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Aaron Bradshaw announces he will enter transfer portal after one year at Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The former five-star recruit did not live up to lofty expectations in his one year at Ohio State.
Following one unsteady season in Columbus, sophomore forward Aaron Bradshaw announced today that he intends to enter the transfer portal and will play elsewhere next season. Bradshaw, who was a five-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, transferred to Ohio State last spring after playing at Kentucky his freshman season.
Originally intended to start at center for the Buckeyes, Bradshaw’s season never got the type of consistency that he would’ve liked after a similarly uneven freshman year in Lexington. He finished the season averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He was a 49% shooter overall, 27.3% from three-point land, and was 74.2% at the free throw line. He appeared in 22 games, starting five of them.
After averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through Ohio State’s first four games of the season, Bradshaw missed the Buckeyes’ next five games as the university investigated an alleged “domestic incident” that occurred at his home in late November. The university’s investigation eventually concluded, and Bradshaw returned to the team for the Buckeyes’ December 21 game against his former team, Kentucky.
Bradshaw missed five additional games throughout the course of the season due to injury and illness, but his first two games back after the prolonged absence in December were his best performances. He scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Kentucky on December 21, and then scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting against Indiana State eight days later. Bradshaw scored in double-digits just once in the 16 games after that.
Ohio State originally planned to start Bradshaw at center with Sean Stewart at power forward, but Bradshaw’s absence allowed for Stewart to move to center and Devin Royal to also start, and the sophomore has had a breakout season. When Bradshaw returned to the team in late December, Jake Diebler opted to have the seven-footer come off the bench and start the Royal/Stewart combo instead.
Bradshaw was the No. 4 overall recruit in the class of 2023, the top-rated center, and the best player in New Jersey. He transferred to Ohio State last season after John Calipari left Kentucky to take the Arkansas job, and described Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler as “a really good person who really cares about me” at Ohio State’s media day in October.
Ohio State is expected to pursue interior help in the transfer portal this spring after allowing the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game in the Big Ten this past season and finishing 12th in the conference in total rebounds. With Stewart, Bradshaw, Austin Parks, and Ivan Njegovan all with two-plus years of eligibility remaining, some movement was expected within that position group.
With Bradshaw leaving the program, Ohio State now has two available roster spots for next season. Starting with the 2025-2026 season, the NCAA will no longer enforce a scholarship limit. Instead, teams can have 15 players on a roster, regardless of whether they are on scholarship or not.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The former five-star recruit did not live up to lofty expectations in his one year at Ohio State.
Following one unsteady season in Columbus, sophomore forward Aaron Bradshaw announced today that he intends to enter the transfer portal and will play elsewhere next season. Bradshaw, who was a five-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, transferred to Ohio State last spring after playing at Kentucky his freshman season.
Originally intended to start at center for the Buckeyes, Bradshaw’s season never got the type of consistency that he would’ve liked after a similarly uneven freshman year in Lexington. He finished the season averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He was a 49% shooter overall, 27.3% from three-point land, and was 74.2% at the free throw line. He appeared in 22 games, starting five of them.
After averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through Ohio State’s first four games of the season, Bradshaw missed the Buckeyes’ next five games as the university investigated an alleged “domestic incident” that occurred at his home in late November. The university’s investigation eventually concluded, and Bradshaw returned to the team for the Buckeyes’ December 21 game against his former team, Kentucky.
Bradshaw missed five additional games throughout the course of the season due to injury and illness, but his first two games back after the prolonged absence in December were his best performances. He scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Kentucky on December 21, and then scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting against Indiana State eight days later. Bradshaw scored in double-digits just once in the 16 games after that.
Ohio State originally planned to start Bradshaw at center with Sean Stewart at power forward, but Bradshaw’s absence allowed for Stewart to move to center and Devin Royal to also start, and the sophomore has had a breakout season. When Bradshaw returned to the team in late December, Jake Diebler opted to have the seven-footer come off the bench and start the Royal/Stewart combo instead.
Bradshaw was the No. 4 overall recruit in the class of 2023, the top-rated center, and the best player in New Jersey. He transferred to Ohio State last season after John Calipari left Kentucky to take the Arkansas job, and described Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler as “a really good person who really cares about me” at Ohio State’s media day in October.
Ohio State is expected to pursue interior help in the transfer portal this spring after allowing the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game in the Big Ten this past season and finishing 12th in the conference in total rebounds. With Stewart, Bradshaw, Austin Parks, and Ivan Njegovan all with two-plus years of eligibility remaining, some movement was expected within that position group.
With Bradshaw leaving the program, Ohio State now has two available roster spots for next season. Starting with the 2025-2026 season, the NCAA will no longer enforce a scholarship limit. Instead, teams can have 15 players on a roster, regardless of whether they are on scholarship or not.
Continue reading...