LJ Smith Makes 2 Five-Star Recruits for Ohio State Men’s Basketball

LJ Smith committed to play basketball at Ohio State. Smith announced Monday that he is reclassifying to the 2026 class and will play college basketball in the Fall. Smith joins a gaudy recruiting class that already includes a five-star forward in Anthony Thompson.

LJ Smith and Thompson, a forward, are not the only two members of the Ohio State basketball recruiting class. The Buckeyes have a well-rounded class coming in that includes players at all three levels. In college basketball these days, a team can remake its fortunes immediately with a combination of recruits and transfers in. How many games do you think Ohio State will win next year?

LJ Smith Joins Ohio State’s Basketball 2026 Recruiting Class

LJ Smith, a five-star guard who has been committed to Ohio State to play basketball since November 20, 2025, announced Monday he is moving up a year and reclassifying to be eligible to play this year. The Buckeyes have a boatload of good recruits and transfers coming in this year and have remade their roster. There is optimism about the upcoming basketball season at Ohio State this coming year for the first time in a long time.

LJ Smith joins fellow five-star recruit in the class of 2026 in forward Anthony Thompson. That makes two potential stars for the Buckeyes. Both are so good that they could be one and done. They join John Mobley Jr. in the Ohio State starting lineup to form a powerful triumvirate.

There are other meaningful newcomers for Ohio State in this coming basketball season. The others are Alex Smith. He is a three-star power forward from Florida. He adds frontcourt depth. Vuk Lazarevic is a seven-foot-one center from Utah. You cannot teach height, and the Buckeyes do not have depth at center, so expect Lazarevic to play right away.

There are also four transfers in, including the son of a famous basketball player. Curtis Givens the Third was a four-star point guard recruit at Memphis. He will likely run the point for the Buckeyes. Jimmie Williams was a three-star shooting guard at Duquesne University.

Andrija Jelavic is a six-foot-11 power forward. He transferred to Ohio State from Kentucky. He comes from a blue-blood program and is tall enough that he should see plenty of minutes for the Buckeyes. Lastly, Ohio State got a transfer in by the son of a famous basketball player. Justin Pippen is a four-star, six-foot-three-inch guard from California-Berkeley. He is the son of former National Basketball Association All-Star Scottie Pippen. If talent and bloodlines have anything to do with it, he should see a lot of playing time for the Buckeyes.

Roster Remake

The fact of the matter in major college sports is that there is tremendous roster flexibility in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness. In a very real sense, major college athletes are now like free agents. It is the case that the major college coaches who are successful in navigating this sea of change will be successful. It seems that Ohio State head basketball coach John Diebler has figured out how to recruit transfers and incoming freshmen who can make an impact. LJ Smith is an example of this.

There was a lot of heat on Diebler, who, before last year, had not qualified for the NCAA tournament. However, things seem to be changing for the Buckeye basketball head coach. The reclassification of LJ Smith is a case in point. Things are starting to look up in Columbus for more than just the football team. All of a sudden, there is optimism about the basketball team. The Buckeyes will also certainly make the NCAA tournament with the likes of LJ Smith and others, adding to the roster.

Conclusion

Ohio State Men’s basketball has a proud history, but has been down for some time. The incoming recruiting class with LJ Smith and several other stars gives fans reason for optimism. The roster has improved, so the team could be much more than a bubble team this winter.