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Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State men’s basketball program picked up a big commitment on Friday. Musa Jallow, a four-star wing out of Indiana, used a series of tweets to announce that he will reclassify to the Class of 2017 and commit to Ohio State.
pt.1 pic.twitter.com/nTRbm8kS9U
— musa aziz jallow (@m2jallow) July 8, 2017
pt.2 pic.twitter.com/z5ylSFsgme
— musa aziz jallow (@m2jallow) July 8, 2017
— musa aziz jallow (@m2jallow) July 8, 2017
Since reclassifying to 2017, 247Sports ranks Jallow as the 120th-best player in the class and the No. 31 overall small forward. As a junior at Bloomington North High School last season, the 6-foot-5 Jallow averaged 24.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and three assists per game.
Jallow held offers from a number of Big Ten programs, including Northwestern, Purdue and Indiana. However, Indiana is going through a coaching change of their own and Ohio State was able to get him out of his home state.
Holtmann, who replaced former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta in early June, was familiar with Jallow, having offered him a scholarship while at Butler. Jallow joins a solid Ohio State class that also includes Ohio natives Kaleb Wesson and Kyle Young. The trio of four-star recruits should have an opportunity to earn playing time for an Ohio State program that has just 10 players on the roster, including Jallow.
Jallow told Bill Landis of Cleveland.com that he welcomes the opportunity to step in and help Ohio State immediately.
"(Holtmann) told me that they're low on guys," Jallow said. "I think there are 10 guys on the roster, and that's pretty low for a college team. He said we need guys to come in and contribute to the team, we're looking to make a big turnaround this year. That right there was good enough for me. ... It's a great challenge, high risk, high reward -- but I'm down for it."
As far as what he offers on the court, Jallow told Landis that he brings versatility and a team-first attitude.
"I can play above the rim, and use my athleticism on the court to guard multiple positions," said Jallow, who plays for The Blaze Select on the AAU circuit. "I can bring my guard skills, my team mentality. I'm not a selfish player. I like to put my teammates in a good position to score. I'm ready to work."
Ohio State finished 10th in the Big Ten last season and had their worst record (17-15) since the 2003-04 season. With a new voice in the locker room this season, and the trio of four-star additions, the Buckeyes should be on their way back to respectability in the Big Ten.