Holtmann lands Diallo

The Buckeyes have added a 4th member to the 2019 recruiting class with the news that Ibrahima Diallo has given his pledge to Chris Holtmann. BuckeyeGrove.com has confirmed the commitment of the near seven-foot three-star out of Napa Valley (Calif.).

Ohio State had an even more pressing need for another big man with the news of Jaedon LeDee transferring from Ohio State and having someone to share the load with players like Kaleb Wesson and Kyle Young.

Diallo picked the Buckeyes over Pittsburgh at the end, but the rim-protector held several more offers including Florida State.

The Ohio State recruiting class already had three players with D.J. Carton, E.J. Liddell and Alonzo Gaffney already signed. The late signing period starts on Wednesday April 17th.

Diallo is a native of Senegal and has only been in the United States for three years as he works towards a dream of playing in the NBA.

The new Buckeye has played in the state of Ohio as part of the annual "Flying to the Hoop" event where he had a 20 point and 14 rebound game against Springfield.

Many experts feel that Diallo's defensive game is ahead of his offensive game, but he will give the Buckeyes a true defensive stopper for the first time in several seasons. He is a true center and will allow the Buckeyes to play a bigger lineup at times in the uber-physical Big Ten.

Ohio State is still looking at a potential graduate transfer and former Buckeye Daniel Giddens has been mentioned as a candidate for that spot as a player who would have one year to play one.

The addition of Diallo means that Ohio State will have two scholarships to give in 2020 based on current numbers.