{"id":200825,"date":"2026-06-15T23:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T03:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=200825"},"modified":"2026-06-15T23:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T03:06:11","slug":"ohio-state-buckeyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/15\/ohio-state-buckeyes\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio State Adds To 2026 Recruiting Class As Jake Diebler Takes Another Step Towards Finalizing Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/college-basketball\/\" target=\"_self\">Ohio State Buckeyes<\/a> received surprising yet expected news as 2027 five-star recruit <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.on3.com\/rivals\/lj-smith-245395\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LJ Smith<\/a> officially reclassified to the class of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Ohio State Buckeyes Add To 2026 Recruiting Class<\/h2>\n<p>According to\u00a0 Travis Branham of 247Sports, Smith will enroll at Ohio State a year early. The 6-4 combo guard committed to the Buckeyes in November. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from <span>North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, Virginia, LSU, Georgia, Mississippi State, Clemson, and others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEWS: LJ Smith, the No. 28 overall recruit in the 2027 class, is reclassifying to 2026 and enrolling early at Ohio State for the 2026-27 season, he tells <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/247Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@247Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Story: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YgoiGEycoX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/YgoiGEycoX<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SHHLWzHMsB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/SHHLWzHMsB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TravisBranham_\/status\/2066550900886241435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span>&#8220;Coach [<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/coaches\/jake-diebler-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jake] Diebler<\/a> believes in me a lot, and I feel like this is my chance to start developing at the college level and help the team win right away,&#8221; Smith told Branham.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Smith had an excellent first season at Oak Hill Academy after the Lincolntown (NC) native dominated the North Carolina High School basketball as a sophomore. The 6-4 guard was having a solid spring AAU campaign with Team Thad, averaging<span>\u00a017.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from three-point range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Smith was the No. 21-rated player and a four-star recruit in 2027, per the industry&#8217;s ratings. ESPN listed Smith as a five-star recruit and the No. 11 player in the class. Meanwhile, 247Sports\u00a0 and Rivals had him ranked as a four-star recruit and No. 27 and No. 45, respectively. He has a $547,000 NIL valuation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLJ Smith is a confident guard, at his best when asked to score the basketball,\u201d<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.on3.com\/teams\/ohio-state-buckeyes\/news\/ohio-state-basketball-buckeyes-lj-smith-guard-reclassify-2026-recruiting-class\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Rivals Jaime Shaw<\/a> said in his scouting report of Smith. \u201cHe has range on his jump shot and a consistent release with a good base, able to make off-platform shots playing off movement. He has a solid handle and can get his team into sets or reinitiate the offense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be some questions defensively, but he has the tools to be at least solid in time,&#8221; Shaw continued. &#8220;But his thing is scoring, and as he polishes that aspect, learning his spots within the offense, that is where the intrigue remains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB09oMyMM4\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 4974px; aspect-ratio: 4974\/3316;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h3>What Does LJ Smith&#8217;s Addition Mean For Ohio State Buckeyes In 2026<\/h3>\n<p>Smith is Diebler&#8217;s fourth high school recruit and eighth newcomer in this year&#8217;s cycle. Before Smith decided to reclassify, the Buckeyes&#8217; 2026 class ranked 42nd in the nation by 247Sports.<\/p>\n<p>Smith joins five-star forward Anthony Thompson, three-star forward Alex Smith, both Ohio natives, as incoming freshmen. Three-star\u00a0 7-1 Serbian Vuk Lazarevic is the other member of their high school class. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/justin-pippen-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Justin Pippen<\/a> (Cal)\u00a0 and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/andrija-jelavic-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrija Jelavic<\/a> (Kentucky) are the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/10\/ohio-state-gets-commitment-from-scottie-pippens-highly-touted-son-6-11-croatian\/\" target=\"_self\">Buckeyes&#8217; top transfers<\/a><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/curtis-givens-iii-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">. Curtis Givens III<\/a> (Memphis) and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jimmie-williams-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmie Williams<\/a> (Detroit) are the other newcomers.<\/p>\n<p>Those eight players join six returnees for Dieblier&#8217;s third season at the helm. Junior<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/john-mobley-jr-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> John Mobley Jr.<\/a>, who was one of the Big Ten&#8217;s best 3-point shooters last season, and sophomore <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/amare-bynum-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amre Bynum<\/a> lead the returnees. Six-foot-10 redshirt senior <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/josh-ojianwuna-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Ojuinwuma<\/a>, who sat out all of last year while recovering from a knee injury, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/ivan-njegovan-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ivan Njegovan<\/a> are also important returnees.<\/p>\n<p>With 14 players on the roster, Diebler can add one more player. But the Buckeyes may decide not to do so. They started last year with 14 players, then added <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/puff-johnson-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Puff Johnson<\/a> late in the season. And Diebler seems pretty happy with the Buckeyes&#8217; depth.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jake Diebler announces new coaches, thinks Ohio State\u2019s 2026-27 roster is \u201cdeepest team we\u2019ve had\u201d\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cl4FPsFVeYw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think this is the deepest team we&#8217;ve had, and I don&#8217;t know that it&#8217;s even close,\u201d Diebler<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.elevenwarriors.com\/ohio-state-basketball\/2026\/06\/162663\/jake-diebler-confident-ohio-state-has-roster-to-contend-in-2026-27-i-think-this-is-the-deepest-team-we-ve-had\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> said during a press conference two weeks ago<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cI love where our roster is. This roster is big, it&#8217;s versatile, it&#8217;s skilled, it&#8217;s smart.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/11\/ohio-state-basketball-2025-26-preview-buckeyes-must-avoid-another-letdown\/\" target=\"_self\">Ohio State is coming off<\/a> a 21-13 camapign and an eighth-place (12-8) finish in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, who made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, were ousted by TCU (66-64) in the first round.<\/p>\n<h4>Projecting The Buckeyes 2026 Depth<\/h4>\n<h5>Guards<\/h5>\n<p>John Mobley Jr: Starter at the 2.<\/p>\n<p>Justin Pippen: Starter at the 1.<\/p>\n<p>Curtis Givens III: Backup point guard.<\/p>\n<p>LJ Smith: Backup shooting guard<\/p>\n<p>Jimmie Williams: Fifth guard<\/p>\n<p>Braylen Nash: Developmental role<\/p>\n<p>Myles Herro: Developmental role<\/p>\n<h5>Wings<\/h5>\n<p>Anthony Thompson: Starter at the 3<\/p>\n<p>Jimmie Williams: Backup at the 3, if Diebler decides to go with a small ball lineup.<\/p>\n<p>Alex Smith: Developmental role<\/p>\n<h5>Bigs<\/h5>\n<p>Amare Bynum: Starter at the 4.<\/p>\n<p>Andrija Jelavic: Starter at the 5.<\/p>\n<p>Josh Ojuinwuma: First big off the bench.<\/p>\n<p>Ivan Njegovan: Depth<\/p>\n<p>Vuk Lazarevic: Developmental role<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OSU Men&#039;s Basketball Coach Jake Diebler joins the show! | World Cup OSU | The Buckeye Show 6-15-26\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IP6O66pdUZA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>Photo Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ohio State Buckeyes received surprising yet expected news as 2027 five-star recruit LJ Smith officially reclassified to the class of 2026. Ohio State Buckeyes Add To 2026 Recruiting Class According to\u00a0 Travis Branham of 247Sports, Smith will enroll at Ohio State a year early. The 6-4 combo guard committed to the Buckeyes in November. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3146,"featured_media":200871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,773,2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-college-basketball","category-featured","category-news"],"modified_by":"Daniel Benjamin, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200825"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200875,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200825\/revisions\/200875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}