Momentum is a real thing on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. Jake Diebler and Ohio State have momentum right now.
Having already landed star guard Meechie Johnson Jr. from South Carolina in the transfer portal and his cousin Marcus Johnson, a five-star prospect in the backcourt from the recruiting class of 2026, Diebler picked up the pledge of a five-star recruit from the class of 2023 in Kentucky transfer center Aaron Bradshaw on Monday.
Bradshaw’s massive pedigree as the No. 4 overall recruit and No. 1 prospect at center in the 247Sports composite for his 2023 class is only outdone by his physical size as he measures in at 7-foot-1 and a lean 226 pounds.
In his inaugural collegiate season, Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game in just 13.7 minutes a contest. He showed glimpses of 3-point potential, hitting 4 of his 14 shots from distance, 28.6%. He shot an efficient 57.6% from the field overall, with two-thirds of his shots coming around the rim.
Frontcourt depth was a definite need for the Buckeyes in the portal this cycle. Bradshaw addresses those concerns and then some.
What Bradshaw brings to the Buckeyes
Diebler’s made the vision for his Ohio State outfit clear: he wants to run the floor, play aggressively and roll depth to keep players fresh. Bradshaw’s skill set at center is a fantastic fit for that mentality.
Bradshaw runs the floor about as well as possible for a player possessing 85 inches of height, with the hops to be a threat on the receiving end of alley-oops and as a shot blocker on the defensive side of things.
His athletic traits give him a ceiling skyscrapers are jealous of, but refinement of his post game will be necessary to unlock his full potential as a scorer. A touch of weight could help him deal with the physicality of Big Ten centers, but it will be a delicate balance to maintain the athleticism that makes him such a promising player.
What makes Bradshaw’s addition all the more impressive is that it’s unclear exactly what his role will be. Starting center Felix Okpara is returning for his junior season with the Buckeyes in 2024-25, taking a big step in his sophomore campaign with 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, the latter number second-most in the Big Ten.
Bradshaw has the versatility to play the power forward position if the Buckeyes want to play a large lineup, but the more likely option is Bradshaw being the top big off the bench. Diebler has shown he’s willing to give his depth pieces plenty of minutes to maintain a high pace, and Bradshaw and Okpara could make one of the best one-two punches at center in the conference if not the country.
Devin Royal is the more likely candidate to pencil into the starting power forward spot for the Buckeyes at this stage. Austin Parks provides further depth at center to round out the roster in the frontcourt.
Beyond the bounds of what’s already built
Diebler made an important statement about his long-term viability as Ohio State head coach with the addition of Bradshaw.
Meechie and Marcus Johnson had pre-existing relationships with Diebler, the former playing in Columbus for his first two collegiate seasons. Bradshaw didn’t have prior ties to the Buckeyes, at least none that were known.
Diebler’s recruiting acumen as the lead collector of talent for Chris Holtmann – he proved integral in the signing of the No. 8 recruiting classes nationally in both 2022 and 2023 – wasn’t under much question once he got the Ohio State job. But there’s still a massive difference between recruiting as an assistant and recruiting as a head coach. Diebler sold a five-star talent on his program and didn’t need the advantage of some former connection to do so.
This continues a trend of Diebler proving he’ll fight for the best options possible to build his program moving forward. The other move in this vein is the hiring of assistant coach Joel Justus from N.C. State, a massive name in the assistant coaching world with a deep background of recruiting and player development but, again, no apparent previous ties to Ohio State.
Remaining portal needs
| NAME | POS | HT | WT | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATT ALLOCCO | G | 6-4 | 197 | PRINCETON |
| BRONNY JAMES | G | 6-4 | 210 | USC |
| JALEN SULLINGER | G | 5-10 | 172 | KENT STATE |
| SELTON MIGUEL | G | 6-4 | 210 | USF |
| RYAN CONWELL | G | 6-4 | 195 | INDIANA STATE |
| ROWAN BRUMBAUGH | G | 6-4 | 183 | GEORGETOWN |
| TREY TOWNSEND | F | 6-6 | 228 | OAKLAND |
| ADOU THIERO | F | 6-8 | 222 | KENTUCKY |
| GREAT OSOBOR | F | 6-8 | 250 | UTAH STATE |
| TUCKER ANDERSON | F | 6-9 | 190 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
| JAKOBE COLES | F | 6-8 | 215 | TCU |
Bradshaw’s commitment checks the box for big-man depth in the transfer portal. Two clear needs remain for the Buckeyes, who have two more scholarships available.
The first is on the wing, where they still need production to replace star sharpshooter Jamison Battle, who exhausted his eligibility, and Scotty Middleton, who entered the transfer portal.
There’s a need for shooters to space the floor as either small or power forwards, but a three-level scorer would be optimal given the scoring production the Buckeyes are looking to replace. Targets that have emerged so far include Kentucky’s Adou Thiero – a teammate of Bradshaw’s – Utah State’s Great Osobor, TCU’s JaKobe Coles, Central Arkansas’ Tucker Anderson and Oakland’s Trey Townsend. Anderson and Townsend are both visiting Ohio State later this week.
Guard depth is the other need for the Buckeyes, preferably again with someone who can space the floor. Princeton guard Matt Allocco has emerged as perhaps the top target to watch here, taking an official visit to Ohio State this past weekend. Other names connected with the Buckeyes include USC’s Bronny James, Georgetown’s Rowan Brumbaugh, Indiana State’s Ryan Conwell – another player set to visit Columbus and one who could be a small-ball wing if needed – USF’s Selton Miguel and Kent State’s Jalen Sullinger.
