Update on Ohio State’s 2024 basketball recruiting

Who have the Buckeyes already reached out too?

Starting last Thursday, college basketball coaches were officially allowed to reach out personally to 2024 recruits, ending the dead period and starting the summer that coaches have to focus on both their 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.

Like all other schools, Ohio State and Chris Holtmann wasted no time reaching out to recruits and the players that they have their sights set on. It is hard to truly gauge scholarships and spots open right now with the transfer portal, but you can pretty much guarantee Ohio State will add at least a couple recruits, as they have not been one of these teams to only utilize the portal over recruiting. The Buckeyes have done a good mix of both.

The Buckeyes also have some serious momentum when it comes to recruiting. In the 2021 class, the Buckeyes brought in Malaki Branham — the 2021 Mr. Basketball in the state of Ohio and a one-and-done who was just drafted to the San Antonio Sours in the first round — as well as Kalen Etzler, one of the top guys in the state of Ohio. In 2022, the Buckeyes brought in four top-60 ranked players, and so far in the 2023 class, the Buckeyes have signed a top-30 player in the class (George Washington III) and a great big man in Austin Parks.

Their 2022 class finished sixth in the country, and their 2023 class currently sits at ninth in the country with two commits.

So who are the Buckeyes keen on in the 2024 class? Let’s walk through it.

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Tyler McKinley

McKinley is someone who the Buckeyes are absolutely going to prioritize and give the full court press as the top ranked player in the state right now. He is ranked 60th in the country by 247Sports. He was contacted by most Ohio schools immediately, and as a high schooler who goes to Walnut Hills in Cincinnati, the local Bearcats have the early lead in his recruitment. He has also said as much.

The 6-foot-8, 210 pound power forward will be one of the top guys to watch over the next season, and it will be interesting to see if he leans more towards Cincinnati or if another school gains some ground.

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Amier Ali

Ali was one of the earliest 2024 recruits that Ohio State reached out to, and holds an offer from the Buckeyes. The one caveat to the recruitment of Ali is Tony Skinn was the lead recruiter for him, and has since moved on from the Buckeyes to take a job at Maryland. So it is remains to be seen if Jack Owens and Jake Diebler will pick up where Skinn left off with Ali.

As is evident, the list of schools interested in Ali is quite large and will likely only grow, so the Buckeyes will need as much of the good will they have saved up possible.

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Darren Harris

Other programs that confirmed interest and have contacted Harris are Maryland, Missouri and George Washington. Harris is already a top-50 guy in the rankings and is coming off an injury, so a big time junior season and a jump in the rankings would not be out of the norm.

Harris is a 6-foot-6, 195 pound small forward who is ranked No. 49 on 247Sports for the 2024 class, the No. 14 small forward in the cycle and the No. 2 player in the state of Virginia. Harris is currently rated as a four-star recruit. All of the numbers could go up or down, but with the talent that Harris has, as long as he stays healthy over the next year and a half, his place in the rankings will likely rise, and he could become a major player in the 2024 class, if he is not already.

St. Paul VI Catholic is also a top prep program in the country in developing talent at the high school level recently. Duke’s Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach as well as Michigan signee Dug McDaniel all came from the Fairfax school, and they continue to produce top talent with guys like Harris.

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Raleigh Burgess

Burgess is another top-100 recruit the Buckeyes have shown interest in from the jump. Burgess is a 6-foot-10 big man from Cincinnati, and would likely join Felix Okpara and Austin Parks on the Buckeyes in 2024, as long as those two guys are still there.

Burgess has moved quickly with the Buckeyes, as the interest was first shown two weeks ago. Since then, Burgess has visited Ohio State and received an offer. That would imply the interest is mutual.

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Jonathan Powell

Powell is an Ohio Kid from Centerville, so he is one of the guys that the Buckeyes feel they have a decent chance with.

He holds offers from Illinois, Cincinnati, Xavier, Dayton, Texas A&M and Indiana, and has visited Indiana, Illinois, Cincinnati and Ohio State. Powell is a shooting guard and at 6-foot-6, 170 pounds is someone who can shoot up the rankings next season.

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Jadyn Harris

Harris is one of the guys that is lesser known in terms of actual interest and engagement, but it was confirmed the Buckeyes at least reached out to him. As a top-50 guy, he will be an interesting prospect to watch to see how aggressively the Buckeyes go after him depending on how many scholarships they have.

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Jason Asemota

One of the highest-ranked prospects the Buckeyes have been in contact with, Asemota is a recruit that has shot up the ranking boards and will likely only continue to do so. Since the Buckeyes offered him back in October, he has moved from 40th to 21st in the 247Sports rankings.