Men's Basketball

Meet OSU Men’s Basketball 2018 Signing Class

by Tony Gerdeman
Chris Holtmann and Brutus Buckeye Basketball Ohio State Basketball

Chris Holtmann’s first official signing class is now in the books for the OSU men’s basketball program. Holtmann was able to sign four prospects in this early signing period. The class ranks No. 17 in the nation per the 247Sports Composite and No. 6 in the Big Ten.

Justin Ahrens, a 6-foot-5-inch forward from Versailles, Ohio, Jaedon LeDee, a 6-foot-9-inch forward from Houston, Texas, Luther Muhammad, a 6-foot-3-inch guard from Jersey City, N.J., and Duane Washington, a 6-foot-3-inch guard from Chatsworth, Calif., have signed their National Letter of Intent to join the Buckeyes as part of Holtmann’s first full recruiting class in Columbus.

“We are very excited about the addition of Justin, Jae, Luther and Duane,” Holtmann said. “Our staff did an outstanding job working tirelessly and diligently to add these four young men who we feel can make an early impact in our program and who exemplify what we want to be as a Buckeye.

“They all provide versatility and they complement each other very well. While we understand that there will be an adjustment for all four to the college game and that will require some patience, we are extremely excited about what they can grow into as Buckeyes. We officially welcome Justin, Jaedon, Luther and Duane to The Ohio State University.”

Justin Ahrens
6-5, 180, Forward
Versailles, Ohio
Versailles High School

– 2017 Ohio Division III Co-Player of the Year
– Helped Versailles to a league title and a 25-2 record
– Averaged 23.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists
– 2016 third team All-Ohio after averaging 22.7 points per contest as a sophomore
– Played for C2K Elite last summer, averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 13 games
– No. 197 overall player, No. 45 small forward and No. 7 player in Ohio by 247Sports

Coach Chris Holtmann: “Justin is a versatile and skilled wing guard who has a terrific feel for the game. He can really shoot the ball and is a deceptive athlete. We are very excited about him! As soon as we were able to spend some time getting to know Justin he became a major priority because of the impact we felt he could have in our program. We watched nearly all of his July games and I love his approach as a player and teammate. Being from just down the road in Ohio, Justin understands and has a great appreciation for this place. We think Justin’s versatility, shooting, IQ and feel will be really important for our program moving forward. Justin has been very well coached and he has a terrific support system with his family. We’re so excited to add them to our Buckeye family.”

Jaedon LeDee
6-9, 230, Forward
Houston, Texas
The Kinkaid School

– Averaged 15.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for Texas Pro in the Adidas Gauntlet Series
– Averaged 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as a junior at The Kinkaid School
– No. 94 overall player, No. 18 small forward and No. 5 player in Texas by 247Sports

Coach Chris Holtmann: “Jae got the ball rolling with this 2018 class after taking an official visit here and committing shortly thereafter. Obviously, we knew we were going to have a need for a forward and Jae is a young man we identified as soon as we were hired in June. We are really excited about him! He is a very good rebounder, has a great nose for the ball, is physically ready and has versatility. He can score with his back to the basket as well as step out on the perimeter, which is a requirement in today’s game for guys his size. As with most bigger guys, we believe his best days are ahead of him as his game continue to grow and he adjust to the college pace. Jae comes from an outstanding family and has been coached well. We’re very excited to add them to the Buckeye family.”

Luther Muhammad
6-3, 185, Guard
Jersey City, N.J.
Hudson Catholic High School

– Averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 boards 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior
– Shot 50.6 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line
– No. 71 overall player, No. 14 shooting guard and No. 5 player in New Jersey by 247Sports

Coach Chris Holtmann: “Luther is a young man who we have known for over a year and a half. From the first days on the job here for us, he was a major recruiting priority. He brings versatility, toughness, high-level competitiveness and an elite defensive mindset. Luther can make shots, make plays with the ball in his hands for others and defend all three perimeter positions. He plays with an edge and his competiveness is contagious. He also is an outstanding teammate. We expect Luther to have an immediate impact and continue to improve as he adjusts to the pace of this level as a freshman. Luther comes from a terrific program and has been coached very well. We are excited to add Luther and his terrific family to the Buckeye family.”

Duane Washington
6-3, 190, Guard
Chatsworth, Calif.
Sierra Canyon High School

– Played first three years of high school basketball at Grand Rapids Christian in Michigan
– Averaged 13.1 points and 4.5 assists per contest as a junior
– Nephew of five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher
– No. 257 overall player, No. 46 points guard and No. 29 player in California by 247Sports

Coach Chris Holtmann: “Duane is an outstanding shooter with excellent versatility because of his scoring ability, playmaking and size. He has really good feel for the game and brings a confidence and charisma as a player and teammate. He grew up in Big Ten country and understands the demands of playing at this level. Duane is young for his class and we are very excited about his immediate impact on our program. We obviously have had a significant need to add guard play and Duane was someone we identified as a major priority as soon as we saw him. He had an outstanding July! He comes from a terrific program. We are excited to add Duane and his outstanding family to our Buckeye family.”

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