Meechie Johnson, Malaki Branham, Kalen Etzler Sign National Letters of Intent With Ohio State

By Colin Hass-Hill on November 13, 2020 at 5:08 pm
Meechie Johnson, Kalen Etzler, Malaki Branham
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It's official.

Ohio State basketball commits Meechie Johnson, Kalen Etzler and Malaki Branham signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday during the first day of the early signing period to officially become Buckeyes.

Johnson, a Garfield Heights product, reclassified to the 2020 class and will enroll in college and join the team in December. Etzler and Branham, the top two recruits in Ohio, remain in the 2021 class and will join the team next summer ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Those three will be the only players to sign with Ohio State during November's early signing period. Chris Holtmann and his coaching staff remain on the chase for a big man to potentially join their 2021 class – five-star center Efton Reid remains a top target – but they won't sign one this week.

Johnson, a high-scoring point guard, will serve as a backup to the starting backcourt – CJ Walker and Duane Washington Jr. – along with Bucknell transfer Jimmy Sotos this upcoming season. He expected to play his senior year for Garfield Heights, but Abel Porter's recently diagnosed heart condition opened up a scholarship this season that he will fill. Johnson, a 6-foot-2 guard, is now ranked as the No. 116 overall prospect in the 2020 class.

“Meechie is a great addition to our basketball family,” head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement released on Friday evening. “The recruiting process revealed not only his love for the game and how hard of a worker he is, but it also became obvious how important family is to him. He is gifted with the ball in his hands and coupled with his size, will fit great in our system. We love the fact that he is an Ohio kid from a great high school program. We are excited for him to achieve his dreams of being a Buckeye and want to officially welcome him to our Ohio State basketball family. I know he can’t wait to put on a Buckeye uniform and is hungry to get to work.”

Branham, the third-highest rated four-star recruit in his class, is Ohio State's crown jewel of the 2021 cycle. The smooth, 6-foot-4, 175-pound slasher who plays for St. Vincent-St. Mary will bring his multi-level scoring prowess to Columbus next year. He's the No. 28 overall recruit, fourth-best shooting guard and No. 1 Ohioan in the 2021 cycle.

“We are really excited about the addition of Malaki,” Holtmann said in a statement. “It became clear during the recruiting process that he and his family fit exactly what we were looking for. He brings great versatility and positional size to our backcourt, while playing with the competitiveness and habits we value here. His ability to impact winning on both ends is really exciting. Malaki comes from a storied Ohio high school program and will come in ready to make an impact as a Buckeye. His best days as a player are ahead of him. Malaki is a great addition to the University community and we are excited to officially welcome him to our Ohio State basketball family.”

Etzler holds the title as the longest-committed Buckeye in the 2021 class, having pledged to play for the home-state team on May 12, 2019. A lanky 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward from Convoy Crestview, he's the No. 98 overall recruit and 21st-ranked power forward in his class.

“We are excited to officially welcome Kalen and his family to The Ohio State University and the Buckeye basketball family,” Holtmann said in a statement. “Kalen and his family have Ohio State ties and I know he is looking forward to putting on the Scarlet and Gray for the first time. We love the fact that he plays for his uncle and loves being a Buckeye. His combination of skill and athleticism stood out from the beginning of the recruiting process and he has worked hard to continue his development. We see value in his versatility and love his passion for the Buckeyes. He has the potential to really grow as a player as his strength improves every year. We are looking forward to getting him to Columbus.”

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