Ohio State Basketball Recruiting: Buckeyes’ Biggest Competition for 2014 Targets

There is still plenty of time between now and college basketball signing day, but look for Ohio State’s 2014 class to be one of the best in the country.

The Buckeyes’ group was recently ranked No. 2 by 247sports.com behind only North Carolina.

In fact, Thad Matta already has four commits heading to Columbus as of now, while many of the national powers don’t even have a single one. Three of those four prospects are expected to contribute right away. Per Scout.com, D’Angelo Russell and Keita Bates-Diop are 5-star recruits, while Jae’sean Tate is a 4-star and Dave Bell is a 3-star.

While many schools would be more than satisfied with what Matta has already brought in for 2014, Ohio State is not done recruiting. The Scarlet and Gray would love to add another big man given the lack of depth they have behind Amir Williams (who is already a junior), but there is stiff competition on the recruiting trail.

Let’s take a look at that competition for some of the Buckeyes’ primary targets on a recruit-by-recruit basis.

Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor is the ultimate prize for teams looking for big men in the 2014 recruiting cycle, and Ohio State has an incredibly steep uphill battle if it hopes to land his services.

The fact of the matter is the Buckeyes’ biggest competition for Okafor is his own insistence on playing with point guard prospect Tyus Jones at the collegiate level. Matta probably only has one remaining scholarship…

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