Darius Bazley to Ohio State: Buckeyes Land 4-Star SF Commit

Ohio State picked up a key in-state commitment Saturday in the form of small forward Darius Bazley. 

Bazley confirmed his selection of the Buckeyes with a message on social media:

"

pic.twitter.com/9f1AASSf6f

— Darius Bazley (@BazleyDarius) August 27, 2016"

The class of 2018 standout is a 4-star prospect who rates as the No. 87 overall prospect in that year's incoming group, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He also checks in as the No. 20 small forward and the second-best recruit in the state of Ohio.

Bazley was one of two notable additions for the Buckeyes on Saturday. Justin Ahrens, 247Sports' fourth-ranked Ohio recruit in 2018, also announced his intention to attend OSU.

Corey Evans of HoopSeen provided commentary on both players:

Bazley has all the tools to become a prototypical do-it-all wing player. He combines size and athleticism with a budding offensive game and the length to become a disruptive defender. It will take some patience as he works to translate that skill into on-court success, though.

Brian Snow of Scout passed along comments from the forward about what made Ohio State special after he took a visit to the school.

"The thing I liked about the campus is like it is its own city," Bazley said. "You have everything you need within the campus. Also, it seems like the people around the community show Ohio State a lot of love."

For now, he'll focus on fitting in with a new team at the high school level. Corey Albertson of Triple Double Prospects noted the details of his switch:

Getting two in-state commitments on the same day is massive for Ohio State. Longtime head coach Thad Matta knows the importance of defending home turf on the recruiting trail, especially in a basketball-rich state like Ohio.

It's hard to know what type of player Bazley will be when he joins the Buckeyes because he's so raw and his arrival is still a ways off. But the potential is too good to pass up.