What a week it was on the commitment trail. Last week saw a fair share of verbal commitments that were received from the various levels throughout the divison-1 platform, yet with more visits taking place, there were even more highly rated recruits deciding to call it a day within their own recruitments. Duke jumped on board with their first grab within the 2017 class, Villanova added a capable replacement for Josh Hart, and Arizona landed its future at the lead guard spot.

However, Ohio State gets the spotlight here, where, just like Arkansas last week, get the nod as the power conference commitments of the week by landing two, priority targets from the 2018 class. On the non-power conference spectrum, Murray State gained the services of Tevin Brown, giving the OVC bunch the commitment of the week at their own respective level.

POWER CONFERENCE COMMITMENTS OF THE WEEK

OHIO STATE LANDS 2018 IN-STATE DUO

Ohio State is still in need of finishing out their 2017 class but the work that they have done thus far in the 2018 class went to the next level this past weekend. We wrote extensively about the two commitments but landing the services of HoopSeen 2018 Top-100 prospects Justin Ahrens and Darius Bazley are two massive commitments for the staff in Columbus, Ohio.

The Buckeyes started off the 2018 class with an underrated grab in an improving, in-state guard, Dane Goodwin. The 6-foot-3 junior has blossomed these past months, enough to gain entry into our top-100. However, Ahrens and Bazley take things up another notch as both bring vast upside, immediate production, and versatility to the next level.

The past few years, Ohio State had gone outside of its geographical niche in landing prospects from outside of the Midwest. However, Thad Matta and his crew have gone back to what won it for them the first time around. Bazley, a 6-foot-8 forward that can playmake as a matchup issue at either forward spot, is a top-50 recruit with even better upside to him. Joining him is Justin Ahrens, a 6-foot-5 wing and the younger brother of Michigan State sophomore guard Kyle Ahrens. The 2018 recruit brings an immediate scoring punch from beyond the arc and paired with Bazley and Goodwin, create the number one class early on within the 2018 crop.

NON-POWER CONFERENCE COMMITMENT OF THE WEEK

TEVIN BROWN OPTS TO BECOME A RACER

There are always sleepers being slept on from the deep south. Tevin Brown originally fitted the mold until he broke out this past summer running with the CP25 SE Elite FBC squad where he repeatedly toppled over shoe-sponsored program after shoe-sponsored program. The quality offers rattled in for the 6-foot-4 wing but on Saturday, the Alabama native decided to end things for a program that has become known for finding under-the-radar prospects that become future college stars.

Murray State, with a busy few weeks ahead, landed its first commitment in the senior class in Tevin Brown. Why is this the top non-power conference commitment of the week? Brown and MSU are the perfect marriage between prospect and college program. Brown, a tough and versatile wing, can be leaned upon immediately for his shot making from deep and due to his length and quickness, can already practically guard all three spots in the backcourt. With the upcoming loss of do-it-all wing Damarcus Croaker to graduation, Brown is not only the perfect replacement for the Florida native, but someone that is unafraid of the biggest of moments and is ready to compete immediately next college basketball season.  

2017 CLASS

ACC

DUKE

• Alex O’Connell, 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Milton High School (Georgia) – NATIONAL RANKING: 36

AMERICAN EAST

ALBANY

• Cameron Healy, 6-foot-3 guard, Montverde Academy (Australia)
• Adam Lulka, 6-foot-8 power forward, The King’s School (Australia)

STONY BROOK

• Elijah Olaniyi, 6-foot-5 small forward, East Side High School (New Jersey)

ATLANTIC SUN

FLORIDA GULF COAST

• Brian Thomas, 6-foot-8 power forward, Kell High School (Georgia) – STATE RANKING: 21

ATLANTIC 10

DAYTON

• Jordan Davis, 6-foot-3 guard, Dutch Fork High School (South Carolina)

BIG EAST

VILLANOVA

• Jermaine Samuels, 6-foot-5 small forward, The Rivers School (Massachusetts) – NATIONAL RANKING: 31

BIG SKY

NORTH DAKOTA

• Garrett Franken, 6-foot-7 forward, Atlantic High School (Iowa)

BIG 12

IOWA STATE

• Keyshawn Feazell, 6-foot-9 power forward, Lawrence County High School (Mississippi)

BIG WEST

LONG BEACH STATE

• Jordan Roberts, 6-foot-7 forward, Ridgeview High School (California)

UC-IRVINE

• Collin Welp, 6-foot-8 power forward, Seattle Preparatory School (Washington)

CAA

UNC-WILMINGTON

• Evan Cole, 6-foot-8 power forward, South Forsyth High School (Georgia) – STATE RANKING: 16
• Brion Whitley, 6-foot-4 wing, Riverview High School (Florida) – STATE RANKING: 28

IVY

BROWN

• Tamenang Choh, 6-foot-5 small forward, Brooks School (Massachusetts)

PRINCETON

• Ryan Schwieger, 6-foot-5 guard, Weddington High School (North Carolina)

NEC

MOUNT ST. MARY’S

• Omar Habwe, 6-foot-5 small forward, Saint James School (Maryland)
• Nana Opoku, 6-foot-6 forward, Potomac High School (Maryland)

OHIO VALLEY

AUSTIN PEAY

• Terry Taylor, 6-foot-5 small forward, Bowling Green High School (Kentucky)

MURRAY STATE

• Tevin Brown, 6-foot-4 wing, Fairhope High School (Alabama) – STATE RANKING: 7

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

• Khalil Cuffee, 6-foot-5 small forward, Langston Hughes High School (Georgia)

PAC 12

ARIZONA

• Alex Barcello, 6-foot-1 point guard, Corona del Sol High School (Arizona) – NATIONAL RANKING: 98

PATRIOT

LAFAYETTE

• Alex Petrie, 6-foot-2 point guard, St. Christopher’s School (Virginia)

WCC

BYU

• Kolby Lee, 6-foot-9 center, Rocky Mountain High School (Utah)

PORTLAND

• JoJo Walker, 6-foot-2 guard, St. Joseph High School (California)

2018 CLASS

BIG 10

OHIO STATE

• Darius Bazley, 6-foot-8 forward, Princeton High School (Ohio) – NATIONAL RANKING: 35
• Justin Ahrens, 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Versailles High School (Ohio) – NATIONAL RANKING: 79

MOUNTAIN WEST

NEW MEXICO

• Marlon Cunningham, 6-foot-8 power forward, Albuquerque High School (New Mexico)