Bazley fell in love with Ohio State
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Darius Bazley may not be from the state of Ohio originally, but he understands what Ohio State means to the state of Ohio and he wants to represent the Buckeyes when he starts college in 2018.
"I am not from Ohio but basically growing up here, there is no other place that I would like to say that I am going to college at," Bazley said after committing to Ohio State on Saturday. "Ohio State, that is what I want to represent and what I want to be."
He was joined my Justin Ahrens as well in a Saturday two-for-one. Each player wanted to be on the same at the next level but it was a decision that each player had to reach on their own.
"When I went up for a visit, I flat out loved it," Bazley added. "Ohio State is like its own little city. You can't beat the academics. I want to get a great education, from a great coaching staff and with a great fan base with great culture and history."
The 6-foot-7, 180-pounder held offers from Florida, Purdue, St. Louis and Toledo and was catching the eye of several other programs before ending the process.
"For me, I just thought there was no better place for doing that," Bazley said. "I really felt comfortable around the coaches. I did not have to front or put on a fake smile. It is straight up, they are honest in what I saw and what I got and when I visited I felt like there was nothing else that I needed to see. They have the best facilities."
Many Ohio State fans hoped that the addition of Chris Jent to the coaching staff would pay dividends not only with the current team but on the recruiting trail. It certainly meant a lot to Bazley.
"With (Chris) Jent being there, one of the best skill developers. Coach (Greg) Paulus, he played at Duke. All these guys know what it takes," Bazley said. "They have all coached high-level, major NBA guys so they know what to expect and look for. I feel like Ohio State was it."
It does not hurt being able to commit on the same day and to the same team as a good friend as well.
"I am glad I got to do it with one of my best friends," Bazley said.
How do the Buckeyes see themselves using Bazley when he gets to college in a couple of years?
"Coach Matta said they look for a lot of position-less guys," Bazley said. "I was one of those position-less guys. Kind of what they did with Evan Turner, had him playing the 1 through the 5. That has gotten him far in life. That is pretty much it."
Now Bazley will turn his attention to trying to bring in other top talent but he knows that a lot of that will be on him to represent Ohio State in his own right.
"Me playing EYBL, I will probably start trying to build some relationships and connections with top players," Bazley said. "Probably look for a glue guy and a top big. That is pretty much it. But I have to get better so when people see me play and I tell them that I am committed to Ohio State, they will be like, 'that is someone that I want to play with,' "