Ohio State basketball: Austin Parks bolsters 2023 recruiting class

Austin Parks, a 2023 3-star center according to 247 Sports, verbally committed to the Ohio State basketball team on February 13, 2022, after earning scholarship offers from several Big Ten programs. The junior big man visited Columbus earlier in the month when the Buckeyes blew past Maryland 82-67. That was the day Parks decided what school he officially wanted to attend.

“It was a fun trip and yes I did plan on committing that day. That was the reason we took the visit so we could talk in person,” Parks recently explained to me. “I plan on signing in November. I’m happy to be a part of this class and hopefully, we get a few more important players to make it even better.”

The 2023 commits can sign their letter of intent next November at the earliest.

Parks, an in-state prospect, is the second member of the 2023 recruiting class alongside guard George Washington III. Chris Holtmann has seen commitments from seven in-state recruits including at least one in each class since being hired in 2017. According to 247 Sports, Ohio State’s 2023 class is currently ranked 4th in the country behind Duke, Purdue, and Indiana. Down the line, we could see Parks join a dominant group of big men with Zed Key and 2022 commit Felix Okpara.

“I plan on expanding my game in multiple ways but I’m always gonna be a player that’s not afraid to be in the paint. My biggest strengths on the court are my ability to score inside and ability to get my teammates better shots and good looks,” Parks said about his playstyle and strengths on the court. “If I can score inside and draw attention, I know how to find my open teammates and get them a shot.”

After earning scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Dayton, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio, Toledo, and others, he confidently settled on the home-state Buckeyes. The 6’9 center regularly flashed two-way potential last season and is ranked 118th in the country and 5th in Ohio. He put up 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 57.8% shooting from the field as a sophomore at Saint Marys Memorial High School.

Parks also discussed what it was like to be in attendance for the Ohio State basketball team’s thrilling upset over previously top-ranked Duke at the Schottenstein Center in late November: “It was pretty crazy seeing that and knowing one day they could go crazy like that when I play is a nice thought so it got me kinda excited for it.”