a starter midway through the season. He closed the year strong, averaging 9.1 points per contest in the Fighting Irish’s final eight games of 2023-24.
Per On3, the Buckeyes are a frontrunner for Booth alongside Michigan, Illinois, Texas and Colorado State. Booth is the son of former 11-year NBA veteran Calvin Booth, who is from nearby Groveport, Ohio. Carey attended high school in Colorado, where his dad is general manager of the Denver Nuggets.
Tarris Reed Jr., Michigan center
Rivalry crossovers are rare in the transfer portal, but not unheard of. A sophomore coming off a year putting up nine points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Reed is also likely looking for a starting job, not one coming off the bench behind Felix Okpara at center for Ohio State. But the Buckeyes were a finalist in his initial recruitment out of Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, where he and Okpara were teammates.
