5-Star PF Prospect Alonzo Gaffney Commits to Ohio State over UNC, More

Ohio's top recruit in the class of 2019 will stay in the Buckeye State.

On Tuesday, Garfield Heights High School star Alonzo Gaffney announced his commitment to play college basketball at Ohio State:

247Sports rates the Cleveland product as a 5-star prospect and the No. 18 recruit in his class. He picked the Buckeyes over North Carolina, Michigan State, Georgetown and more.

Landing the 6'9", 190-pound power forward is an early win for Ohio State's 2019 class, which 247Sports ranks No. 6.

It's another sign head coach Chris Holtmann has the program in good shape less than one year after he replaced longtime coach Thad Matta. Ohio State went 25-9 in Holtmann's first season—ranking as high as eighth in the AP poll—and made it to the 2018 NCAA tournament's second round before losing a hard-fought game to the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

In another possible recruiting enticement, junior forward Keita Bates-Diop proved playing in Columbus can lead to individual recognition, as he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

There was a time in which Matta landed star recruits such as Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Jared Sullinger. But as Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch notes, it had been a few years since the Buckeyes corralled a top prospect:

Gaffney made a lot of people in his home state happy with his commitment. It won't be long before he has a chance to help the program win its first title since 1960.