Scarlet Sunrise: Former Ohio State guard Bowen Hardman transfers to Akron
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Former Ohio State guard Bowen Hardman transfers to Akron
Sharpshooting guard Bowen Hardman was the first of five Ohio State players to hit the transfer portal this offseason. But he was the last one to announce his new destination.
Hardman revealed Saturday that he’s off to Akron, where he’ll join a Zips program that’s made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three seasons.
Hardman was part of the first of two straight top-10 recruiting classes at Ohio State. He signed in the 2022 cycle alongside center Felix Okpara, wing Brice Sensabaugh and guards Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. The only one still with the Buckeyes is Thornton, a two-time captain.
While his four classmates started down the stretch of the 2022-23 season, Hardman remained in a reserve role throughout his freshman campaign. In fact, the Cincinnati native played in only seven games and never scored in Big Ten play that year.
Hardman saw increased playing time as a sophomore, appearing in 18 games and shooting 9-of-21 from beyond the arc. He burst onto the scene Jan. 23 at Nebraska, where he scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting in just eight minutes of action, as then-head coach Chris Holtmann looked for ways to jolt the Buckeyes, who were reeling in conference competition for the second year in a row.
The Princeton High School product went on to play in 10 more Big Ten regular season games, notably scoring seven points and playing a career-high 21 minutes in a loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 13.
When all was said and done, though, he averaged just 4.2 minutes and 1.8 points per game in 2023-24. Plus, he didn’t play in the Big Ten Tournament.
He did, however, have a memorable moment in the NIT. Actually, Hardman’s last bucket this past season was a timely 3-pointer late in the first round against Cornell.
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He finished sixth on the team with nine triples made this year. With more minutes, Hardman could hit that mark in half a month, easily. At Akron, he might get that kind of opportunity.
RELATED
Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg drafted on Day 3
Ohio State had only four players drafted this year, the program’s fewest selections in a draft since 2013. But don’t read into that number because the Buckeyes returned 11 draft-eligible and starter-level players for the 2024 season.
Both Cade Stover and Tommy Eichenberg heard their name called Saturday afternoon.
The Houston Texans grabbed Stover in the fourth round with the No. 123 overall pick. He’ll be reuniting with former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
And then the Las Vegas Raiders took Eichenberg in the fifth round with the No. 148 overall pick. Eichenberg will try to make an impact with a Raiders squad led by new head coach Antonio Pierce, a former NFL linebacker himself.
For more on Stover, go here.
For more on Eichenberg, go here.
Four former Ohio State players have signed as UDFAs so far
Four former Ohio State players have signed as undrafted free agents so far: safety Josh Proctor, offensive lineman Matthew Jones, linebacker Steele Chambers and wide receiver Xavier Johnson.
ICYMI…
Buckeyes safety Josh Proctor signing with Jacksonville Jaguars as undrafted free agent
Buckeyes OL Matthew Jones signing with Miami Dolphins as undrafted free agent
Steele Chambers signing with Detroit Lions as undrafted free agent
Xavier Johnson signing with Buffalo Bills as undrafted free agent
Counting Down
Buckeyes vs. Akron: 127 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 218 days
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