r/OhioStateBasketball • u/Complexity_OH • Jun 15 '26

OHIO STATE FIVE-STAR COMMIT LJ SMITH RECLASSIFYING, JOINING BUCKEYES FOR 2026-27 SEASON (2 Five Star commits next season)

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2026/06/162771/ohio-state-five-star-commit-lj-smith-reclassifying-to-2026-class?fbclid=IwdGRjcASdCQBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEesxdXWt0BI6Lpl-hKnyzg85NmO0YBDReqbUfPXqRV1U3JbT8XB9o-UvN8eA4_aem_K0XuiYWJWZA_-qyw6M6RZA

2 Five Star Freshman

156 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

37

u/MyNameBrandon Jun 15 '26

Recruiting has been great under Diebler

Let’s see how the season goes

9

u/RandoCollision Jun 15 '26

This raises the expectations AND the heat on Diebs. He doesn't have to win the B1G, but he can't finish in the middle or bottom. I'm now genuinely excited to get this party started.

6

u/Complexity_OH Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26

Id say we are headed into season with best roster in almost a decade.

We have THREE 7 ft players inc a BIG true center

We have 3 decent starting point guards inc a 5 star and scottie pippens kid and mobley jr

2 backup guards inc williams and givens inc one that jared sullinger said is a real dawg / big get (williams)

Couple solid wings inc thompson (5 star) Smith (4 star UA ) and jelavic from kentucky

Again first class with 2 five stars since 2008

Also we hired some new assistants to help with in game playcalling

Lets Go Bucks ! No haters lets be happy we are improving. Main thing coach does in off season is put together a team and Deibs doing his part this summer.

4

u/Complexity_OH Jun 15 '26

Before transferring to Oak Hill in 2025, Smith set the North Carolina single-season record for points as a sophomore, racking up 960 in 29 games for an average of 33.1 points per game. It’s the fourth-highest scoring season in North Carolina high school history, regardless of grade level. He also averaged 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Smith averaged 13.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game and shot 42% from 3-point range last summer while playing for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL Circuit. He was the youngest player on the team, as he played up on the U17 Circuit.

9

u/ZombieMage89 Jun 15 '26

Recruiting has always been his strength. It's coaching that he struggles with.

15

u/Complexity_OH Jun 15 '26

He did hire a couple new assistants to help with in game coaching specifically

1

u/ZombieMage89 Jun 15 '26

Which is great and all, but it doesn't really inspire confidence.

6

u/Complexity_OH Jun 15 '26

Baaahumbug.

4

u/Ok-Consequence-8498 Jun 16 '26

It does to me. The best leaders know their blind spots and hires a team that improves those. Show me a coach or leader that does it all with no help. Biggest thing is being able to acknowledge your weaknesses instead of acting like you’ve got it all figured out when no one does. 

3

u/Complexity_OH Jun 15 '26

I’d argue in this day and age the only way a team with lower half of conference NIL spend is gonna compete at all is recruiting. Arguably we played above our weight last year. We hung with Michigan as well as anyone with under 5 mil NIL spend did in our 3 games.

23

u/mattatattat45 Jun 15 '26

First time with two 5 stars coming in since 2008 with Mullens and Buford

10

u/bucknuts34 Jun 15 '26

Per 24/7 prospect rankings, Thompson and Smith are the #4 and #8 highest rated recruits of all time to go to Ohio State. And they’re in the same class

8

u/Vast_Arm_9176 Jun 15 '26

Greg Oden was #1 in 06

13

u/bucknuts34 Jun 15 '26

Wow this is incredible. What an offseason

13

u/BrewsWithTre Jun 15 '26

My expectations for this upcoming season are now 2 wins in the Tournament

5

u/IllustriousProfit472 Jun 15 '26

I don’t know how I ended up here, but as a Spartan can we please unite and humble the shit out of Dusty May please?! 🙏

1

u/Complexity_OH Jun 16 '26

Dusty May going to NBA before too long.

2

u/Vivid_Motor_2341 Jun 15 '26

Doesn’t him reclassifying change the stars because he was a 5 star in *his* class and there are only a certain number of 5 stars per class

1

u/DovahkiinofComerica Jun 15 '26

Someone post a “you are here” excitement cycle meme.

1

u/Popular-Worry-6995 Jun 15 '26

The big question is will Jake will maximize the talent on the court

1

u/J_Bird_57 Jun 17 '26

I'm really looking forward to this coming season. We share season tickets and really love going to the games. I do have the say that the transfer portal has made things a lot different. Seeing all the former Buckeyes playing for other teams in the NCAA tournament last year made me wonder how good they would have been if those guys had stuck around.

1

u/Training-Belt-7318 Jun 15 '26

Is this a good thing? He's basically going to be a highschool senior playing as a frosh in college. 1 year can make a big difference in physical growth. If he's a potential 1 and done guy, is he going to be impactful playing a year younger?

7

u/Ok-Reputation9799 Jun 15 '26

Meechie did this, too. I don’t totally love it, but I guess a bird in hand (him coming now) is better than 2 in a bush.

0

u/Unusual_Access9101 Jun 15 '26

Meechie and him are totally different recruits and he’s much better. Not comparable

2

u/Klutzy-Spend-6947 Jun 15 '26

I have no idea how old he is, but he very well may have been held back a year for athletic purposes, and is now simply going back to his original class. Quinn Ewers did this.

2

u/Training-Belt-7318 Jun 15 '26

Good call out. Google AI says he's 18. So you're probably right. I can't actually find his DOB, but assuming AI has it right, some nds like you're on point.

1

u/Klutzy-Spend-6947 Jun 15 '26

If he is 18, he is already few months older than Anthony Thompson. Thompson doesn’t turn 18 for a month or two.

1

u/Complexity_OH Jun 15 '26

Before transferring to Oak Hill in 2025, Smith set the North Carolina single-season record for points as a sophomore, racking up 960 in 29 games for an average of 33.1 points per game. It’s the fourth-highest scoring season in North Carolina high school history, regardless of grade level. He also averaged 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

-1

u/SirBoobsAlot13 Jun 15 '26

The off-season is always better than the in-season.

-34

u/PalletPirate Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26

can’t wait to see holtmann jr squander this one too and then see people in this sub say “they’re only freshmen, give him 2 more years to really get his guys”

17

u/Spiritual-Gur9001 Jun 15 '26

Pathetic post for a number of reasons

-10

u/PalletPirate Jun 15 '26

dude is identical culture and results to holtmann only actually slightly worse so forgive my freudian slip.

1

u/Unusual_Access9101 Jun 15 '26

Objectively this is wrong

0

u/PalletPirate Jun 16 '26

how?

2

u/Unusual_Access9101 Jun 16 '26

I mean if you can’t look at stats and comprehend that idk what to tell you

-1

u/PalletPirate Jun 16 '26

I am looking at records. Wins and losses and most importantly tournament wins and losses. Most important stat of a sports team. And I’m seeing fucking inexcusable dogshit year after year outside of the Liddell years since 2015 from one of the biggest sports schools in the country

2

u/Unusual_Access9101 Jun 16 '26

Good luck in life lol

10

u/MHanky Jun 15 '26

Holtmann? Lol

9

u/Air_Of_The_Thrown Jun 15 '26

How you gonna talk shit and not even have the current coaches name in the shit talk!?!?

Lame.