As the Ohio State basketball team has started up its season, they have started out undefeated. Off the court, they have officially settled their 2026 recruiting class. This ended up being a smaller class than expected after Marcus Johnson decided to de-commit.
That leaves the Ohio State Buckeyes with a two-person class for next season. That doesn't mean that this class isn't still a solid one. Especially now that Jake Diebler can rebuild his team using the transfer portal, just as a lot of coaches in college football do these days.
Both of the players that the Buckeyes brought in should be able to contribute to the team right away, earning minutes immediately. With Bruce Thornton leading the team for four years and leaving after this season, Ohio State is going to need a new best player. One of these recruits could take that mantle.
What to know about the Ohio State basketball team's 2026 recruiting class
One of the recruits the Buckeyes brought in is four-star power forward Alex Smith. Smith plays in Fort Lauderdale, but he is originally from Columbus. Smith originally played at Upper Arlington High School before leaving for Florida in his senior season.
Smith is 6'9 and 195 pounds, so he's got good size. Unlike the other recruit in this class, Smith only had 11 scholarship offers. He chose the Buckeyes over the likes of Indiana, Cincinnati, Xavier, and DePaul, where former Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann is now located.
The other recruit in this class is much more ballyhooed. Anthony Thompson is a five-star small forward from Hudson, Ohio. He is rated as the top recruit in the state, and Ohio State was able to bring him in. He is the best recruit Ohio State has brought in quite some time.
Thompson stands at 6'8 and 205 pounds. He does pretty much everything well from an offense perspective, owning an entire arsenal. His 7'3 wingspan makes him a fantastic asset on the defensive end of the court. Quite frankly, he might be the best player on the team as a freshman.
Thompson has the chance to really give Jake Diebler a defining player in his young head coaching career. Diebler is under a lot of pressure to make the NCAA Tournament this season with Ohio State having a three-year absence in the Big Dance. Next season, he'll have a blue-chipper to help him even more.