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With the AAU circuit wrapping up for the summer, some of the top basketball recruits in the country made one last stop in Bronx, New York this past weekend. One of those talents is class of '14 recruit Myles Turner out of Trinity, Texas. As I've said prior, I believe Kansas is the most likely future home for the rising star, but you never know what kind of magic Ohio State head coach Thad Matta has up his sleeve. Ohio State's need for a pure post presence could be the one swaying factor that keeps the Buckeyes in the mix. Unless Amir Williams has a breakout year for the Buckeyes, the situation just about couldn't be better for early significant playing time.
At 6-10, Turner really gets up and down the floor well for a big man and will be a game changer wherever he lands at the next level. Not only will defenders have to worry about his game in the paint, but they will have to account for Turner all over the court. Time will tell if its going to come down to Kansas and Ohio State, but this tweet has to be a sign of encouragement for the Ohio State faithful:
Just talked to Myles Turner. Said he is trying to visit Ohio State in September and would "love" to play with D'Angelo Russell
— Zach Fleer (@ZachFleerSP) August 9, 2013
I was able to catch up with Zach Fleer who made the trip from Columbus and got his perspective.
Turner played about half of the scrimmage on Friday, as he was sidelined for an unknown reason and kept him out of action on Saturday. In workouts on Friday, he was really impressive especially in the big man drills. He also competed in the three point shootout and shot decently well.
Next on the list is the best player from the state of Ohio in the '15 class, Carlton Bragg. If you have not watched any of Bragg, you are really missing out When he is on the court, he plays like a bully, does damage in the paint area, and can still step out and hit jumpers from the wing. Carlton right now has offers from Illinois, Georgetown, Ohio State, Michigan State amongst others. Before it is all said and done, Braggs will probably have an offer from every top school in the country, as he is just that good. According to 247's Crystal Ball predictions (though admittedly it is still early), Ohio State has a slight lead on Kentucky, who it doesn't appear has formally offered the 6-8 junior. Our fearless leader Luke Zimmermann has him going to Kentucky, though we recognize most of you hope he is wrong.
We again spoke with Fleer to get his perspective on Bragg:
I came away thoroughly impress with Carlton. He averaged thirteen and half points a game to go along with five rebounds in the two games. He shot very well from three, especially from the left wing and from straight away. He defiantly saved his best performance for Saturday when he played extended minutes as Turner was sidelined.
Below you can take a looks at some of his highlights from the Adidas Hoops Challenge:
Two other Buckeye recruits from the '15 class were also at the event in Isaiah Briscoe and Stephen Zimmerman. Both of the young men are 247Composite five stars and would be great pick ups for the Buckeyes. Right now it seems both of these recruits have the Arizona Wildcats and former Thad Matta assistant Sean Miller high on their list. Just like with Carlton Bragg, we still have a ways to go in this one. Time will tell if the Buckeyes have a legitimate shot, but you'd be hard pressed to ever count out Thad Matta until the NLOI is faxed and in.
Switching over to the football world, a one time perceived Buckeye lean will be picking his future home today but you probably shouldn't bet on Ohio State. Quincy Wilson out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida will be choosing between Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina and Southern Cal at 9 pm ET. At one point, Wilson's Crystal Ball read 100% for the Buckeyes but the tide has changed and it now reflects 39% for the Gators to just 11% for the Buckeyes. Many of those still sticking with Wilson don't appear to still be actively maintaining their Crystal Ball predictions.
QUICK HITS:
- '14 Buckeye commit Sam Hubbard was invited to the 2014 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Orlando.
- '15 recruit George Brown Jr will be visiting Ohio State when they host the Iowa Hawkeyes.