We are deep in the offseason with the Ohio State basketball team. Despite that, there are several things going on behind the scenes. The recruiting tree is being pruned, transfers have come in and out of the program, and the team patiently awaits the NBA draft decisions of E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington, Jr.
Chris Holtmann appeared on local Columbus radio 97.1 The Fan to provide some updates, and one thing in particular kind of flew under the radar a bit.
It’s no secret that Ohio State is getting a multi-talented guard next year in high four-star prospect Malaki Branham. Not only was he Ohio’s Mr. Basketball last season, but he hails from LeBron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary program and was rated as the No. 34 overall player in the 2022 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
If you’ve followewd Branham’s high school career at all, you likely know that he wore the No. 22 in high school. Like most athletes, he is also rather fond of the number. If you played sports, then you get it. A jersey number is engrained in you and hard to part with.
Chris Holtmann – @ChrisHoltmann 5-18-21 https://t.co/xgp1vq80B1
— Buckeye Show (@TheBuckeyeShow) May 18, 2021
So, can we look forward to him donning the same number at Ohio State? Well, there’s one problem with that. The No. 22 belonged to All-American Jimmy Jackson, and that number was retired back in 2001. It hangs in the rafters today.
According to Holtmann, it sounds like Branham might approach Jackson to see if that number can come out of the mothballs and rafters and back on the court.
“What a special kid he is,” Holtmann said on “The Fan.” “I think hes a young man that people are really going to love watching and getting to know. He’s kind of a versatile multi-position guard. I’m going to have him write a letter or pick up the phone and call Jimmy Jackson, because he really wants to wear Jimmy’s number.”
Knowing what we know about Jackson, if that call were ever to take place, we feel really good about the outcome being one where Branham takes the court for the first time as Buckeye with the No. 22 on his back.
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