Ahrens leads Versailles over Tri-Village

It was another big day for a future Ohio State basketball player on Monday at the Flyin' to the Hoop Invitational at Kettering (Ohio) Fairmont High School. Class of 2018 guard/forward Justin Ahrens poured in 26 points as Versailles held off Tri-Village for a 61-56 win.

"We knew we were going against a tough team, a really hard-playing team," said Ahrens after the game. "They're like us. They play really hard. We just had to come through and get stops on defense. It was a fun time, my first year playing in this and we should be back next year so that will be fun."

Ahrens has been doing a little bit of everything for his Versailles team this winter. With a more defined role on the AAU circuit, he took it upon himself this summer to improve aspects of his game that he knew would carry over to his high school season to give his team the best chance for success.

"I've really been trying to improve my ball-handling," he said. "Over the summer I was with King James (AAU) and I was really mainly a shooter on that team. I've been working on my ball-handling and trying to get to the hole better and make my teammates better."

Ahrens' older brother Kyle plays at Michigan State but the future Buckeye was in the Ohio State recruits section to watch the Buckeyes get a much needed win over the Spartans over the weekend.

"I was at the game," he said. "I was sitting right in front of the Ohio State fans and I was loving every second of it. They were so loud, it was crazy. It was so fun. Whether they are struggling or not, I really feel like they're going to come together. They have something special I feel like, and they are really going to build off of that. I know coach Matta and the coaching staff will pull it together, I know they can."

The younger Ahrens is all-in on Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes an early pledge. He has never second-guessed his decision.

"I took a visit and I loved everything about Ohio State," he recalled. "The coaching staff, the players, the campus, I just feel like it's for me. If I didn't feel like that, I wouldn't have committed that early, but I feel like that's where I belong. I fit in with the offense, Dane (Goodwin) and Darius (Bazley), we're really close and I think it's going to be fun."