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The best part about Ohio State men’s basketball adding a five-star talent to the roster for this season is Jake Diebler’s Buckeyes might not even need him.
I mean, they probably will, but stay with me here…
In case you missed it, news broke Monday that LJ Smith will join the Buckeyes for this coming season.
Smith, a 6-4, 180-pound combo guard from Lincolnton, N.C., was the No. 25 prospect in the country per 247Sports Composite rankings for the class of 2027.
He verbally committed to Ohio State last fall and was set to play one more season of “high school” basketball at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, where he averaged 16.8 points per game last season.
Instead, he’ll graduate this summer and join the Buckeyes for this upcoming season as Jake Diebler’s squad looks to build on its first NCAA Tournament appearance 2022.
When it all clicks.
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What is Ohio State getting in LJ Smith?
According to recruiting analysts, Smith could prove to be a bigger John Mobley Jr., which is pretty good since Mobley’s size is his biggest limiting factor.
Mobley is listed at 6-2, but that seems a bit optimistic. No matter how tall he is, Mobley can put the ball in the basket. When he’s hot, the junior is the type of player a team can ride to lots of wins, and he can handle the ball as well.
Despite playing with another ball-dominant guard, Mobley averaged 15.7 points and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 41% from 3-point range and made 97 treys, but he and Bruce Thornton (also listed 6-2) combined to be a pretty small backcourt that limited what the Buckeyes could do defensively.
This season, 6-4 Cal transfer Justin Pippen is expected to be the new starting point guard. Scottie’s son averaged 14.2 points per game last season and should provide more of a defensive presence next to Mobley, but he was not the only veteran addition to the backcourt.
Curtis Givens III, who averaged 9.4 points per game at Memphis last season, and Jimmie Williams (15.1 PPG at Duquesne) were both at least part-time starters at the college level already so they come to Columbus with some skins on the wall.
Their signings weren’t as celebrated as others might have been during another turbulent portal season, but experienced depth is no small thing considering Diebler got next to nothing from the bench last season.
Of course, the best-laid plans frequently gang aft agley for Ohio State when it comes to the transfer portal, but maybe this year will be different?
It’s good to have strength in number if nothing else.
How much will LJ Smith play as a freshman?
Obviously it’s nice to add another top 30 prospect to any roster, but playing big minutes in college basketball at the age of 17 or 18 is a big challenge for most players.
And it’s certainly harder now than it has been at any time in the past 20 years since more veteran players are hanging around and many schools are bringing in literal professionals who are in their 20s from overseas.
Then there is the fact the Ohio State frontcourt remains a work in progress.
Andrew Bynum has the makings of a star, but he’s a bit small for a power forward. If the Buckeyes want to take another step forward on the court this winter, he needs to take a big step in his development after averaging just under 10 points per game as a freshman (I suspect he will).
Lebanon native Anthony Thompson is a five-star recruit, but he’s still just a freshman. Even if he starts (seems likely), he figures to take some lumps in the Big Ten (again because college basketball is getting older and bigger as he arrives).
Thompson and Bynum might both be best suited to play the 3, but they are almost certainly likely to be out there together. That makes one wonder how the Buckeyes will deal with physicality throughout the year.
At center, Josh Ojianwuna is a veteran from Baylor, but he hasn’t played in more than a year. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds before suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2025, so it’s not like he was a star for the Bears anyway.
Andrija Jelavic, a Kentucky transfer, has an intriguing game, but he doesn’t seem to be a traditional center.
How will it shake out?
Like I said, having options is always ideal.
The roster was really top-heavy last season, and depth was tested by injuries and illness through the middle of the Big Ten campaign in particular.
Adding a top 30 talent is always nice, especially when those have not been growing on trees for Ohio State, but it will be interesting to see how this roster comes together once we’re done paying attention to football.
If you want to see more of what's being said during Ohio State interviews, check out my YouTube channel.
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