Thad Matta and the Ohio State basketball program got off to a blazing start in the 2014 recruiting cycle and should finish with one of the highest-ranked classes in the country.
In fact, Matta’s group of four commits was recently ranked No. 2 by 247sports.com behind only North Carolina. Three of Ohio State’s 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.
The Buckeyes are not done recruiting and are desperately searching for a big man to provide some long-term depth behind the inconsistent Amir Williams. Read on to see where the Scarlet and Gray stand with some of their top targets in 2014.
Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor is the ultimate prize for teams looking for big men in the 2014 class. Ohio State is certainly one of those teams.
If the Buckeyes are going to shock the nation and land Okafor though, they are going to have to make up a lot of ground against some of the nation’s best programs.
As the roster stands now, Thad Matta has only one remaining scholarship to hand out (it would become two if LaQuinton Ross declared for the NBA after the season), and Okafor insists he is playing college ball with point guard Tyus Jones.
Duke has to be considered the favorites to land both Okafor and Jones at this point. In fact, Ohio State probably won’t even receive an official visit from Okafor despite Jared Sullinger’s early efforts in mentoring the prospect.
If you are hoping Ohio State lands a Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. 2.0 combination in Jones and Okafor, you will in all likelihood be quite disappointed.
Continue Reading: Ohio State Basketball Recruiting: Where Buckeyes Stand with Top 2014 Targets
