The basketball world is abuzz with the news that Bishop Gorman standout point guard Juni Mobley (twitter) will be heading to Ohio State in 2024. He selected Ohio State over Xavier, Arizona State, LSU, Creighton, and LSU. He made visits to both Creighton and Ohio State before making his decision.

Basketball fans everywhere are excited about the news that Bishop Gorman point guard Juni Mobley will be taking his talents to Ohio State next year. He had a great relationship with the coaches at Ohio State, putting them over other programs that offered him a scholarship. He also has family in Ohio that he will be happy to play in front in two years.

Overview of Juni Mobley's Basketball Career at Bishop Gorman.

Juni Mobley is a 6’0” point guard from Las Vegas, Nevada who made his mark at Bishop Gorman High School. He has a great shot and can hit from range. Considered one of the best shooters in the class of 2024 along with being efficient at his position. Ranked the 7th best point guard nationally. Was named a member of the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American team.

How Will Ohio State Utilize Mobley?

Ohio State looks to take advantage of Mobley’s strong court vision and quickness on the floor. Head coach Chris Holtmann has remarked that his ability to create scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates will be a valuable asset. In addition, Holtmann believes He is an exceptional leader and locker room presence who could have a positive impact on the other players' development as well.

What Does Mobley Bring to Ohio State?

Juni Mobley brings a diverse range of skills to Ohio State. He is an outstanding point guard with exceptional court vision and quickness, strong leadership abilities, and an infectious energy that will be invaluable in the locker room. He also has the capability of creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates, making him the perfect fit for Holtmann's system.

The 2022-2023 Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball team is loaded with talent and primed for success! Get the full preview of what to expect come this season.

Ohio State Basketball entered the 2022-2023 season with high expectations and aspirations. Led by a talented core of returnees and first-year contributors, the Buckeyes are poised to make a deep run in both conference and national competition. Get ready for an exciting year as we preview what is expected from the Buckeyes this season.

Meet the 2022-23 Ohio State Roster

The 2022-2023 Ohio State team is a collection of talented veteran leaders and promising first-year players. Ohio State returns Justice Sueing, one of their leading scorers from last season, alongside Isaac Likekele and Bruce Thornton in the backcourt. In the front court, dependable big men Zed Key, Eugene Brown III, and Kalen Etzler return to wreak havoc on opposing teams. Alongside them is an impressive crop of five new freshman that can provide valuable contributions throughout the season. Roddy Gayle Jr, Thornton, Brice Sensabaugh, Bowen Hardman, and Felix Okpara.

Analyze Style of Play and Contribution From Each Player

To succeed and reach big expectations, it is important to analyze the style of play for each player on the team and how this will fit into their overall strategy. Each players’ contributions depend greatly on the team's strategy and the roles they are assigned. Sueing and Sensabaugh will act as the playmakers from the backcourt, while Okpara will be relied upon for his defensive prowess. On the other hand, Key, Brown, and Tanner Holden will use their size to control the paint and dominate in rebounding drills. The freshmen talent provides valuable depth that can be used in multiple positions depending on matchups throughout the season.

Assess Potential to Reach National Championship

With so much talent across all positions, the 2022-23 season will undoubtedly be successful for the Buckeyes. However, key contributions from each player and a combination of style with strategy will be essential to reach their ultimate goal of a conference championship. With team chemistry and strong coaching decisions, this Ohio State squad can achieve unprecedented success on the national stage and bring home a title in just one season away.

Compare to Other Conference Rivals

When it comes to the 2022-23 Ohio State Buckeyes, there is no doubt they will be among the top teams in the Big Ten conference. In comparison to rivals like Michigan, Purdue, and Wisconsin, the Buckeyes have a more stark set of expectations. Their mix of tested veterans and talented incoming freshmen provide a stronger pedigree than many of their competitors and have solidified them as one of the unquestioned frontrunners in the conference.

Athletes at the college level frequently transfer between institutions to take advantage of new sports contract opportunities. Although sports players regard their athleticism as an important element of their careers, this is made easier when their degrees transfer. Isaac Likekele (twitter), for example, is a seasoned basketball player who will now play for the Ohio State University. He was a state champion for his high school team in Texas before enrolling at Oklahoma State University in 2018.

Isaac Likekele is 22 years old and was born in the year 2000 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His most common position is that of a point guard, yet he is also capable of shooting and dribbling, as well as making three-point shots. In basketball, when teams have only five players on the court and each player must be competent in all roles, versatility is essential. Isaac is slender and powerful, weighing 215 pounds.

Isaac Likekele as a Recruit

A talented player is one who makes numerous successful shots in a competitive basketball game. Isaac Likekele averaged 18 points per game as a high school senior, with an average of 9 rebounds and 5 assists. This essentially indicates that he was used to attempting aggressive shots and that he failed a significant number of the shots he attempted. This average can be explained by his position as a point guard.

Oklahoma State

At the collegiate level, the competition was significantly tougher, and he had fewer opportunities to shoot every game. Either he took fewer shots because of his position, or the opposition teams' defense was far more capable than at the high school level. Due to his specialized job and freshman status, he averaged 8.7 assists per game as a freshman at Oklahoma State University, with less rebounds and assists than during his high school career.

It's worth noting that Isaac played more games during his freshman year than he did the following two years, with 32 games in 2018 and fewer games each year after that. It's unclear how this influenced his decision to attend Ohio State University. A rookie to college basketball may have more options, and switching teams may provide new opportunities to play and new fans to explore.

Isaac has a low block % per game. As a point guard, he assists in dribbling the ball across the floor, but he is less commonly involved in penetrating further into the opponents' court and blocking other players' shots. His chances of becoming a professional basketball player are still up in the air.

We are still not over the buzz of Tanner Holden transfer news from the Wright State Raiders to the Ohio State Buckeye. The homegrown 6-foot-6 guard Ohio native from Wheelersburg, weighing 185 pounds, made the in-state transfer to the Buckeyes’ from Raiders, which might go down as one of the best college transfers to the team and for coach Chris Holtmann in 2022.

Tanner Holden Career at Wright State

After playing High School basketball in Wheelersburg, where he graduated 2019, Holden’s next career phase is at Wright State college, where he played for the Raiders. His Raiders spell lapsed between the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 seasons, where he had his best season in his last year with them. As a junior guard in his last season at Wright State, he averaged 20.1 points alongside 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists, ranking top 5 in the nation. His season was highlighted by the First Four NCAA win against Bryant, scoring 37 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 11 from 15 shots from the floor in a 93-82 win. Holden’s legacy as a Raiders will be remembered with being a two-time league honoree in the Horizon league and guiding them to the NCAA Tournament. Other personal records include starting 91 out of 92 games played, where he averaged 16.1 points with 6.9 rebounds on 53% shooting.

Transfer to Ohio State

Ohio State made this much needed transfer after some turbulent period in their squad. The transfer of Holden came at the back of his spectacular spell with the Raiders. He was snapped up by the Ohio State after entering the transfer portal on March 29, 2022. The announcement was made via his social media accounts when he made the Buckeye team. He has two seasons of eligibility to continue his college career.

What Does it mean for the Buckeyes this coming Basketball Season?

It is no secret that Tanner Holden is one of the best college basketball players and a good bargain. Offensively, he will break into most college basketball teams, not the least a team passing through a tough phase. The transfer of Holden to Ohio State is partly necessitated or fully by the departure of forward EJ Liddell and Malaki Braham, who just declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. These departures opened up gaps for attacking and playmaking needs, which Holden could fill. EJ Liddell and Branham used to make up their attacking threat, being Buckeyes’ top-two scorers, averaging 33.1 points per game combined. The good news is, the transfer of former Raiders’ guard, Holden, can improve this already depleted attack, giving them another versatile threat on the perimeter. And with the success he had with Wright State, nothing to say he cannot replicate it with the Buckeyes or better it. He should be able to bring as much contributions as his predecessors or more, starting as the shooting guard or second offense option. It is going to be a long competitive season for the Buckeyes, but the transfer of Holden is a step in the right direction for Ohio State. He will help them challenge at all fronts, one of the things he knows how to do best.

Austin Parks (Twitter) committed to Ohio State on 2/13/2022. He can now sign with Chris Holtmann during the early signing period in November. When Parks arrive on campus, Zed Key will be a senior and the other center on the roster, Felix Okpara, will be entering his sophomore year. Played in High School for Memorial High School in St Mary's Ohio.

Who's Recruiting Austin Parks

Jake Diebler recruited Parks for Ohio State. Chester Frazier for Illinois. And Andre Morgan for Cincinnati.

Offers and Favorites

Parks had 9 Offers including Ohio State, Illinois, Cincinnati, Dayton, Indiana, Michigan State, and West Virginia.

Visits

Parks visited Ohio State in June to see the campus and received an offer at that time. Unofficially went to Ohio State prior to committing to see the Maryland v Ohio State game.

Height and Weight

6'10" 240 lbs.

Ranking

Parks is rated a 3 Star recruit, 18th best Center in the country, 6th best overall in Ohio. Parks plays AAU basketball for Ohio Buckets.

High Schools Stats

As a sophomore in High School, Parks averaged 16 points a game. Junior season, he is averaging 20 points a game and 9 rebounds.

Felix Okpara, who was a sophomore in the fall of 2019, is 6-foot-11 attending Link Year Prep in Branson Missouri. He’s ranked No. 55 overall in the 2022 class by ESPN Recruiting Nation and other recruiting services. The 210-pound Okpara, who is rated the No. 11 post player in the 2022 class by Rivals, has picked Ohio State over offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia and Florida. A very good recruit for Chris Holtman and Ohio State that is in need of players at the center position.

Committing to Ohio State

Okpara is a four-star prospect and the No. 11 center in the nation for the Class of 2022. He visited Ohio State over the weekend of June 15th and committed to the Buckeyes on Sunday, his second official visit. The 6-foot-11 Okpara played well for Team Tennessee at the Under Armour Invitational and Peach Jam and is an athletic, raw post player who will be well suited for the Buckeyes’ style under coach Chris Holtmann.

"As soon as I stepped on campus, I fell in love with it," Okpara told reporters. "Throughout the whole visit, I was thinking how it would feel to be a Buckeye." Okpara is a physical presence inside, as he shows a willingness to bang in the paint and has good footwork for a player his size. He can score off put backs and tip ins around the basket, but also has a soft touch from 15 to 17 feet.

The Ohio State 2022 Class

Okpara is among a handful of national top 100 forwards and centers Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and his staff have been tracking this summer to add to their 2022 recruiting class. The others are Florida power forward Jarace Walker, ranked 13th, Illinois forward AJ Casey, ranked 68th, North Dakota center Joe Hurlburt, ranked 123rd, and Arizona center Shawn Phillips, ranked 147th and committed to NC State.

That class now numbers four verbal commitments. The others are Georgia point guard Bruce Thornton (ranked 42nd nationally), New York shooting guard Roddy Gayle (ranked 51st) and Ohio shooting guard Bowen Hardman (ranked 275th).

Okpara plays at Link Year Prep in Branson Missouri. Link Year is the same program that produced Mason Jones (76ers), Deandre Jones (University of Central Arkansas) and Angelo Allergi (Eastern Washington University). Okpara plays for the EAB Tennessee AAU program, which is captained by Reed Kemp who was a part of Missouri Western's 2021 class.

Okpara School Visits

Earlier this summer, I wrote an article about Felix Okpara, the No. 4 player in the state. If you haven’t read it already, you can find it on the site. Well, since then, Okpara has taken official visits to Ohio State (June 15) and Ole Miss (June 27). In recent weeks, Florida and Georgia have come in to try and persuade him to make visits.

Ohio State got the shooting guard they wanted from the State of Ohio this past week. Malaki Branham is considered the 5th best shooting guard in the country and the number one overall player in Ohio for 2021. He selected Ohio State over Alabama, Xavier and Louisville.

Malaki Branham visits

He visited Columbus a number of times in addition to taking a look at Xavier and Louisville. But Chris Holtmann and staff pursued him well, keeping in contact constantly.

Branham was high on Holtmann’s wish list for this upcoming OSU class. He joins point guard Meechie Johnson and Kalen Etzler in the 2021 class. Ohio State’s class jumped to number two in the national rank after Branham committed.

Branham Crystal Ball Predictions

From Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary's, the same school as Lebron James. He was predicted to pick Ohio State but almost every basketball analyst. Assistant Coach Ryan Pedon recruited him for the Buckeyes.

Bowen Hardman committed to Ohio State for the 2022 basketball class last week in what became the first commit of the class. Hardman is a 6’5” guard from Cincinnati Princeton. He also had offers from Ohio, Xavier and Cincinnati. He played varsity as a freshman and averaged 12.1 point a game in his second high school season. He always felt Ohio State would be a good fit and is already proud of his college selection.

The Cincinnati guard had break-out games against Winton Woods and Lakota West were he went for 20 points and 21 points respectively. He has two years more of high school hoops to play but is already considered a three star prospect.

In AAU, Hardman plays for All-Ohio Red and was recruited by Jake Diebler for Ohio State and Sean Dwyer for Cincinnati.

State of Ohio 2022 Class

Hardman is one of four in the Ohio class of 2022 to currently have scholarship offers. The Ohio class overall is viewed as very strong. He has taken a number of visits to Columbus including one in August and September. And then a final one in October when he received his offer to play for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State Basketball Classes

With only two commits in the 2021 class, Kalen Etzler and Meechie Johnson, the Buckeyes look to have a class of 4 recruits for 2022 when the class is finished. Chris Holtmann is still looking to add St Vincent-St Mary shooting guard Malaki Branham to the OSU 2021 class. Richmond Heights Cleveland small forward Josiah Harris is a recruit to watch out for committing to Ohio State for 2022.

Bowen Hardman Ultimate Highlights // 2022 Ohio State SG Commit // Princeton Cincinnati, OH

Coming in as the oldest player on Ohio State’s basketball team, Utah transfer point guard Abel Porter will be out of high school for 6 years. Porter is 6’3” 200 point guard with one year of eligibility. He made his decision known on Twitter on Saturday.

Porter played on the Aggies’ hoops team for 4 years with a red-shirt freshman season. The team won the Mountain West Conference this past shortened year. From Farmington Utah, Porter spent two years on mission in Russia before joining Utah State as a walk-on.

Porter averaged 4.3 points a game, 1.9 boards and 2.4 assists during his time at Utah State. He had an outstanding junior season starting all games and leading the team in points per game. He had interest from Gonzaga, Ohio State, Stanford, Hawaii and Santa Clara.

Abel Porter Commitment

Joining many in the 2020 transfer portal, Ohio State was looking for a CJ Walker and Duane Washington Jr backup that could play immediately and found Porter as a very good option.

Porter is married and his wife is graduating from Utah State this Spring making it an easy move to relocate to Columbus and pursue additional degrees. He graduates with a Master’s Degree from Utah State.

He hopes to come in and make an impact on a winning team. He isn’t looking to lead in scoring but to be a role player that helps the team while earning a degree and enjoying the city.

Abel Porter reflects on his best week as an Aggie

Basketball is a fantastic sport, and great athletes have graced this field. Probably Michael Jordan was your favorite player, or you feel that LeBron James should have never left Cleveland Cavaliers. Basketball keeps making headlines. Whether it’s a pro basketball player moving to a rival team, or your favorite team picking the best rookie, there is always great news gracing the basketball world.

Ohio State basketball, widely known as the Buckeyes, is going through a moment of reckoning as DJ Carton and Alonzo Gaffney are leaving the team after one year. DJ Carton has made it clear that he is leaving Ohio State after taking a leave to cater for his mental health. The Ohio State guard made it clear through his twitter handle that he has been suffering from psychological issues and wants to start it all again.

Ohio State is also facing a recruit movement as Alonzo Gaffney is even leaving basically to pursue professional opportunities. The 6-foot-9 power forward possesses both athleticism and frame to make him stand out in a basketball court. It is an excellent opportunity for him to pursue his dreams and entertain his fans elsewhere.

What Next for DJ Carton and Alonzo Gaffney

It was a bold move by DJ Carton to announce that he will be leaving Ohio State temporarily to pursue mental health assistance. Many people have praised his decision to seek help and fight mental health problems. The Buckeyes were on the forefront in the league and ended the final 11 games without Carton. Many thought he would make a comeback, and perceived him as the star of the future and pride of the Buckeyes.

Unfortunately, DJ Carton, in his thank you message to coach Holtmann and the coaching staff was clear that he is not returning to Ohio State. Carton said that he is making a fresh start and will enter the transfer portal and pursue a new program. He went on to wish his teammates the best of luck in their endeavors. The Ohio State fans will miss his electrifying performance and left-handed dunks in the court.

Despite being one of the top recruits for Ohio State, Alonzo Gaffney’s stay looks to be short-lived. According to reports from numerous sources, it seems Gaffney will call quits on Ohio State, and he is not returning soon for his sophomore season. With the support of his family and coaching team, everything seems possible. There is a likelihood Alonzo will look forward to pursuing greener pastures and become a pro basketball player.

Best Performances from Carton and Alonzo

DJ Carton’s presence could be felt in the team and court last season. He was an impact player finishing third on the team and averaging 10.4 points per game. Carton also averaged 3.0 assists per game, making 40% three-pointer attempts.

Alonzo Gaffney averaged 1.9 points per game last season and played 17 games for the Buckeyes. He shot 56.6% from the floor and went 1-of 6 from the three-pointer range.

D.J. Carton, E.J. Liddell, Alonzo Gaffney and Ibrahima Diallo’s first Ohio State press conference

What in Store for Ohio State Basketball

Ohio State has an impeccable reputation, and it will look forward to adding more players to its roster and get to the limit of 13. However, the management will work hard on adding a guard as the team already has many players at the forward position. Seth Towns is the latest addition to the side, and they should fill Gaffney’s position.

Without DJ Carton, CJ Walker should take on a more significant role and take the Buckeyes to higher heights. In essence, Ohio State has a lot to do with DJ Carton and Alonzo Gaffney out of their schedule and rank at the top.