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Friday night, D’Angelo Russell gave Ohio State a huge boost with his commitment to the program. Russell is a 6’5” shooting guard from Florida and currently ranked no. 22 in the 2014 class by Rivals.
Russell chose the Buckeyes over other offers, including Michigan State, Louisville and North Carolina. On his choice, Russell stated:
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“I have been going through the recruiting process for a long time but never cut my list down. I know Ohio State is where I want to be, so I made my decision.”
Russell adds a lot to the Buckeyes’ 2014 class. Ohio State’s current starting guards, Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr. will both have graduated when Russell steps on campus. Therefore, the highly regarded shooting guard will have plenty off opportunity to contribute immediately. Russell is known for his dynamic scoring ability, which he should be able to showcase as a freshman.
But before Russell even steps on the floor for Ohio State, he could make a huge contribution. That would be if Russell can help the Buckeyes nab the top player in the 2014 class, Jahlil Okafor from Chicago. Russell did say he would help recruit the massive Okafor. Whether Russell can sway Okafor is hard to know, but Okafor does have definite interest already in Ohio State. The Buckeyes were on Okafor’s final list of eight schools, which he released just last week.
The Buckeyes made a big splash with the addition of D’Angelo Russell to the 2014 class. If Russell could entice Okafor to join him in Columbus, however, that splash will become a tidal wave.
You can follow Alex Dale on Twitter at @alexdalecbb
