Mickey Mitchell took the cue from his brother Mike who earlier transferred out of the Ohio State athletic program. Mickey is a 4-star power forward that Coach Thad Matta thought was a lock-in for the 2015 recruiting class. He gave his verbal commitment to play for the Buckeyes and his father backed this up with his statements. Ken Mitchell was adamant that his sons were deciding independently of each other and simply choosing what was best for them.

Ohio State, as far as they were concerned, has a legendary basketball program and offered excellent education for the boys. It fit their temperament. Mickey gave his word after seeing the campus on a visit to his brother last August. Rather abruptly, he has now decommitted citing family concerns as the primary reason. Specifically, the health of his father makes it important for him to stay closer to the family home.

The announcement was made by Mickey on Twitter last Thursday night. Coach Matta is left without his prized recruit who is ranked as the 20th power forward in the 2015 class. Yet not all is lost for the future of the team as the Buckeyes still have verbal commitments from top prospects for next year. Ohio State fans can look forward to AJ Harris, point guard; Austin Grandstaff, shooting guard; and Daniel Giddens, center.

Mike Mitchell was a linebacker for the football team during his freshman year but he left afterwards to pursue other opportunities. As a 5-star prospect, he had a lot of options to choose from. In the end, it was Texas tech who signed him this summer. The buzz is loud that the Raiders are likely to land younger brother Mickey as well. They have a good program and they are located fairly close to the Mitchell home.