In case you missed all the fun yesterday, the Ohio State basketball program officially inked three players on Friday. Malaki Branham, Kalen Etzler, and Meechie Johnson, Jr., all signed their national letters of intent to play for Ohio State and head coach Chris Holtmann.
It’s a class that ranks No. 41 in the country according to the 247Sports Team Composite rankings, but it’s a little tricky. That’s because Johnson reclassified to the 2020 class and will be enrolling in December. That means only two of the three players are technically considered part of this recruiting cycle.
Still, all three are new to the program, so we’re here to tell you about each of the new additions to the program thanks to a press release by the fine folks at Ohio State
NEXT … Malaki Branham
Guard Malaki Branham
Akron, OH (Akron Saint Vincent-Saint Mary)
6-foot, 5-inches, 190-pounds
Branham is a Top 30 ESPN prospect. He was born and raised in Columbus before moving to Akron prior to his ninth-grade year. He averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games at the U16 Nike Peach Jam for NEO Tru Game in the summer of 2019, shooting 38.5% from 3-point range.
Akron Saint Vincent Saint Mary won the Ohio State Division II State Championship when Branham was a freshman. Branham then led the team to a 24-4 record as a sophomore following a loss in the Division I state title game. His junior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are really excited about the addition of Malaki,” head coach Chris 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.”
NEXT … Kalen Etzler
Forward Kalen Etzler
Convoy, OH (Crestview High School)
6-foot, 8-inches, 200-pounds
Etzler is a top 100 national recruit. He is the nephew of former Ohio State guard Doug Etzler, who played for the Buckeyes from 1992-95. Doug is currently the head coach at Convoy Crestview HS.
As a sophomore, Etzler helped lead Crestview to the Division IV Ohio State Championship. He averaged 12.0 points and seven rebounds a game. As a junior, he earned second-team All-Ohio honors and first-team All-Northwest Ohio accolades after averaging 17.9 points per game.
“We are excited to officially welcome Kalen and his family to The Ohio State University and the Buckeye basketball family,” Holtmann said. “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.”
NEXT … Meechie Johnson, Jr.
Meechie Johnson, Jr.
Cleveland, OH (Garfield Heights High School)
6-foot, 2-inches, 185-pound
Johnson Jr. is a top 50 prospect nationally by ESPN.
He from a basketball family, as his father (Demetrius Sr.) and two uncles (Sonny, Juby) all played Division I basketball. His father, Meechie Johnson, Sr., played at Kent State, where current Ohio State assistant coach Ryan Pedon was on staff.
As a freshman at Garfield Heights, Johnson dropped a whopping 50 points in just his third high school game against Benedictine High School, mostly by lighting it up by making eight three-pointers. He averaged 23.0 points a game as a sophomore before a season-ending injury that also cost him his junior campaign.
“Meechie is a great addition to our basketball family,” Holtmann said. “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.”
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