What newest recruit gives the Ohio State basketball team

The Ohio State basketball program has been killing it on the recruiting trail this summer. Chris Holtmann has done a really good job of recruiting the state of Ohio and has clearly made it a priority to try to get the best talent from the state, but their newest recruit isn’t from Ohio.

Scotty Middleton is the newest Buckeye recruit and is actually the highest ranked of the recruits in the 2023 class. Middleton is listed as the 6th-best small forward in the country. He is also the 3rd-best small forward in the state of Kansas, which is where he hails from.

Middleton is listed at 6’6 and 180 pounds. He is the ideal size for his position and can handle the ball too. He can shoot, pass, and is a pretty decent defender. There’s a reason he’s the most highly-touted of the recruits for the 2023 class.

With Middleton’s commitment, the Buckeyes have the 3rd-best recruiting class in the country now. Only Duke and Kentucky, two basketball blue-bloods, have better classes. Middleton is Ohio State’s fourth recruit in this class as well, so there’s really only room for one more guy.

Middleton gives the Ohio State basketball team versatility on both ends of the floor. That’s something that the Buckeyes don’t currently have with their team at any position. Middleton has the ability to switch 1-4 on the perimeter, which helps Holtmann’s defense.

Holtmann has done a masterful job recruiting this class. After bringing in a top 10 class for 2022, he’s got another one on the way in 2023. Holtmann is really good at bringing in quality players. Now, he just has to get some results on the court that match the level of recruiting.

This year is a big year on that front. We won’t know for a few months how well this team will play, but they did well while in the Bahamas so that’s a good sign.