It has been a busy month for Ohio State’s lone 2024 men’s basketball commitment and a group of top targets, as they each saw significant action in national showcases.
Mount Pleasant (Ut.) Wasatch Academy four-star guard John Mobley Jr. (6-0, 150), who committed to Ohio State in Oct. 2022, competed in eight games at Nike’s EYBL Peach Jam held from July 3-9 in North Augusta, South Carolina.
Facing off against teams with several highly-ranked prospects, Mobley Jr. helped lead his Vegas Elite squad to a 6-2 record and an appearance in the tournament’s championship game by averaging 12.8 points per game on 50 percent shooting. He also excelled beyond the arc, connecting on 18 of his 34 three-point attempts.
The Buckeye commit, who recorded 20 or more points in three contests, started his Peach Jam campaign with an unblemished offensive performance. In his team’s 93-76 trouncing of The Family on July 3, the Mount Pleasant, Utah native recorded 25 points while shooting a perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the field, 4-of-4 from three and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
While the future Buckeye guard spearheaded the backcourt for Vegas Elite in the Peach Jam, the team’s frontcourt was manned by a key Ohio State 2024 target.
Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep four-star center Aiden Sherrell (6-10, 215) — the nation’s 34th-best prospect who completed an official visit with the Buckeyes on June 11 — netted 14.5 points per game on 62.2 percent shooting throughout the tournament, along with a team-high 46 total rebounds.
Much like Mobley Jr., Sherrell demonstrated his elite skills during the Peach Jam opener on July 3. In 20 minutes played, the Ohio State target recorded 22 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting, as well as four rebounds and a blocked shot.
Several other Buckeye targets displayed their skills on the Peach Jam stage last week.
That list includes 2024 top-60 forwards Marcus Allen (6-6, 190), Derrion Reid (6-7, 180) and Jalen Shelley (6-8, 175) — who competed for Florida Rebels, Team Thad and Houston Hoops — respectively, along with recent class of 2025 Buckeye offer and PSAT-XEA (TX) Academy three-star center Trent Burns (7-2, 210), who played alongside Shelley with Houston Hoops.
Aside from the Peach Jam, top Ohio State prospects also participated in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit held from July 5-9 in Rock Hill, South Carolina — with members of the Buckeyes’ coaching staff attentively observing.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy five-star shooting guard Darryn Peterson (6-5, 195), who is currently tabbed as the No. 3 overall prospect in the class of 2025 and No.1 player in Ohio, competed for Team Phenom United.
Peterson, who holds 18 offers from Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio State and North Carolina, among others, displayed his skills in front of the entire Ohio State men’s basketball coaching staff, who watched the forward take the court on Saturday and Sunday.
Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) five-star forward V.J. Edgecombe (6-5, 180), who is currently ranked as the nation’s 15th-best 2024 prospect, also competed in front of Holtmann and his staff on Saturday night while suiting up for Austin Rivers Southeast Elite.
Edgecombe, who hails from the same high school as current Buckeyes forward Zed Key, was granted an offer from Ohio State on Feb. 6.
Holtmann and members of his staff were also on hand to observe 2025 Great Crossing (K.Y.) four-star center Malachi Moreno (6-11), who is currently listed as the nation’s 59th-best prospect. The Buckeyes’ brass reportedly sat courtside while Moreno competed for Indiana Elite on Friday and Saturday.
