Scarlet Sunrise: Way-too-early 2025 NBA Mock Draft tabs Aaron Bradshaw as lottery pick

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Way-too-early 2025 NBA Mock Draft tabs Aaron Bradshaw as lottery pick

Next year, Ohio State could have its first NBA lottery pick since D’Angelo Russell went No. 2 overall in 2015 — at least, according to CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish, who released a way-too-early 2025 NBA Mock Draft Saturday.

Just two days removed from this year’s NBA Draft, Parrish projected sophomore Aaron Bradshaw to go to the New Orleans Pelicans at pick No. 14, the final selection of the lottery.

“Bradshaw was a top-five prospect in the Class of 2023 whose freshman year at Kentucky didn’t go so well. He only averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game after missing much of the preseason and first month of the season with an injury. That was disappointing. But the former McDonald’s All-American is still a 7-foot athlete with real stretch-big potential — and now that he’s transferred to Ohio State, I won’t be surprised if he does enough next season to again make himself a part of the lottery conversation that he was definitely a part of a year ago. Think Kel’el Ware, who was also a heralded high school prospect who struggled in his first year of college but then transferred and became a top-15 pick.”

Gary Parrish, CBS Sports

Bradshaw, who transferred in from Kentucky, is arguably the Buckeyes’ most intriguing portal addition of the offseason.

The Rahway, New Jersey, native clocked out as the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 4 overall prospect, and No. 1 center, in the 2023 recruiting class. His senior year at Camden High School, he averaged 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He put up similar stats for NJ Scholars on the EYBL circuit.

But Bradshaw missed the early part of his freshman season at Kentucky while recovering from an offseason foot injury. He didn’t make his college debut until Dec. 2. The 7-foot-1 center played in 26 games for the Wildcats last season, making 10 starts in the process. He scored in double figures seven times and recorded one double-double.

His numbers weren’t anything to marvel at — after all, he averaged 4.9 points, 3.3. rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game — but he shot 57.6% from the field, teased his ability to stretch the floor and demonstrated his rim protecting chops.

While Bradshaw got off to a late start because of injury and saw his role decline down the stretch of Kentucky’s season, his potential is undeniable. Both he and Duke transfer forward Sean Stewart — another former top-20 overall prospect from the 2023 class — could take a leap in 2024-25.

“I think they’re experienced, and knowing what college basketball now looks like and feels like will be valuable,” head coach Jake Diebler said earlier this month. “I think if you look at the last 5-10 years, even maybe going back a little bit before some of the COVID year stuff, you saw really talented freshmen who stayed until their sophomore year, you saw guys — kind of across the board — make significant improvement.

“So both those guys work really hard. And that’s why I’m confident they’re going to be able to make make a jump. But I also love the fact that we have a veteran backcourt. And I think that’s an important component, too, that will help the transition for them going from maybe a more limited role to a to a significantly increased role.

Diebler added: “They’re very talented players. Two McDonald’s All-Americans on our roster I think is certainly a great thing for us. But they don’t have to do it by themselves.”

The Buckeyes will need Bradshaw to step up in the absence of former starting center Felix Okpara, who transferred to Tennessee this offseason.

Ohio State recruiting observations from Saturday at Midwest Live

Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler posted up in Sandusky, Ohio, this week at the OHSBCA Midwest Live event to watch several targets as well as 2026 commit Marcus Johnson, a four-star Cleveland (Ohio) Garfield Heights point guard.

Lettermen Row recruiting reporter Mick Walker was on site for the event and followed Diebler and one of his key assistants to track the prospects Ohio State was watching.

This weekend marks the second scholastic live period of the college basketball recruiting calendar, and we’re unpacking observations from a jam-packed Saturday.

Check it out here.

Best-case, worst-case scenario for Buckeyes defensive line

With Lettermen Row “Defensive Line Week” coming to a close, we’re looking at the best- and worst-case scenarios for longtime D-Line coach Larry Johnson’s unit.

On one hand, defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer could take the next step in 2024 and maximize their potential as former top-five overall prospects. And maybe the depth at both defensive end and defensive tackle flourishes in a season that could potentially go as long as 17 games because of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

But what if that doesn’t happen? We’re breaking down both sides of the coin here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 62 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 153 days

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