Ohio State basketball adds a pair of four-stars on National Signing Day

COLUMBUS — The 2024-25 Ohio State season and the first full season of the Jake Diebler era are underway. The Buckeyes also got a glimpse of the future Wednesday, National Signing Day, however.

Jake Diebler and his staff signed a pair of four-star prospects in the 2025 class: Four-star Link Academy (Mo.) power forward A’mare Bynum and Cleveland (Ohio) Richmond Heights shooting guard Dorian Jones.

Lettermen Row has a rundown of what the newest Buckeyes bring to the table.

Four-star PF A’mare Bynum

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

School: Link Academy (Mo.)

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 210 pounds

Commitment Date: October 22, 2024

Primary Recruiter: Assistant coach Jamall Walker

Top Offers: Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska and LSU

On3 Industry Ranking: No. 88 overall prospect, No. 19 power forward and No. 6 prospect in Missouri

On3 Ranking: No. 76 overall prospect, No. 19 power forward and No. 5 prospect in Missouri

Scouting Report via On3 Senior National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw: You first notice A’mare Bynum because of his frame. He has good size, listed at 6-foot-8, and a very sturdy build. Bynum carries long arms and wide-set shoulders. While he will have to stay on top of his conditioning, he has the type of frame that should take well to a college strength and conditioning program.

The takeaway I get from watching Bynum is that he moves in a way that is unexpected. Bynum is at his best, facing the basket and attacking space off the bounce. He has a solid handle for a big man, and he has good feet, able to move and establish position. 

Bynum has soft hands and a nice touch. He has a sturdy frame that allows him to not get knocked off his line when he gets into the paint. This summer, playing on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, Bynum shot 35.7 percent from three on 2.7 attempts per game. The big man is also capable of scoring on the block. He has an understanding of angles and uses his hips and feet well to establish position. 

At his best, Bynum is a big man who can play matchups. Draw bigger men out to the perimeter and take small defenders to the block. This summer, he led his MoKan Elite team in both scoring (11.7) and rebounding (6.1). He is also an instinctive defender. While he is not the quickest of foot, he understands angles and uses his length to wall up around the basket. He averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals with his MoKan team.

While his game might not have a ceiling as high as some of the others in his class, his skill set and feel will allow for him to play in multiple different looks offensively while being able to man his post on the defensive end.

Four-star SG Dorian Jones

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

School: Richmond Heights (Ohio)

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 160 pounds

Commitment Date: July 1, 2024

Primary Recruiter: Assistant coach Joel Justus

Top Offers: Michigan, Missouri and Rutgers

On3 Industry Ranking: No. 93 overall prospect, No. 25 shooting guard and No. 1 prospect in Ohio

On3 Ranking: Three-star prospect, No. 53 shooting guard and No. 4 prospect in Ohio

Scouting Report via On3 Senior National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw: Dorian Jones reputation is as a shot maker and a defensive stopper. On the defensive end, he uses his plus wingspan to get in the passing lanes and he has quick feet which he uses to guard in the open floor.

Offensively, Jones is still developing. He is a streaky shooter as his shooting base can get knocked off center when he shoots off movement or steps into a shot. His release can also flatten out off the catch. He fills the lanes quickly in transition and attacks the rim with purpose in the open floor. Would like to see him continue to develop his handle in the half-court, as well as his decision making with the ball in his hands.

Jones has played on a big stage for some time now, and he has continued to answer the call. There is some twitchy athleticism in there and some of his flashes are intriguing. Now it’s about finding consistency and developing his skill set.

Outlook

After adding three true freshman and two transfer with multiple years left to play this offseason, Ohio State elected to sign a smaller class this cycle. The class is still talented, however. Amare Bynum is a versatile big with the offensive potential and rebounding ability to succeed in Columbus. He has a similar profile to former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell coming out of high school.  In the end, Bynum is still improving offensively but his rebounding and effort on the defensive end give him a relatively high floor at Ohio State.

As for Jones, his length and tenacity allow him to an excel as a defender in both 1-on-1 and team defense situations. When he is fully locked in, Jones has the potential to be a lockdown defender on the wing. Offensively, Jones has a smooth shooting stroke and a quick release that allows him to get his shot off from anywhere on the court. He is particularly effective shooting corner threes.

Overall, Ohio State is not going to rely Bynum or Jones early in their careers. Especially, with the team that the Buckeyes are expected to bring back in 2025-26 led by point guard Bruce Thornton. Both should be able to play specific roles early, however, and eventually develop into important pieces for Jake Diebler’s program.