Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes getting bigger and better

Chris Holtmann already had an excellent 2019 Ohio State recruiting class but it got even bigger and better with the latest commit.

Coach Holtmann has addressed the weakness on his Ohio State basketball team with this year’s recruiting class. The Buckeyes will be bigger when they take the court next season and that will certainly make them better.

Last season Ohio State often struggled against taller Big Ten teams especially when Kaleb Wesson wasn’t on the floor. Yesterday, center Ibrahima Diallo committed to the 2019 class.

The seven-foot Diallo, along with the two forwards already signed, will give coach Holtmann three more guys who can play in the paint.

He joins 6 ft. 9, 190 pound small forward Alonzo Gaffney and 6 ft. 6, 220 pound power forward E.J. Liddell in the class. The scouting report on Gaffney, per 247Sports, is that he can play either forward spot.

The report on Liddell is that he is tough, athletic and has a great motor so he plays bigger than his height. That sounds like an even shorter forward who had a terrific career for the Buckeyes, Jae’Sean Tate.

Coach Holtmann also needed a point guard with C.J. Jackson and Keyshawn Woods graduating and he pulled in a good one. 6 ft. 1, 190 pound D.J. Carlton is the 4th ranked point guard who can score as well as dish out assists.

There is a good chance a graduate transfer will soon be added to the roster as well. Two players who have been mentioned as possibilities are Daniel Giddens and Joey Brunk. Both are 6 ft. 11 and have ties to the Buckeyes or Chris Holtmann.

Giddens began his college career at Ohio State but transferred to Alabama after his freshman season. He hasn’t proven to be much of a scoring threat but has been an effective rebounder who can protect the rim.

Brunk was recruited to Butler by coach Holtmann. He is a more productive scorer who scored 7.6 points per game last season while averaging less than 19 minutes of playing time.

Adding either of these two players would give the Buckeye head coach a veteran backup to Wesson so he can bring Diallo along slowly.

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It’s amazing to think when Chris Holtmann took over the reigns as the Ohio State head coach less than two years ago he didn’t have enough scholarship players to hold a scrimmage and now he has a loaded roster. Especially when you consider the number of players who have moved on due to graduation or transfer.

Then, when you consider his teams made the NCAA Tournament both years he has been in charge it makes his resume even more impressive.

Next. Spring Game Review: Expectations were met. dark

I have a feeling we are witnessing the beginning of an exciting era of Ohio State basketball. Coach Holtmann has had success just trying to put pieces of the puzzle together and now it would appear he has the players he wants on the roster to build something special.

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