Ohio State head coach Thad Matta sat at a table in front of a room full of reporters and his straight face turned to a wide grin when he was asked about his 2015 recruiting class.
With Wednesday marking the first day of the early-signing period, Matta was able to finally talk about the four players who had officially signed to play for the Buckeyes.
“I’m feeling great, honestly," Matta said. "I think from what we felt like we needed is what we got.”
Ohio State got a wide-variety in its 2015 class including guards A.J. Harris and Austin Grandstaff, forward Mickey Mitchell and big man Daniel Giddens. All four have officially signed to play for the Buckeyes.
| Player | Pos | HT | WT | PREP RANK | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DANIEL GIDDENS | C | 6-10 | 235 | #9 (C) | ★★★★ |
| AUSTIN GRANDSTAFF | G | 6-4 | 180 | #11 (SG) | ★★★★ |
| MICKEY MITCHELL | F | 6-7 | 210 | #16 (SF) | ★★★★ |
| A.J. HARRIS | G | 5-9 | 160 | #13 (PG) | ★★★ |
Harris is rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports who hails from Dayton and the powerful Dunbar program. He seems to be the succeeder to Shannon Scott at point guard and a player Matta said is "gonna come in and run a basketball team."
Grandstaff, a four-star shooting guard from Rockwall, Texas, will come to Ohio State with the reputation of being a knockdown shooter. Matta said Wednesday Grandstaff was a better shooter in high school than Jon Diebler was at that level, giving the 6-foot-4 Grandstaff the highest of praise.
In Giddens, the Buckeyes get the big guy they've long been coveting, especially considering Ohio State is set to lose Amir Williams, Trey McDonald and Anthony Lee after this season to graduation. On the four-star recruit from Marietta, Ga., Matta said, "I've seen him dominate games with his defense, his rebounding and his shot blocking."
Mitchell, a four-star recruit from Plano, Texas, de-committed from the Buckeyes several months back, but ultimately decided to sign with Ohio State on Wednesday. Matta said in the Buckeyes' system, Mitchell can play four different positions and called him "maybe the best passer I've seen in a long time in terms of his vision."
Ohio State is set to lose six players to graduation after the season, so it was crucial for Matta and his staff to solidify a solid class. The Buckeyes did just that, and plugged some holes they'll have along the way.
"All four guys have won and they've won at a high level," Matta said. "It was kind of in the plan of we knew had to get these spots filled. These were four guys we targeted and said if we get them, we’re gonna be happy. As I said, I’m elated today.”
Next year, Ohio State will also add Trevor Thompson, a transfer from Virginia Tech who is sitting out this season and Dave Bell, a freshman in this season's class who Matta expects to redshirt.
