Zed Key Needs Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery, Having Major Effect on Ohio State Basketball

It's a sad day for the Ohio State faithful, as it has been confirmed that forward Zed Key will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Get the full story here!

It was confirmed today that Ohio State forward Zed Key will miss the rest of the regular season after having to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. The news comes as a major blow for the Buckeyes, who rely on Key's contributions in order to compete at their highest potential.

Get the Details on Zed Key's Injury.

Wednesday morning Ohio State's head coach Chris Holtmann revealed that forward Zed Key had sustained a shoulder injury, and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season. Key will undergo surgery at an unspecified time to repair a strained labrum in his shoulder, and is expected to make a full recovery in five months. He is set to begin his rehabilitation process immediately and the Ohio State front office expects him to be fully healthy ahead of next season.

Ohio State's Response to Losing Key.

The Ohio State coaching staff is deeply saddened by the news that Key will miss the remainder of the season, but are doing their best to remain focused on winning games. The team is already working to adjust their offensive and defensive schemes to better adapt to the absence of Key. While the loss of a key contributor will certainly hurt them, they are determined not to allow it to derail their goals for this season.

What to Expect from the Buckeyes Moving Forward.

Without Key's size and presence in the middle of the paint, it is likely that the team will shift to a more perimeter-oriented approach on offense. This move should create more open looks from beyond the arc and allow his teammates to better display their sharpshooting accuracy. On defense, the team will have to adjust from a post-oriented scheme to more of an aggressive perimeter stance as they look to limit opponents’ outside looks and make them take contested shots.

Potential Implications for the Rest of Their Season.

While the news of Key's injury has certainly been devastating to Ohio State's hopes for a turn-around, there are ways in which the team can look to offset their losses. Playing different lineups and adjusting their style of play accordingly could help take away some of the sting from his absence. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for reserves like Eugene Brown III and Felix Okpara to get more playing time if needed. It will be essential for the Buckeyes to continue improving through the final stretch of Big Ten play and adjust to the new circumstances of competing without Key if they want to make their case for a NIT bid come March.

In Ohio State's match-up with Iowa, center Zed Key left the game twice due to his shoulder injury and was unable to return. Read more about this devastating set back for the Buckeyes.

In a heartbreaking match-up against Iowa, the Ohio State Buckeyes suffered a major blow as center Zed Key left the game twice due to a shoulder injury and was unable to return. His absence from the court left his team devastated as they attempted to battle through without him in their line-up. Read more here about this tragic setback for Ohio State.

What is the Extent of Zed Key’s Injury?

While the full extent of Zed Key’s injury is still unknown, it has been reported that he suffered a dislocated right shoulder. He left the court in the first half after attempting to fight for a rebound, then returned later briefly before exiting again and was unable to return. Relief players filled in on the court but Ohio State will miss Zed's physical presence and leadership on the court.

How Could This Affect the Remainder of the Season?

The loss of Zed Key is a huge setback for the Ohio State basketball team. With Key out, the Buckeyes will have to rely on other players to fill in his role as leader. This could put more pressure on other players and affect team morale if they are unable to find an adequate replacement. Key was also one of the best physical presences on the court, so Ohio State may need to adjust their game plan going forward to make up for his absence.

Who Could Step Up And Fill Key’s Role?

With Key likely out for for some time, it is unclear who will be able to take his place on the court and fill his role as leader. There are several contenders for this position, including Eugene Brown and Felix Okpara, all of whom have seen more minutes recently in Key’s absence. Neither of them can replace Key’s physical presence on the court but if any of these players can step up into a larger role it could help alleviate some of the pressure due to his absence.

Eugene Brown III is a 6'7" forward from Conyers, Georgia who is currently playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and was ranked among the top 150 recruits in the country by ESPN. He played 29 games his freshman season, and earned Academic All-Big Ten during his sophomore campaign. Brown averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in his second year of action. He shot 44.2 percent from the floor. Brown has the potential to become a key player for the Buckeyes if Zed Key is out for some time.

Felix Okpara, a freshman center, currently playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes also filed in for Key. He is a 6'11" center from Nigeria who was rated as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports. Okpara has been an impact player in his first year at Ohio State, averaging 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 block per game. He has also been a key part of the Buckeyes' defense. Okpara is a great all-around player who can play both inside and outside and has the potential to be an important piece of the Buckeyes' success in the years to come.

Is There Hope For The Buckeyes To Still Succeed In The Postseason?

Despite suffering a heartbreaking exit from the Ohio State-Iowa match due to Key’s shoulder injury, the Buckeyes still have plenty of reason to be hopeful for postseason success. While his absence is a major blow, there appears to be several players who can help fill in for what Key brought to the team. If these players can step up and contribute, then there is still hope that the Buckeyes will have strong enough performances in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and NIT Tournament to make a run into March Madness.

The Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball Team is perhaps one of the most exciting teams to watch out for in the NCAA basketball tournament this is because of their rooster which has significantly improved throughout the years, especially during the 2022-2023 season wherein they really played as a team and matured enough to face challenging opponents in the tournament. Most of their victories came during these mid-seasons home games wherein they have one of the loudest and most supportive crowds which is why the team is playing inspired basketball in every home game plus the Ohio state buckeyes mens basketball players have future NBA players because of their passion and drive when it comes to the game of basketball. Three of their starting five members that had significantly increased their scoring outputs namely Justice Sueing, Sean Mcneil, and Bruce Thornton.

What These Players Offer

These three players are averaging at least 28 points per game this season and can still go even higher since they are still half of the NCAA season. Due to the increase in scoring outputs, the team had become one of the most powerful teams in the league. Despite the high-scoring outputs from these players, they are also a more well-balanced team such as being able to share the ball and utilizing the talents of their other players, they take less 3 point shots and focused more on taking high-percentage shots such as their inside game and drawing fouls. Aside from their offensive capabilities that have significantly increased, their lock-in defense has also been a key factor in their games since they are one of the few teams today that is capable of suffocating their opponent which leads to steals and turnovers, blocks have also been a key factor in their game since during their training camps they focus on blocking shots without fouling their opponent.

Improvements in the Game

These improvements in their game can be seen as a key factor on why they could become a dark horse in this year's NCAA season as long as the team will remain healthy and continue to improve on their game especially during the playoffs wherein the game gets more intense which is why this team should remain focus and driven in winning that NCAA title. Despite these statistical improvements, there is also the matter of turnovers wherein the team tends to relax when having a huge lead or even in garbage time these can be a huge problem in problem because they can lose focus and start to underestimate their future opponents in tournaments. They should always take every game seriously regardless of who are their opponents whether they are the number one seed or at the bottom, every win is always important.

The NCAA has schools split up into conferences that determine standings, bracket position, and whole lot of cash. Historically, conferences have made up their membership based on regional location. However, in the last decade or so, we've seen conferences shifting and deals being made to support performance and financial sustainability. USC and UCLA have been members of the PAC 12 conference since the 1920's. They've been a staple of the conference that also includes Western-based universities like Stanford, Arizona State, and the University of Utah. In 2024, USC and UCLA will leaving the PAC 12 and joining the BIG 10, which is made up of mostly mid-Western states with hard-hitting reputations in the world of college sports. We're talking about Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio State. The BIG 10 is currently comprised of 14 teams, so these two California teams will make the BIG 10, in reality, the BIG 16. The consequences for the PAC 12 could be detrimental, while the acquisition for the BIG 10 could be considered somewhat of an NCAA monopoly.

Historically, three states produce the most professional football players that go on to play in the NFL: Florida, Texas, and California. There are also more NBA players from California than any other state. Naturally, anyone looking for the next big football or basketball star would start the search in California. By USC leaving the PAC 12 and going to the BIG 10, they take with them a very large football fan base into the mid-west. The same is true for the UCLA basketball program, being consistently one of the top five teams in NCAA basketball year after year. With them moving to the BIG 10, USC and UCLA are providing the conference with an astronomical amount of fans committed to watching their favorite teams during the season. More viewers means higher ratings, and higher ratings means more money for anyone wanting a commercial spot on TV or advertisement space in the programs. More viewers also means higher ticket and merchandise prices along with the fans willing to pay them. This also means that the BIG 10 has a funnel into some of the top athletes having their eye on the NFL and NBA, boosting the BIG 10's reputation for producing professional athletes. The NCAA is a big business and the BIG 10 is playing the money game.

With Duane Washington Jr leaving Ohio State for the NBA draft recently, the Buckeyes were looking for a guard to add to the roster and found Louisiana Lafayette 6’2” guard Cedric Russell. He will be eligible for the 2021-2022 basketball season at Ohio State. He is a transfer who completed four years for the Ragin Cajuns in the Sub Belt conference.

Cedric Russell Sharp Shooter

A sharp shooter from 3 point range, he made 40% from behind the arc, placing him in the top 20 nationally at the division I level. Russell’s average points per game increased over the last three years from 11.4 to 14.4 to 17.2, in his final year. He was also looking at St Johns, Marquette, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma as new destinations.

Russell seems quite enthusiastic about his final two years of college ball being played at a major Big Ten program like OSU.

Ohio State Men’s Basketball 2021-2022

Ohio State’s 2021 season begins against Akron on November 9th. Chris Holtmann also added guard Jamari Wheeler from Penn State for the upcoming season, a player that is known for defense. Wheeler replaces point guard CJ Walker on the roster who graduated at end of last season.

Cedric Russell Sunbelt highlights

Duane Washington Jr has declared that he is planning on leaving Ohio State for the NBA Draft effective immediately. All Ohio State basketball fans are waiting to see where Duane Washington Jr will get drafted or will he be an international star like David Lighty. He would have been a senior next season at Ohio State. Take a look at his career in the basketball program and prospects to decide for yourself if you will be a first-round pick:

Duane Washington Jr's College Stats

From the moment he put on a Buckeyes jersey, Duane has been beloved by Ohio fans across the state and country. Now, it's time to look at Duane Washington Jr's stats to see if he has lived up to the hype. For a basketball player, threat and versatility, it's Duane Washington Jr that decides the outcome of the game. Duane Jr stands at 6-3 and 210 pounds with tremendous physical tools that were developed during his prime playing days in high school basketball. He played three years at Ohio State with his minutes per game increasing each year along with his average points per game, 7 in 2018 to 16.4 in 2020. His assists per game steadily rose from 1.1 as a freshman to 2.9 in his 3rd year. He was also able to grab more rebounds per game, finishing with 3.4 a game as a Junior.

Chances of Being a First-Round Pick For Duane Washington Jr

You've heard about the massive transformation that Duane Washington Jr. is implementing with his basketball game. He shot 41.0% from the field last year and was the the most consistent player for Chris Holtmann as a junior. And with an incredibly athletic build and high basketball IQ---Washington could be a devastating scorer for any team that drafts him. Therefore, it is likely that teams that are rebuilding their bench will sign him in the upcoming draft. If teams do pass on him in the second round, you can be sure to see him on a NBA G league roster next year.

How Wise Was It For Duane Washington Jr To Declare for the draft

It is not every day a player leaves the school in the midst of his final year of eligibility. When Duane Washington Jr originally committed to Ohio State, there was a big celebration by Buckeye fans. He also posed for pictures next to a poster of himself wearing an Ohio State jersey. This then led him to work out with his future teammates, including Keita Bates Diop and C.J. Jackson. Recently he made himself eligible for the NBA draft but still leave open the possibility of returning to the Buckeyes. But late June saw him take the final step and remain in the draft ending his college career.

Scouts feel that he is an above average athlete that sometimes takes questionable shots. That he is a good shooter and excellent from the foul line but does not tend to draw fouls. He handles the ball well but did not produce the assists they would like to see in a college guard. And that he is good at defensive but could improve his focus and rebounding.

Ohio State’s 2020-2021 men’s basketball schedule is out and the first game of the season is only 6 days away. The Buckeyes welcome in three new freshman in power forward Zed Key, shooting guard Eugene Brown III and point guard Meechie Johnson. Johnson reclassified to be a part of this season after Abel Porter was ruled medically unable to play. They also will be joined by three transfers in point guard Jimmy Sotos, small forward Justice Sueing and power forward Seth Towns. Returning starters include point guard CJ Walker, shooting guard Duane Washington Jr and power forward Kyle Young. Other players returning include small forward Justin Ahrens, small forward Musa Jallow, power forward EJ Liddell and center Ibrahima Diallo.

Ohio State Basketball Preseason

Wed Nov 25
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Illinois State Columbus, Ohio
2:00 pm

Sun Nov 29
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
UMass-Lowell Columbus, Ohio
4:00 pm

Wed Dec 2
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Morehead State Columbus, Ohio
5:00 pm

Sat Dec 5
Alabama A&M
vs.
Alabama A&M Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Tue Dec 8
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Notre Dame South Bend, Ind.
TBA

Wed Dec 16
Purdue
vs.
Purdue West Lafayette, Ind.
TBA

Sat Dec 19
North Carolina
vs.
North Carolina Cleveland, Ohio
2:00 pm

Ohio State Big Ten Schedule

Wed Dec 23
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Rutgers Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sat Dec 26
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Northwestern Evanston, Ill.
TBA

Wed Dec 30
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Nebraska Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sun Jan 3
Minnesota
vs.
Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn.
TBA

Wed Jan 6
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Penn State Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sat Jan 9
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Rutgers Piscataway, N.J.
TBA

Wed Jan 13
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Northwestern Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sat Jan 16
Illinois Invitational
vs.
Illinois Champaign, Ill.
TBA

Sat Jan 23
Wisconsin Logo
vs.
Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
TBA

Wed Jan 27
Purdue
vs.
Purdue Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sun Jan 31
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Michigan State Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Thu Feb 4
Iowa
vs.
Iowa Iowa City, Iowa
TBA

Mon Feb 8
Maryland
vs.
Maryland College Park, Md.
TBA

Sat Feb 13
Indiana
vs.
Indiana Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Thu Feb 18
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Penn State University Park, Pa.
TBA

Sun Feb 21
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Michigan Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Thu Feb 25
Ohio State Buckeyes
vs.
Michigan State East Lansing, Mich.
TBA

Sun Feb 28
Iowa
vs.
Iowa Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Sat Mar 6
Illinois Invitational
vs.
Illinois Columbus, Ohio
TBA

Ohio State landed Bucknell guard transfer Jimmy Sotos this past week to help their depleted numbers after a number of Buckeye players entered the NCAA transfer portal. Ohio State lost Luther Muhammad, DJ Carton, and Alonzo Gaffney to transfers prior to Sotos selecting them. Sotos had the opportunity to play at Minnesota, Gonzaga, Butler, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Ohio State or Missouri in 2021. He will redshirt his first season in Columbus and will hit the hardwood as starting point guard CJ Walker graduates.

What Jimmy Sotos Offers

Sotos is a tall 6’3” point guard coming out of Illinois, Conant High School. He was born in Elk Grove Village Illinois. He is what Ohio State has looked for in guards the last couple of seasons, a seasoned veteran that will sit a year and then come in as a starter.

Sotos started 77 games at Bucknell in his three years with the Bisons. He averaged 8 points a game with 3.9 assist and 3.4 boards. He was 37.1% from behind the arc his third year in college.

Why Ohio State?

Sotos got along well with Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and Ryan Pedon. Bucknell fans were a little surprised with the news of his transfer, but he feels this is the next step in his college career. He was only in the transfer portal for 3 days when his transfer to OSU was announced on his twitter account. Sotos felt that he could compete at a high level after having good games against Syracuse, Ohio State, TCU, Penn State, and North Carolina while at Bucknell.

With in-person visits banned during the COVID 19 pandemic, Sotos had to make a transfer decision without a visit. He relied on Zoom meetings and online research to determine the best location for his next two years.

Highlights: Bucknell at Ohio State | Big Ten Basketball

It won't be long before the talented Ohio State Buckeyes team makes another go at it, this time against Purdue Fort Wayne. There are a lot of returning players and the biggest name is Junior Center Kaleb Wesson. He actually threw his name into the NBA draft last year but decided to return for another year. Last year, he averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds. The only scholarship senior with the basketball club is Kaleb's older brother Andre who is a premiere force on the defensive end. Since he is the only senior on the team, he is expected to be a leader for the team. The freshmen and sophomores will certainly hear a lot from him as the league goes along. Walk-on Danny Hummer is also returning as a red-shirt Senior for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State Returning Starters

Two more starters are also returning in Forward Kyle Young and Guard Luther Muhammad. Muhammad is poised for a breakout year after his production took a dip last year with a shoulder injury. He is expected to bounce back this year after he noticeably put a lot of work in before the season started.

Buckeye Freshman Class

The freshmen class is pretty deep with Center Ibrahima Diallo, Forward Alonzo Gaffney, Forward E.J Liddell and Guard DJ Carton. All these players are expected to contribute right away. In fact, Wesson, Carton and Liddell are known to be called State Mr. Basketball in the past so they are expected to play a lot of minutes this year. We've already seen Carton play a significant amount of time at Point Guard with Liddell coming in to relieve Kaleb Wesson when he needs a break.

OSU Coaches

Coach Chris Holtmann is entering his third season as coach of the Buckeyes and things turned out the way he hoped it would be in the past two years. He guided the team to the NCAA tournament the past two years and they are expected to do so again this year. Last year was a little rough after the loss of JaeSean Tate (Graduated) and Keita Bates-Diop (NBA). They finished 20-15 and 8-12 in the Big Ten conference.

One player who won't be returning this year to the lineup of the Buckeyes is CJ Jackson but the Buckeyes already have pegged CJ Walker as his replacement at point guard. He missed the entire year with an injury but he figures to return this year better than ever.

Ohio State v Cincinnati

The Buckeyes lead Cincinnati all time in their head to head matchup and the first game of the season was no different for Ohio State. In fact, the Buckeyes won the last 3 games against the Bearcats so they were expected to be favored in the game. It was held in a different place this time around than prior years. And the Bearcats did not have too many players returning from last year. They had a lot of new faces coming in and were welcoming the challenge of facing the Buckeyes prior to the defeat. For the Cincinnati game, all eyes were on Jarron Cumberland and Buckeyes threw a lot of good defenders at him. Only time will tell if he will be able to be successful operating in the low post in later games this season.

In Ohio State's exhibition games, the Buckeyes showed a lot of depth. They have a lot of players who can excel when they are needed. The game with Cincinnati was expected to go down the wire since the Bearcats don't go down without a fight. Last year, the Buckeyes started the year with a 12-1 record but they suffered a few losses after that. With most of their good players returning, great things are expected to come.

No. 18 Ohio State holds on late vs. Cincinnati in defensive battle | FOX COLLEGE HOOPS HIGHLIGHTS

Zed Key, a 6'7 215 pound power forward from Glen Head New York committed to Ohio State on September 22. Key, who attends Long Island Lutheran High School, is the 2nd commitment for the 2020 class for head coach Chris Holtmann. Key is considered the 185th best player overall and the 37th best power forward in the class of 2020 by 247 sports. Key chose the Buckeyes over Florida, Cincinnati, and Illinois among others. Key's commitment did not come as a huge surprise as Ohio State was the only school Zed traveled to for an official visit. Prior to his commitment Zed had unofficially visited Florida, St. John's, Virginia Tech and several other east coast schools.

Zed Key and the NBA Top 100 Camp

Key played this summer on the Adidas Circuit with the New York Jayhawks averaging 13 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 62.4% from the field. Key does not have a 3 point shot as he attempted just 4 over the 13 games played (making 1), but he does show a nice touch from the free throw line for a big man making 28 of his 38 attempts (73.7%). It was his performance at the NBA top 100 camp in June that reportedly really got the Buckeyes attention. In a small sample size of 4 games, Zed scoring stayed about the same (13.5 points), but he upped his rebounding (6.5 rebounds) and especially his blocks (2.5 per game). While you have to again not the small sample size that ability to be a force on the defensive end in addition to his efficient scoring had to make Key that much more of an attractive target for Coach Holtmann.

Keys Official Visit to Ohio State

The Buckeyes have told Zed that they envision him playing the 4 and the 5 when he takes the floor in Columbus next fall. The Buckeyes view Key as a physical post presence, but also let him know that playing the 3 (small forward) is a possibility if his outside shot improves. I think that is unlikely as most big men coming to school want to play on the perimeter, so this is probably a case of telling a recruit something they want to hear in addition to what they need to hear. Expect Key to play exclusively at the 4 and 5 during his tenure at Ohio State and for most of his offense to come within 15 feet of the basket. The coaching staff and the basketball facilities stood out as major positives for Zed during his visit to Columbus and were major factors in his decision to become a Buckeye. Zed's parents were impressed with the family atmosphere around the Buckeye program which added to their comfort in having their son commit to a school further from home than many of his other options.

Ohio State's class of 2021 just got a big boost by getting a verbal commitment from local high school junior Meechie Johnson. OSU was at the top of Johnson's list of potential schools as they had offered him a scholarship before he played a single game of high school ball. ESPN ranks Johnson as the 40th best prospect and 2nd best in the state of Ohio.

Bio - Meechie Johnson Lebron James

Johnson is 5-11 and 160 pounds and plays combination guard. He projects as an NBA point guard. He is the son of Meechie Johnson Sr. who played for OSU assistant coaches Ryan Pedon and Terry Johnson in his collegiate career. Meechie is also the nephew of Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson. Johnson Jr. played his first 2 years at Garfield Heights before transferring this season, his junior year, to the International Sports Academy located in nearby Willoughby, OH. Johnson is often referred to as "nephew" by NBA star Lebron James as Johnson's father and James grew up balling together. Lebron has been seen at Garfield games alongside fellow NBAers Dwyane Wade and JR Smith.

Other Scholarship Offers

Johnson had received offers from several other schools: Local schools included Cleveland State, Miami of Ohio, and Youngstown State as well as the Big-10's Indiana, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Other schools included the University of Miami and Florida. His only official visit was to OSU

ESPN Scouting Report

Varying sites have Johnson listed between 5-10 and 6-3. He is a scoring machine having averaged 23.0 points per game as a sophomore and dropping a 50-spot against the 4th ranked local team in just his 2nd game of high school ball. He has never played below the varsity level in high school. He'll be sitting out his junior year at the International Sports Academy while recovering from an ACL injury suffered in March of this year. ISA is prep school where basketball is played year-round. ISA enables players to play 5 years although Johnson remains committed to play for OSU in 2021.

The Ohio State Buckeyes recently welcomed freshman Harrison Hookfin to their roster as a walk-on for the 2018 to 2019 season. The new forward is the 14th player on the roster and is set to start playing once the NCAA clears him.

Bio

During Hookfin’s junior and senior year, he underwent an advantageous growth spurt and now reaches a height of 6’5. Weighing 220lbs and named the Athlete of the Week by the Drayton Daily News, Hookfin has a promising career as a college basketball player.

Harrison Hookfin played for the Warriors high school basketball team in his hometown of Lebanon, Ohio. After the Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann professed his desire to increase the player size of his roster, Kyle Davis discovered Hookfin, who is now #42 on the Buckeye’s team.

In his interview with the Dayton Daily News, Hookfin remarked that his father, who pushes him to be better, is his greatest influence. In addition, he named Lebron James as his favorite pro athlete because the basketball superstar is a great role model. While Hookfin is also pursuing a college career in basketball, he also plans to enter medical school and study to be a doctor.

Playing Ability

Ohio State’s new forward played a pivotal role in his high school basketballs team’s success. Averaging 14.2 points per game and shooting 52.2 percent from the floor, Hookfin helped his team finish the season with a 14-8 advantage. Not to mention, 34.3 percent of his successful shots were from the 3-point range, and he acquired 7.1 rebounds for the Warriors during his last high school season.

Ohio State acquires D.J. Carton for 2019. On Saturday, Ohio State obtained a big commitment by persuading D.J. Carton, the five-star point guard from the Class of 2019, to join their ranks.

Emerged from Obscurity

Carlton, who stands at five foot eleven inches, made a splash on the national recruitment arena this spring, when he emerged from obscurity to be a top prospect. While Carton does not play on any big shoe company circuits, he impressed college coaches and national scouts with his abilities over the April live assessment with Quad Elite Cities --- the same group that produced top players such as Montana State's Tyler Hall and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ.

A dynamic player who can function over the rim, Carton displayed many attributes during the American Basketball Under Eighteen trials in June, while competing against lots of the leading athletes in his group.

Second Round to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Keita Bates-Diop was pick number forty eight for the Minnesota Timber Wolves in the recent 2018 NBA Draft, his name many are already familiar. Bates- Diop's place on the board into the second round of picks was unexpected because he has already demonstrated his skills as part of the Big Ten. With the experience that he has in college, he is expected to be a strong asset to the team.

Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota head coach, expressed surprise at him remaining after the first round of picks in the Draft. He attributes his late selection to the high number of skilled players from which to choose. Thibodeau stated they picked him due to his performance during a workout and his past year at Ohio State.

CJ Walker, who is a transfer from Florida State, will go to Ohio State at the weekend, according to reports.

The crew headed by Chris Holtmann will welcome the Seminole former guard.

Now that their initial season as Buckeyes leaders is out of the way, Holtmann - along with the coaching team at Ohio State - has been working hard to contact several transfer prospects who are available.

Jon Rothstein, from CBS Sports, reports that Holtmann and Co will soon get the opportunity to show college basketball's top guard transfer what he could expect if he became a student/athlete for the Buckeyes.