Several key Ohio State targets participated in this weekend’s Midwest Live recruiting showcase held at the Cedar Point Sports Center.
The three-day annual event, which held its inaugural showcase last June, featured over 120 high school basketball teams from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia, while coaches from 85 collegiate schools observed throughout the weekend.
Among those coaches in attendance were Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann and associate head coach Jake Diebler – who were seen on Saturday – as well as Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Butler’s Thad Matta and Cincinnati’s Wes Miller.
Headlining the group of Ohio State prospects in action was class of 2025 four-star Dorian Jones. Jones, the No. 2 overall player in Ohio who was offered by the Buckeyes last June, is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which he led Richmond Heights to a 29-0 record and second-consecutive OHSAA Division IV state title. The rising-junior’s efforts on the court also allowed him to be named the Division IV All-Ohio Player of the Year.
With Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy five-star guard Darryn Peterson – the No. 1 ranked player in Ohio offered by the Buckeyes in August 2021 – sitting out of the showcase to compete at the National Basketball Players Association Top-100 camp this week in Orlando, Fla., Jones made his presence felt, throwing down a thunderous tomahawk dunk during his team’s 60-35 victory over Detroit Cass Tech Saturday.
Competing alongside Jones this weekend was fellow class of 2025 four-star Trey McKenney. McKenney, the No. 1 overall player in Michigan and 14th overall player in the country, played four games this weekend for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound shooting guard was extended an offer by Ohio State after displaying his skills at the Buckeyes’ annual team camp last June.
McKenney also holds offers from Big Ten foes Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana and Illinois as well as Alabama, UCLA and Miami, among others.
The Cedar Point event also allowed Holtmann and Diebler to observe a top target in the class of 2026. Although currently unranked by 247Sports, Lutheran East forward T.J. Crumble turned heads in his four games this weekend, with many in attendance lauding him as an emerging star.
The 6-foot-7, 180-pound forward, who played a significant role in his school’s OHSAA Division-III state title last season, was offered by the Buckeyes this May, something he said is a proud moment for him and his family.
“That meant a lot to me,” Crumble told Cleveland.com’s Matt Ghoul Saturday. “I’ve been going (to Ohio State games) basically every year since I was about eight years old, going and watching the teams play. It brought me back to when I was a kid going there and watching them play all the time.”
While Crumble shined throughout the showcase, collegiate coaches were unable to see class of 2026 Ohio State offer Marcus Johnson, the nation’s 16th-best player, compete. The Garfield Heights product, who still traveled with the team this weekend, was granted a scholarship by the Buckeyes in May. Crumble is also the cousin of former Buckeyes and current South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson Jr.
While no Ohio State offer from the class of 2024 showcased their skills in Sandusky this weekend, Holtmann and Diebler did get the chance to observe a potential target. Standing at 6-foot-6, Ottawa-Glandorf forward Colin White impressed those in attendance with his size and athleticism.
Although they have yet to extend an offer, the Buckeyes have expressed interest in White, who currently sits as the 5th-best player in Ohio. The rising-senior forward made an unofficial visit to Columbus last October and participated in Ohio State’s team camp held earlier this month.
