Ahrens Adjusting To Playing With Additional Weight
Ohio State men's hoops 2018 signee Justin Ahrens has added a few pounds to his frame in 2017-18 to better prepare himself for when he is playing for the Buckeyes next season.
Justin Ahrens, a 2018 Ohio State signee, led Versailles, Ohio, to a 65-50 win over Sidney, Ohio, in the 16th annual Flyin’ to the Hoop Invitational in Dayton last weekend by scoring a game-high 26 points on 11-of-29 shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out five assists and committing just one turnover in 30 minutes of action.
A visible difference in the forward’s game this year compared to last season as a junior is his frame.
“I was about 6-5, 185 pounds last year,” he said after the game. “Now I’m about 6-6, 196 or 200 pounds – somewhere in there. That’s something colleges have been wanting to see me do is add a little bit of weight and strength to help me at the next level because Ohio State is looking for me to make an immediate impact so that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”
The three-star prospect wasn’t afraid to share his true thoughts on what it’s been like playing this year with the added weight.
“It’s something hard to admit to, but I feel like I’m a little out of shape,” Ahrens said. “I’m not quite strong enough to where I want to be, so I’ve got to stay in the weight room during the week and get bigger and stronger for the next level so I’m ready to go.”
While the extra weight may have affected Ahrens’ conditioning, Versailles head coach Travis Swank said getting bigger and stronger has allowed his star player to expand his repertoire.
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