Entering the last full week of July, Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann and his staff have landed just one commitment for the class of 2024 in Mount Pleasant (Ut.) Wasatch Academy four-star guard John Mobley Jr. (6-0, 150).
The program has made significant strides towards securing other key prospects in recent weeks, however, with a trio of four-star targets showing added interest in donning the scarlet and gray this fall.
Ohio State’s recent string of positive recruiting news came on July 17 when Branson (Mo.) Link Academy four-star forward Jalen Shelley (6-8, 175) named the Buckeyes as one of eight programs still in consideration to land the 2024 prospect. Ohio State is joined on the list by Arkansas, Colorado, Houston, Louisville, LSU, Marquette and Texas A&M.
Shelley, who is currently tabbed as the nation’s 46th-best prospect and No.3 player in Missouri, earned an offer from Holtmann and his staff on June 30. According to On3 Sports’ Joe Tipton, the Frisco, Texas native plans to visit Ohio State in September. Shelley already completed one official visit with Louisville in late March, while Arkansas and Houston have also welcomed him into their respective campuses.
Shelley has experienced an active summer thus far on the court, highlighted by his participation in the star-studded 2023 Peach Jam held from July 3-9. Playing for Houston Hoops, the forward netted 10.2, 1.4 assists and a team-high 6.4 rebounds in the Nike EYBL team’s five contests — a performance that caught the eye of analysts, scouts and coaches alike.
“The first thing you think of when watching Jalen Shelley is upside,” On3’s Jamie Shaw said. “He is a legit 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 with long arms, wide-set shoulders, and he moves so fluidly. Shelley is a former wide receiver, and you can see that with the way he moves. Shelley has excellent explosion at the basket; he really shows off in transition. The left-hander has a repeatable release on his jump shot….With continued game reps and consistent training, there is a lot of ceiling ready for this one to take.”
Three days after Shelley placed Ohio State in his top eight, the Buckeyes found themselves on another top-eight list of schools, this time from Hillside (N.J) The Patrick School four-star small forward Jaiden Glover (6-6, 190). The Newark, New Jersey, native placed the Buckeyes alongside Creighton, Illinois, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, St. Joseph’s and Villanova.
Glover, who is competing for the New York City AAU program Riverside Hawks this summer, currently stands as the No. 61 player in the class of 2024 and No. 4 prospect in New Jersey. The 6-foot-6 small forward told On3 that the Buckeyes’ recent NBA pipeline intrigued him, saying “I really like that they’ve had a lot of recent players who have been drafted.”
While Glover and Shelley included Ohio State in their top eight, the Buckeyes were placed in even higher consideration for a top-40 overall prospect.
On July 22, Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep four-star center Aiden Sherrell (6-10, 215) named Ohio State as one of five teams remaining on his recruitment list, with Alabama, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Texas also making the cut. The big man plans to announce his commitment on Aug. 13.
Sherrell, who is currently ranked as the 35th-best prospect in the class of 2024 and No. 5 player in California, turned heads at the Peach Jam while playing alongside Buckeye commit Mobley Jr. with Vegas Elite. In eight games played, the top prospect netted 14.5 points per game on 62.2 percent shooting, along with a team-high 46 total rebounds.
The Napa, Calif. native, who already completed a visit with Ohio State on June 11, lauded the program’s culture and free-flowing style of play.
“They let their young guys play,” Sherrell told On3. “They give them the opportunity to get their minutes. They run a great program, and I can definitely see myself fitting into their system pretty well.”
