All-SEC guard Meechie Johnson to withdraw from NBA draft, transfer to Ohio State

South Carolina junior Meechie Johnson Jr. will reportedly withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft and transfer to Ohio State, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Johnson was among 201 players who filed as an early-entrant candidate for the draft. He declared while maintaining his remaining college eligibility and will join Ohio State after playing the past two years at South Carolina.

The 6-foot-2 guard was named to the All-SEC second team this past season after averaging 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 39.9% shooting from the field. He registered 10 20-point games, including a season-high 29 points and five rebounds on Nov. 28.

Johnson, who is from Cleveland, played the first two years of his college career with the Buckeyes. He announced last month that he’d return to Columbus if he opted against staying in the NBA draft and will play for first-time head coach Jake Diebler.

He projects to be a big addition to the Buckeyes next season. He joins Sean Stewart (Duke), Micah Parrish (San Diego State) and Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky) by transferring to the team, while the program also added recruits Juni Mobley and Colin White.

The Buckeyes finished 22-14 this past season, including 9-11 in conference play, and look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

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