Ohio State junior wing Evan Mahaffey entered the transfer portal on Monday after spending two seasons with the Buckeyes. He will have one year of collegiate eligibility left.
Mahaffey, a Cincinnati native and product of Archbishop Moeller, joined Ohio State in 2023-24 after spending his freshman season at Penn State, a move that he made to try to be closer to his father, Jamie, as he battled a heart condition during the 2023-24 season. He made an instant impact in his first season with the program as a versatile defender and rotational piece, starting 35 of 36 games for the Buckeyes and averaging 4.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
Mahaffey’s production on both ends of the floor experienced a significant decline this season, however. With the more seasoned wing Micah Parrish dominating the minutes at the position, he was limited to a bench role, starting just three games and averaging 18.0 minutes during those contests compared to the 22.1 minutes he was logging last year.
This lack of usage caused his numbers to dip as well. He recorded just 3.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 67.1 percent from the field and a career-low 38.5 percent from the foul line (15 of 39). His usage hit a low point at the end of the season, when he logged 20 or more minutes in just one of his last eight games and totaled 13 points and 15 rebounds during that span.
Mahaffey, who will now look to play for the third team in his four-year collegiate career, is the second Ohio State player to enter the transfer portal, joining sophomore center Austin Parks. The Buckeyes are reportedly expected to lose at least two more players from the 2024-25 roster.
