Ohio State Basketball: Breaking Down Buckeyes' Chances to Land Mickey Mitchell

With an announcement by 4-star small forward recruit Mickey Mitchell, Ohio State Basketball found out the hard way that a verbal pledge is meaningless in college sports until the prospect puts pen to paper on national signing day.

Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Mitchell was originally elected to be part of head coach Thad Matta's impressive 2015 recruiting class as an early member.

He decommitted via Twitter on August 21:

"

I have officially decommitted from The Ohio State University and I would like to thank their coaching staff for recruiting me.

— SOMI JaMITCHELL (@MickeyMitchell0) August 22, 2014"

While Mitchell seemed rather definitive in his statement—even taking the time to thank the coaching staff—all hope may not be lost for the Buckeyes.

Mitchell visited its campus Saturday for the football game against Virginia Tech with Ohio State commits A.J. Harris and Austin Grandstaff, and logic would dictate that if he made the trip from Texas, there is still some lingering interest.

While the outcome on the field wasn't ideal for the Buckeyes, you would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive recruiting atmosphere in all of sports.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

From the pregame pep rally and skull session—which draws thousands more fans than some schools get at their actual football games—to Ohio Stadium's record crowd of 107,517, Ohio State likely made an impression on Mitchell.

What's more, none other than LeBron James himself was on the sidelines, decked out in scarlet and gray gear.

Grandstaff commented on the experience, per Jeremy Birmingham of ElevenWarriors.com:

"

It was great. What really stood out to me was the fan support. It was incredible. I've never seen a school have that many fans. They were everywhere.

It was pretty cool to see (LeBron James) there to support the university. Unfortunately we didn't get to talk to him.

"

Perhaps the experience would have been better for all Buckeyes fans if any of the basketball recruits could play offensive line.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

It is no wonder Ohio State is still pursuing Mitchell as part of its 2015 class: He is versatile and athletic enough to play multiple positions and a relentless rim attacker off the bounce, and he can hit from the outside.

He is also a terrific passer—especially for the small forward position—and if needed, he could even fit in as a point guard because of his overall court vision.

The Texas native is ranked by 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 85 overall player, No. 14 small forward and No. 10 prospect in the state.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Outside the impressive recruiting atmosphere a football Saturday creates in Columbus, the 2015 group Matta has already put together should help in the pursuit of Mitchell.

Even without the small forward, it is still ranked as the No. 5 class in 247Sports' composite rankings thanks to Harris, Grandstaff and center Daniel Giddens—they are all 4-star prospects according to 247Sports and give the Buckeyes options at point guard, shooting guard and center.

Harris and Grandstaff will get out in transition, and Giddens should be able to open up teammates if he draws double-teams down low.

Now Matta needs a versatile forward who can excel on both ends of the floor to complete the group, making Mitchell the ideal candidate.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Matta also landed a top-10 class in 2014, so this is a young, talented team that likely to see a championship window open by 2016.

If nothing else, the chance to be a part of a winning group with so much raw talent and playing time available should appeal to Mitchell as he makes his college decision.

All that is working in the Buckeyes' favor, which is why fans should not give up hope just yet.

Still, the reality is that Mitchell's brother—linebacker Mike Mitchell, a former 5-star recruit—transferred from Ohio State to Texas Tech to be closer to their family, and now Mickey Mitchell has backed out of his verbal pledge.

Understandably, the pull of family is often stronger than that of sports, and Ohio State is fighting something of an uphill battle there. 

Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch actually seemed to foreshadow this when the former announced his decision to transfer in February:

Schools like SMU, Baylor and Texas Tech are all in on Mitchell's recruitment, so the lure of home is very real in this case.

Ohio State definitely still has a chance to have Mitchell as part of its 2015 class, but the prospect will ultimately decide to do what's best for him and his family. 

It's hard to argue with that.

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