He is not as athletic as Wahl. He does shoot a heck of a lot better.
His offensive skill set is obviously very solid for his age and height. The main question is position. I get that offensively, position doesn't matter a ton, but defensively, what can he guard. Not nearly quick enough to guard the three. Will he add the strength/bulk to be able to handle 4's?
I don't think he's much different than Filipowski was headed into his junior season of HS (Filipowski was a 3 star recruit and seriously considering OSU at the end of his junior year). Filipowski grew a little more and added some bulk. Duke played him at the 4 and 5, but they were a much better team when he was at the 5.
No idea how this kid will grow skill wise and size wise, but its worth taking a shot on a local kid with the 15 scholarship limit and hope he fill out to be a stretch 4 and maybe even play some 5.
I was admittedly kind of disappointed when I saw he wasn’t ranked, but then I watched his highlights. With that combination of skill and size, I’d be surprised if this kid doesn’t shoot up the rankings fast! Diebler found a diamond in the rough with this one!
Looks to be very athletic. Nimble body movements, not stiff looking like a lot of big guys when trying to attack when handling the ball. Very good pickup of a Ohio player.
I love the local kid, dream school, angle, and he looks really agile for a big guy. Now get him to the training table and the weight room and he could develop into a real force in the B1G. Good pick up!
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
A year in the S&C program and he'll be one really really good player. Get stronger to attack the key combined with his shooting skills outside and he'll be a serious weapon for the Buckeyes.
Scarlet & Gray until the day I die.....and then some.
Pretty obvious what Diebler saw - good handles and feet, nice stroke from deep, and some athleticism to go with it all. Getting him in early is huge because he's in OSUs backyard they can help guide him in filling out his growing frame and fine tuning his game.
"Me and Jake"???
I'm not sure how I feel about a kid calling his future coach by his first name. I'm almost 59, and I still call my teachers Mr. and Mrs.
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
I wish the absolute best for Alex Smith and tOSU but pump the brakes already. Remember these video clips are highlights. He struggled big time last season against marginal HS talent. Im sure his skills have improved since then but there is a reason he is still unranked. Why offer so early? I would rather chase elite players and only get players of this level when nothing else looks promising.
That being said, i hope he turns into an All American and leads us to multiple titles. Go Bucks!
Well, you have 15 scholarship spots going forward. You aren't going to fill all 15 with elite talent, just not going to happen. So taking a chance on a local kid with size and potential doesn't seem too crazy.
Smith has played well enough this summer to garner offers from Indiana, Cincinnati, Nebraska, and Xavier. Given that, I am not sure how long OSU could have waited before missing the boat on his recruitment. He very easily could have turned into the next Central Ohio star that our fanbase would have been wondering how the heck we missed out on if we hadn't pursued him enough right now to put us in a good spot with him.
Even if he doesn't progress or grow much more, he's a good addition to the end of the bench. So at this point in time I'm not super excited that we got Alex, but also I'm not mad about it whatsoever, and it could turn into something worthy of excitement if Smith keeps making strides. Either way, it makes sense.
I think those are all fair points. I do agree with the notion that maybe we didn't need to offer until maybe after this HS season to see where he is. I think his AAU season (playing with his age group, not up) was just OK and why he didn't make it into anyones top 150. He's got some tools, but needs to grow physically and all around game to be a major college contributor. I can see why Diebler would project him to continue that growth, but I think we could have waited a bit to see some it happen first. I think one big question is does he make others around him better and this season with UA will provide some insight into that.
I think you are being nice BigCat. I watched him play this summer and in HS game. He looked better this summer but he couldn't look any worse than I have seen him in his HS games. I don't know if the kid averaged 10 points a game cause the games I saw he didn't get to 10. He might have the ability to be a shooter. Hasn't shown any ability or initiative to be a defender or rebounder. I mean he is definitely a project. Maybe they saw a big jump this summer and expect another big jump over the next 2 years. Indiana offered so there is that but the inside joke of IU followers is Woodson is offering every white guy with a pulse with in 200 miles of Bloomington. Diebler also has a clean slate with Ohio HS coaches so he could be just getting in line early hoping for another big jump and if not he can walk away late. Every young coach gets 1 walk away with out burning bridges with the state's HS coaches.
Painterlad I'm 75 and as a former coach I hear you loud and clear . Having said that , it's clear todays coaches , perhaps Coach Diebler have a different and unique relationship with players Frankly I don't care what the player calls the coach as long as he commits to him and the program , works hard to get better and most of all respects and listens to his coach ! Go Buckeyes
Painterlad I'm 75 and as a former coach I hear you loud and clear . Having said that , it's clear todays coaches , perhaps Coach Diebler have a different and unique relationship with players Frankly I don't care what the player calls the coach as long as he commits to him and the program , works hard to get better and most of all respects and listens to his coach ! Go Buckeyes
Skill wise this kid is a perfect in/out post/big. He has grown a few inches since last season(6months) and will need to catch up to that growth in bulk but has plenty of time. He also has good people around him to keep him on path. Wig had a good comp of him at this point in a post above of Filipowski from Duke. I think he is similar to Nik Bundalo also. With his recent talk and the transfer to the west coast by him this might be a sign Diebs has moved on. I would take everything they have left and go get Thompson and Crumble for 26' to pair with Johnson and Smith call it a day. 25' is whole other matter.
I don't get the Wahl comparisons, for one Wahl can't dribble the ball. Plus Wahl regressed the last 3 years. This kid is a face up player, the exact opposite of wahl. And Wahl can't stroke it. Anytime you can get a big that can dribble you have a net positive. Coming from ua I was expecting a typical tall OSU Ohio dud, he is not that. He reminds me of the bama kid that came on in the tourney, 6-10 white kid that could dribble and take it to the hoop. Don't know their roster but supposedly was playing his way into a first rounder. Add in his nice stroke and he is a plus plus for os.
I know the film lis highlights, but he is very smooth and agile for a 6’9” kid, and with two more years to go before he gets to OSU. He also looks like he will fill out more, and he may still be growing height wise. I see tons of potential here.
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Reminds me of that wahl kid at Wisconsin! Good pickup!
Osu fan
If he’s Wahl with a shot, then he’s going to be a 1st team all big 10 player and nba draft pick.
He is not as athletic as Wahl. He does shoot a heck of a lot better.
His offensive skill set is obviously very solid for his age and height. The main question is position. I get that offensively, position doesn't matter a ton, but defensively, what can he guard. Not nearly quick enough to guard the three. Will he add the strength/bulk to be able to handle 4's?
I don't think he's much different than Filipowski was headed into his junior season of HS (Filipowski was a 3 star recruit and seriously considering OSU at the end of his junior year). Filipowski grew a little more and added some bulk. Duke played him at the 4 and 5, but they were a much better team when he was at the 5.
No idea how this kid will grow skill wise and size wise, but its worth taking a shot on a local kid with the 15 scholarship limit and hope he fill out to be a stretch 4 and maybe even play some 5.
Boom! Welcome aboard your new forever home!
Geubux1
You need to be humble or you will get humbled. - Jocko Willink
like it. kid can run, has a pretty good jumper, but is willing to take it inside. Two years, +20 lbs, to get ready for BIG10.
“But admit there was no splendor in all the bright array
Like the glory of the going when Chic Harley got away.” -James Thurber
"Anything easy ain't worth a damn!" -Woody Hayes
Thank the Lord cats don't have the nuclear codes...we'd all be doomed. Especially if we were late to feed them breakfast.
And they very much like it to be around 5 am and they let you know it
I don't buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan!
Man he looks really skilled. It will be interesting to see how he develops the next couple of years.
This is the type of kid that goes elsewhere and is always in pain in Ohio state’s ass. Seems like a good get for osu.
Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Basketball? Uh, good job. I think?.
The ugly truth is often downvoted
Boom and I approve!!! Looks skilled enough for me to be a big time baller for the Buckeyes...
Great add by Diebler. Feeling great about the direction of the program under his watch.
Scarlet & Gray until the day I die.....and then some.
Congrats Alex - Diebs is working on days when most aren't - great pickup
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Cheerish every single day
I was admittedly kind of disappointed when I saw he wasn’t ranked, but then I watched his highlights. With that combination of skill and size, I’d be surprised if this kid doesn’t shoot up the rankings fast! Diebler found a diamond in the rough with this one!
Diebs was way ahead of the curve with this kid.
My gut tells me this is going to be a great addition for this team.
Welcome and keep working cause this is D1 basketball now
6'9" that's mighty fine.
If not now, when?
good get
Boom!
Looks to be very athletic. Nimble body movements, not stiff looking like a lot of big guys when trying to attack when handling the ball. Very good pickup of a Ohio player.
I love the local kid, dream school, angle, and he looks really agile for a big guy. Now get him to the training table and the weight room and he could develop into a real force in the B1G. Good pick up!
My aim, then, is to whip the Weasels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. - William Tecumseh Sherman (with apologies)
He's not done filling out and could easily be 7ft by the time he actually gets to tOSU.
GO BUCKS
A year in the S&C program and he'll be one really really good player. Get stronger to attack the key combined with his shooting skills outside and he'll be a serious weapon for the Buckeyes.
Scarlet & Gray until the day I die.....and then some.
This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Lamplighter LLC unless otherwise noted.
peidiwch â ffycin gyda'r Cymry
BOOM!
Welcome Home Alex!
Welcome aboard, Alex Smith.
Best wishes for much future success.
Go Buckeyes!
Our honor defend, we'll fight to the end !
"it's not magic, it's fundamentals" that lead to Ohio State's success. - Ryan Day
Smith looks very very good. Moves well for a 6’9” player.
Welcome!!
Pretty obvious what Diebler saw - good handles and feet, nice stroke from deep, and some athleticism to go with it all. Getting him in early is huge because he's in OSUs backyard they can help guide him in filling out his growing frame and fine tuning his game.
At least announcers shouldn't trip over their names: Smith, Johnson, Jones.
Looking at you, Nessler...
And welcome, Golden Bear!
Scooter
Congrats, lets hope he lives up the name Alex Smith that was drafted Number 1 in the NFL. Its not the shoes its the name.
TM OHIO81
Diebler feels just like when we hired Matta but as an Ohio kid has that in him as well.
I don't buy one goddam drop of gas in the state of Michigan!
He's got 2 years to continue growing and putting on some muscle.
JWilly3
Six nine and growing with ball handling and shooting skills...AND a passion to be a Buckeye. I like it!
Toker2
"Me and Jake"???
I'm not sure how I feel about a kid calling his future coach by his first name. I'm almost 59, and I still call my teachers Mr. and Mrs.
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
Yeah…..
Like it.
What's the word I'm looking for...Rhymes with "room"...Oh, that's right:
BOOM!!!!
"Here's how I'm going to beat you. I'm going to outwork you. It's as simple as that." Pat Summitt
I wish the absolute best for Alex Smith and tOSU but pump the brakes already. Remember these video clips are highlights. He struggled big time last season against marginal HS talent. Im sure his skills have improved since then but there is a reason he is still unranked. Why offer so early? I would rather chase elite players and only get players of this level when nothing else looks promising.
That being said, i hope he turns into an All American and leads us to multiple titles. Go Bucks!
Well, you have 15 scholarship spots going forward. You aren't going to fill all 15 with elite talent, just not going to happen. So taking a chance on a local kid with size and potential doesn't seem too crazy.
Smith has played well enough this summer to garner offers from Indiana, Cincinnati, Nebraska, and Xavier. Given that, I am not sure how long OSU could have waited before missing the boat on his recruitment. He very easily could have turned into the next Central Ohio star that our fanbase would have been wondering how the heck we missed out on if we hadn't pursued him enough right now to put us in a good spot with him.
Even if he doesn't progress or grow much more, he's a good addition to the end of the bench. So at this point in time I'm not super excited that we got Alex, but also I'm not mad about it whatsoever, and it could turn into something worthy of excitement if Smith keeps making strides. Either way, it makes sense.
the empire never ended
I think those are all fair points. I do agree with the notion that maybe we didn't need to offer until maybe after this HS season to see where he is. I think his AAU season (playing with his age group, not up) was just OK and why he didn't make it into anyones top 150. He's got some tools, but needs to grow physically and all around game to be a major college contributor. I can see why Diebler would project him to continue that growth, but I think we could have waited a bit to see some it happen first. I think one big question is does he make others around him better and this season with UA will provide some insight into that.
I think you are being nice BigCat. I watched him play this summer and in HS game. He looked better this summer but he couldn't look any worse than I have seen him in his HS games. I don't know if the kid averaged 10 points a game cause the games I saw he didn't get to 10. He might have the ability to be a shooter. Hasn't shown any ability or initiative to be a defender or rebounder. I mean he is definitely a project. Maybe they saw a big jump this summer and expect another big jump over the next 2 years. Indiana offered so there is that but the inside joke of IU followers is Woodson is offering every white guy with a pulse with in 200 miles of Bloomington. Diebler also has a clean slate with Ohio HS coaches so he could be just getting in line early hoping for another big jump and if not he can walk away late. Every young coach gets 1 walk away with out burning bridges with the state's HS coaches.
SWEEEET!
Welcome aboard Alex!
GO BUCKEYES!
GO BUCKEYES!
17-5 since 2001!
But 1-3 since 2019 REALLY SUCKS!
Took watching until it was three quarters over before he hit anything but net.
Painterlad I'm 75 and as a former coach I hear you loud and clear . Having said that , it's clear todays coaches , perhaps Coach Diebler have a different and unique relationship with players Frankly I don't care what the player calls the coach as long as he commits to him and the program , works hard to get better and most of all respects and listens to his coach ! Go Buckeyes
Ljgrafton44
Painterlad I'm 75 and as a former coach I hear you loud and clear . Having said that , it's clear todays coaches , perhaps Coach Diebler have a different and unique relationship with players Frankly I don't care what the player calls the coach as long as he commits to him and the program , works hard to get better and most of all respects and listens to his coach ! Go Buckeyes
Ljgrafton44
Skill wise this kid is a perfect in/out post/big. He has grown a few inches since last season(6months) and will need to catch up to that growth in bulk but has plenty of time. He also has good people around him to keep him on path. Wig had a good comp of him at this point in a post above of Filipowski from Duke. I think he is similar to Nik Bundalo also. With his recent talk and the transfer to the west coast by him this might be a sign Diebs has moved on. I would take everything they have left and go get Thompson and Crumble for 26' to pair with Johnson and Smith call it a day. 25' is whole other matter.
I don't get the Wahl comparisons, for one Wahl can't dribble the ball. Plus Wahl regressed the last 3 years. This kid is a face up player, the exact opposite of wahl. And Wahl can't stroke it. Anytime you can get a big that can dribble you have a net positive. Coming from ua I was expecting a typical tall OSU Ohio dud, he is not that. He reminds me of the bama kid that came on in the tourney, 6-10 white kid that could dribble and take it to the hoop. Don't know their roster but supposedly was playing his way into a first rounder. Add in his nice stroke and he is a plus plus for os.
I don't know much about basketball, but great to see a kid from my HS alma mater commit to the Buckeyes!
"College football cannot be explained by science or religion, which is why it remains perfect." ~ Ramzy Nasrallah
I know the film lis highlights, but he is very smooth and agile for a 6’9” kid, and with two more years to go before he gets to OSU. He also looks like he will fill out more, and he may still be growing height wise. I see tons of potential here.
Tom
Boom this guy is going to be Nasty I like his game what a pick up way to go, Coach Diebler. Things are looking good for OSU and the future
HB
This Kid is NASTY!!!!!He's a Baller!!!
HB