Ohio State on the verge of landing an elite basketball class?

Not to change the subject during football season too much, but the Ohio State hoops program is really doing a fantastic job on all fronts. To have a team predicted in 2017-18 as a bottom tier team in the conference and prove everyone wrong on the court was refreshing to say the least. The Holtmann hire has made everyone a believer and it doesn’t look like the believing will be turning to doubt any time soon.

Top three for one of the top dudes

Some of the key pieces that Holtmann and his staff have been able to make happen is recruiting on an elite level. When the Ohio State basketball teams were at their best, they had elite recruits on the roster. It’s pretty simple: Great players make great teams. The Buckeyes currently have the nation’s seventh best recruiting class in 2019 and, more impressively, the top class in the Big Ten for this current cycle. One of the main reasons is because DJ Carton, a five-star point guard, is already in the fold for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes want to move up the rankings, they’ll have to get at least one more elite level player. Fortunately, that may not be too far off from happening.

Enter Illinois native EJ Liddell, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward, and you have the final piece Ohio State wants to add to their already very talented 2019 class. Liddell is considered to be the top player in the state of Illinois for this class. Not to mention, he’s also the tenth best power forward in the country. With his combination of size and range, Liddell can easily make plays under the basket and also be a dominant force on defense. A player with continued potential, Liddell likely hasn’t even seen his ceiling of ability yet. A testament of excitement for any coach, the chance to land EJ is obviously something coveted by many top programs. Not too long ago, Liddell trimmed his offer list down to five schools. Yesterday, though, the trimming continued as it was made public that it’s now down to three schools: Illinois, Missouri and Ohio State.

If you’re wondering about Ohio State’s chances, the 247sports crystal ball has the Buckeyes owning 86 percent of the predictions, and Missouri having the other 14 percent. Don’t count out the home state Fighting Illini, but this looks to be a little bit of a two horse race at the moment. Ohio State has to like where they stand, and if they are able to bring in another top caliber player, Holtmann and company will have cemented themselves a top-notch class.

Graphic design team on point

It’s been discussed a few times before here in the daily state secrets, but it’s worth repeating: the Ohio State graphic design and creative team is truly incredible. Pumping out some of the best content in the sports industry, it really does have an impact in recruiting. Here are some of the graphics that made their way onto Twitter.

Derek Wingo - St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) 2020 4-star safety

Sammy Anderson - Trotwood-Madison (Dayton, Ohio) 2020 3-star cornerback

The graphic design team sent this template out to many of their top guys and among some of the others included Brian Branch, a 2020 safety prospect from Georgia, and Jecoryan Davis-Hamilton, a Florida athlete. A great feature, it’s clear recruits enjoy feeling the love from the Buckeyes.

Quick Hits

• 2020 Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who currently holds an Ohio State offer, will be in attendance for the Ohio State versus TCU matchup this coming Saturday. Another great chance for the Buckeyes to impress a potential signal caller with their explosive offense.
• The Buckeyes will be playing in the home of the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, and who better to impress than Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith’s son, EJ Smith. Smith will also be on hand to watch this top-15 game.