From St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, Malaki Branham enters the Ohio State program with high expectations.

Branham, an elite high school basketball player, earned Ohio’s Mr. Basketball honors as a senior in 2021 — the first St. Vincent-St. Mary player to earn the honor since LeBron James.

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 180 pounds

Year: Freshman

Position: Guard

Last year: Averaged 21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals en route to a Division II Ohio state title.

Branham is a three-level scorer, who provides size the backcourt with his 6-foot-5 frame.

An elite offensive presence, Branham scored 1,501 points during his high school career. He can pull up from essentially anywhere on the floor and get buckets when needed.

Branham is also adept with the ball in his hands and can facilitate an offense when needed, averaging 2.7 assists for the Irish in 2021.

Defensively, Branham’s size as a guard helps him immensely as a perimeter defender and he could be used to shut down opposing shooting guards.

Unlike fellow freshman Kalen Etzler, Branham was not redshirted and is likely to play a significant role for head coach Chris Holtmann this season.

Branham will likely be an option off of the bench when the Buckeyes need an offensive spark, but could see his role increase as the season continues.

As he brings a versatile presence to the Buckeyes backcourt, expect Branham to not take a backseat to the more experienced veterans and have a significant impact as a freshman.