Somewhere in an attic, garage or landfill in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, there's a children's basketball hoop that kickstarted the evolution of John Mobley Jr.'s jump shot.
Practically since he could walk, Mobley's been training to put orange spheroids into white nets. His father, John Mobley Sr., played professionally in Austria and provided the younger John with his first lessons.
"I started at a very, very young age with a little hoop, just with my dad shooting on a – I wouldn't even say an eight-(foot), like a six-foot hoop," Mobley told Eleven Warriors at Ohio State basketball's media day. "Started from there, building my way up. By the time I was in second grade, I was able to shoot from the volleyball line."
Dubbed "the Sniper" in 247Sports' 2024 basketball recruiting class superlatives, Ohio State coach Jake Diebler called him one of the best shooters in the country regardless of recruiting class this summer. And he's poised to showcase his shot as he mixes into the Buckeyes' guard rotation alongside Bruce Thornton, Meechie Johnson Jr. and Ques Glover.
“He’s a gifted scorer,” Diebler said at Big Ten Media Days. “The one thing I appreciate about him is he’s confident and he’s fearless. He’s improved in all areas of his game, and I think you’re starting to see more consistency after getting through a full summer and first part of the preseason.”
Mobley credits his dad for teaching him everything he knows about the sport of basketball. The key to becoming a prolific range threat, he said, is simply practice.
"Just getting a lot of reps in," Mobley said. "Reps are very important. Just sticking with it."
As his marksman designation in the class superlatives might indicate, Mobley established himself as one of the nation's best shooters from downtown as a senior. Playing against fellow top-tier prospects in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League, Mobley made 41.5% of his shots from 3 on 5.9 attempts per game.
Mobley landed MaxPreps Player of the Year honors in the state of Utah for his performance in 2023-24, scoring 21.5 points, dishing out 5.4 assists and swiping two steals per game. Wasatch Academy went 17-7 against some of the best schools around the country with Mobley in tow, as the Tigers took on famed juggernauts like Montverde, IMG Academy and Long Island Lutheran. He also earned an invite to the High School Rockin' Protein Men's 3-Point Shootout.
The centerpiece of Ohio State's two-man 2024 recruiting class alongside three-star small forward Colin White, Mobley was considered the No. 49 overall prospect and No. 6 combo guard in the 247Sports composite rankings.
"I can score the ball in a variety of ways," Mobley said. "Obviously shooting 3s, a little long ball here and there, and just coming off the screen making the right read if it's a pull-up floater or if it's dishing it to a teammate."
After growing up in the Columbus suburb of Reynoldsburg, Mobley moved to Las Vegas ahead of his freshman season of high school basketball, electing to play for a program that could accelerate his development in Bishop Gorman. After three seasons there, he transferred to Wasatch for his final campaign.
Through his final two years west of the Rocky Mountains, however, he knew he'd be returning home. Mobley pledged his services to the Buckeyes on Oct. 16, 2022, two and a half years before he'd actually arrive on campus.
"Definitely a dream come true to be able to put up for the city that I'm from," Mobley said. "So, definitely can't wait."
“Definitely a dream come true to be able to put up for the city that I'm from.”– John Mobley on coming home to play for Ohio State
With the Buckeyes' top two 3-point shooters gone from last year in Jamison Battle and Scotty Middleton, Mobley's acumen knocking down triples is welcome on the roster. That doesn't mean there won't be freshman lumps; Mobley went 2-of-7 from the field in Ohio State's 80-62 exhibition loss to No. 20 Cincinnati on Friday, though he did can one 3-pointer in three attempts.
"He's gonna have a big role this year," Thornton said after the game. "He's just growing mentally and physically, so it's gonna take some time, but when he starts figuring it out, just keep rolling and keep staying the course like he's been doing, he's gonna be alright."
Thornton, a multi-time captain who's started every game at point guard for Ohio State since the first contest of his freshman year in 2022-23, has taken on a mentorship role for Mobley. With second-year guard Taison Chatman out for the season with a torn ACL, the Buckeyes are going to need minutes out of their prized freshman.
"Just seeing how poised he is," Mobley said of what he's taken from Thornton. "Making the right plays most of the time, just always going. Even mentoring me, just telling me what's right from wrong and where to be sometimes in certain spots."
Mobley is already feeling a chemistry building with his new teammates overall. He and the lot open their regular season against Texas in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series on Nov. 4. Tipoff is at 10 p.m. on TNT.
"I feel like it's perfect pieces," Mobley said. "We have a very unselfish team, which is actually really good. Nobody's scared to make that one more (pass). You know, sometimes you have your moments, but I feel like overall we're very unselfish."
