Hoops Recruiting Notebook: Grandstaff at the Jordan Brand Classic, Future Scholarship Numbers

By Mike Young on April 23, 2015 at 4:10 pm
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Outside of various pickup games and staying in shape over the summer, the Buckeyes' 2015 recruiting class won't be playing competitive basketball until they arrive at Ohio State.

Austin Grandstaff took his next step towards Columbus after competing in the Jordan Brand Classic, last week. The event, played annually since 2002, has featured several high school players who turned into notable NBA stars – LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, among many others. Former Buckeyes who played in the event include William Buford, Kosta Koufos, B.J. Mullens, Greg Oden, D'Angelo Russell, Shannon Scott, Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas. 

So, Grandstaff joined that illustrious list and played alongside some of the top recruits in his class – Stephen Zimmerman, Allonzo Trier and Malik Newman, just to name three. Grandstaff did not start and entered the game about halfway through the first half. 

Keep in mind, it's an all-star game they're not running many set plays. It was tough for Grandstaff to get an open look throughout the game because teams are not designing and running anything to get him open.

Shortly after subbing in, he put the ball on the floor but had his driving lane cut off by center Cheick Diallo. Grandstaff could've attempted floater but I'm not sure that's in his repertoire yet and hardly the best available shot. Other than that, he did not get much going towards the basket.

Naturally, this game did not give us much indication of what Grandstaff can do defensively, either. A two-on-one fast-break is as difficult a situation as you can face as a defender, here's how he handled it:

Otherwise, Grandstaff mainly went underneath screens and contested numerous, long three-point attempts.

Back on the other end of the floor, his night mostly consisted of setting up others. Grandstaff brought the ball up past half court several times and showed he can play point guard in a pinch. 

On this play, we see his pick and roll vision. The defenders do a poor job of trapping him and he's able to get a pass off to fellow Texan Tyler Davis, who eventually finishes around the rim:

The last highlight features another dish from Grandstaff. We see his vision in the open court, as the bridge of a sequence that led to an alley-oop. He spots Tyler Dorsey creeping behind the defense, takes one dribble and tosses up a perfect lob:

As you can tell, none of these highlights include a Grandstaff jumper. That's because he went 0 for 4 from the field with only one three-point attempt. On a positive note, he recorded three assists and his West Team won, 118-116. 

Scholarship Breakdown

April was a busy month for Thad Matta and his staff, making the next year on the trail less stressful.

Derek Funderburk pledged on the first of the month and, in case you missed it, Micah Potter discussed his commitment with Eleven Warriors, Monday. With that, Ohio State was one over the scholarship limit for their class. 

If you expected D'Angelo Russell to stay through his junior season, however, I have bad news for you. With the star guard's NBA draft declaration, the Buckeyes don't have an available scholarship for 2016-17. 

Good news is Matta can add a grad transfer for this upcoming season. Adding anyone beyond the 2015-16 season would require someone to transfer out, lose their scholarship or declare early. 

I'm not going to handicap the chances of any player leaving the program. However, I don't expect any incoming freshman to go pro prior to their sophomore season, nor do I think anyone on the current roster will declare for the 2016 draft. 

Like it or not – Marc Loving, Trevor Thompson, Dave Bell, Jae'Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop, Kam Williams, Daniel Giddens, Mickey Mitchell, Austin Grandstaff, JaQuan Lyle, A.J. Harris, Funderburk and Potter will make up the majority or all of Ohio State's roster over the next two seasons.

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