Tag: Justin Ahrens

Former Ohio State forward, Justin Ahrens, announces transfer destination

Justin Ahrens heads west to continue his collegiate basketball career.

Justin Ahrens announced he would be entering the transfer portal at the end of Ohio State’s basketball season. The NCAA granted all student-athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Ahrens decided to leave Columbus and take advantage of that extra year.

Ahrens announced on Friday that he’ll continue his basketball career on the west coast and has committed to Loyola Marymount University. Ahrens was a former three-star prospect from Versailles, Ohio, and spent four years in scarlet and gray.

Ahrens had his most successful season with the Buckeyes in his junior year where he averaged 5.7 ppg and shot over 42% from beyond the three-point line. Unfortunately, the sharpshooter wasn’t able to replicate that production as a senior and had the worst shooting year of his OSU career.

Ahrens joins Meechie Johnson who also entered the transfer portal at season’s end and landed at the University of South Carolina.

The Buckeye roster will look very different when the 2022 season begins. Along with Ahrens and Johnson moving on, the Buckeyes will have to replace Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell, both of whom have entered the NBA draft.

We’ll keep tabs on Ahrens as he goes west to become an LMU Lion.

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Justin Ahrens hits the transfer portal

ICYMI – Even the basketball team is getting in on the act with the transfer portal the last couple of days. #GoBucks

There has been a flurry of Ohio State athletes stepping into the light of the transfer portal over the last couple of days. On the football side, defensive backs Lejond Cavazos and Bryson Shaw made the leap, and now we have a bit of a surprising move by one of the OSU basketball players.

Three-point sharpshooter, Justin Ahrens, announced his entry into the transfer portal on Monday as well. This comes after being recognized during senior day at Ohio State this past season and seemingly off to other things beyond his college career after four years in Columbus.

Instead, Ahrens will use the extra year of eligibility the NCAA afforded college athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will leave OSU for another program. He took to Twitter to show his gratitude to the Buckeye program.

Ahrens is known for his ability to hit from beyond the arc, and really solely that. He shot over 40% from deep his sophomore and junior seasons at Ohio State, but hit a bit of a slump this past season, nailing just 39.2% from 3-point range and averaging just 4.8 points per contest.

An Ohio native, we’ll keep an eye out on where Ahrens lands and what he can do with the extra year in college. We, of course, wish him nothing but luck.

Once a Buckeye …

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Ohio State senior Justin Ahrens honored with Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

Justin Ahrens leading by example with sportsmanship award. #GoBucks

On a day when Ohio State saw E.J. Liddell named first-team All-Big Ten and Malaki Branham named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the Buckeyes had one more award handed out. Senior Justin Ahrens was awarded the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Ahrens was recognized for his sportsmanship and ethical behavior on the court, as well as good academic standing and good citizenship off the court.

The Ohio State forward was named a captain for this, his senior season. He started 18 games for Chris Holtmann’s squad and averaged 5.3 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds in 29 games played in the regular season.

Ahrens came into the season regarded as the Buckeye’s best three-point shooter. However, the Versailles, Ohio, native has struggled to find his stroke this season, shooting only 36.3% from behind the arc. Even with trouble finding his groove, Ahrens kept his composure throughout the season and continued to be an example for his teammates and the rest of the conference.

Ohio State’s Justin Ahrens shoots a 3-pointer against Michigan during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Other’s earning the All-Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honors were Illinois’ Jacob Grandison, Indiana’s Race Thompson, Iowa’s Patrick McCaffery, Maryland’s Simon Wright, Michigan’s Eli Brooks, Michigan State’s Max Christie, Minnesota’s Eric Curry, Nebraska’s Derrick Walker, Northwestern’s Ryan Greer, Penn State’s John Harrar, Purdue’s Sasha Stefanovic, Rutgers’ Clifford Omoruyi and Wisconsin’s Jordan Davis.

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Ohio State vs. Minnesota basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State is back in action on the hardwood tonight. Here’s our preview and prediction for the game against Minnesota on the road.

Records

Ohio State 12-4 (5-2), Minnesota 11-5 (2-5)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date | Thursday, Jan. 27
Game Time | 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue | Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN
Network | ESPN

Ohio State gets back in action on the court as it travels on the road to face a Minnesota Golden Gophers team trying to pull itself out of a midseason swoon. The Gophers started out hot, winning its first seven games of the 2022 season, but have found wins hard to come by in Big Ten play, dropping four of the last five.

You can forgive the Buckeyes if they are a little rusty. After spending three weeks in COVID-19 protocols, they got the season going again in early January only to miss the past week again because of rising cases within the Nebraska program. So, we don’t really know how sharp OSU will be, but the body of work says the Buckeyes are the better team.

However, anytime you go on the road in the Big Ten, it’s a tough ballgame and simply escaping with a win is more than enough. Ohio State desperately needs a win to stay among the leaders in the conference if it plans on having any dreams of a Big Ten title and high NCAA Tournament seed.

Next … The Ohio State game plan

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Ohio State vs. Oral Roberts NCAA Tournament basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State is set to kick off its NCAA Tournament journey on Friday against No. 15 seed Oral Roberts. We’ve got your preview and prediction.

Records

No. 2 seed Ohio State 21-9 (12-7), No. 15 seed Oral Roberts 16-10 (10-5 Summit League)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Friday, March 19
Game Time: 3 p.m.
Venue: Mackey Arena – West Lafayette, IN
Network: CBS

And so it begins. March Madness gets in full swing on Friday with a slew of first-round games. One of those involves your No. 2 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes taking on upstart, No. 15 seeded Oral Roberts from the Summit League.

It’s not often that a No. 15 seed upsets a No. 2 seed, but it has happened eight times during the NCAA Tournament’s history, the last coming in 2016 with Middle Tennessee’s upset of Michigan State (sorry to bring that up Sparty). And yeah, as we’ve seen, anything can happen in March.

All of that being said, OSU is a heavy favorite and should take care of business. If it does, it’ll face the winner of Florida and Virginia Tech on Sunday.

As is customary, we have all you need to know for this matchup with our game preview and prediction.

Next … The Ohio State game plan

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Ohio State vs. Illinois Big Ten basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State is faced with another daunting challenge when it hosts No. 4 Illinois Saturday. We’ve got your preview, prediction, and odds.

Records

Ohio State 18-7 (12-7), Illinois 19-6 (15-4)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Saturday, March 6
Game Time: 4 p.m. EST
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Network: ESPN

The chance at a Big Ten championship may be gone for the Ohio State basketball team, but there is still plenty to play for. Not only is a top-four seed and subsequent double-bye in the conference tournament still possible, but the Buckeyes could also still play their way into a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament if they can turn things around.

Ohio State has lost three straight games which has knocked it down to a No. 2 seed in most bracket projections, but this team has put together a really good body of work. There are still some big-time goals still out there, and it would help immensely to win against an Illinois team that is on an absolute tear and probably now a No. 1 seed in its own right.

It should be a physical and entertaining game, so buckle up and enjoy this one on Saturday afternoon. In the meantime, we’ve got all you need to know to get ready for another massive clash in the Big Ten.

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Next … The Ohio State game plan

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WATCH: Joshua Langford momentum-shifting block on Ohio State’s Justin Ahrens, brother of Kyle

Joshua Langford changed the momentum of the game against Ohio State with a massive block against Justin Ahrens.

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One of the biggest plays of last night’s upset win for Michigan State over No. 5 Ohio State was an amazing block by Joshua Langford on Ohio State wing Justin Ahrens, who is the brother of former Spartan stalwart Kyle Ahrens.

This block came at the perfect time as Ohio State was starting to pull away, but this effort play seemed to shift the momentum of the game, and also helped Langford get back in a rhythm after a frustrating start to the game.

You can watch the full sequence below:

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Three takeaways from Ohio State basketball’s win over Michigan State

Ohio State traveled to Iowa City and found a way to beat another top opponent on the road. Here are three takeaways from the win.

The Ohio State basketball team met yet another significant challenge on Thursday night by disposing of a top ten Iowa ballclub at its place by the score of 89-85. It was one in which the Buckeyes got out to a lead early, but had to battle back from eleven down in the second half. It was OSU’s fourth win over a top fifteen opponent on the road, in a conference that’s hard enough to win night in and night out.

No matter how you look at this one, it was an entertaining, fast-paced, and high scoring affair with both teams playing at a very high level. It could have gone either way, but Ohio State found a way to make plays at the end of the game to come out with a victory that moves its record to 15-4 overall, and 9-4 in the Big Ten — in a virtual tie with Illinois for second place. Yes, you read that correctly.

There was plenty to take from this game, so let’s get to it. Here are three observations and things we think we learned about the impressive win in Iowa City by Ohio State.

NEXT … Bully of the block

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Three takeaways from Ohio State basketball’s win over Northwestern

Ohio State split the season series against Northwestern by controlling most of the game Wednesday night. Here are three takeaways.

After letting one get away in Evanston a couple of weeks ago, Ohio State was able to get a little bit of revenge against the Northwestern Wildcats Wednesday. The Buckeyes led almost the entire game, absorbed a late run, but pulled away at the end to win a key Big Ten matchup 81-71

There’s a lot to unpack here since Ohio State was without its two main ball-handlers. The Buckeyes still found a way to beat a team that can get hot from beyond the arc and make life difficult on any team.

As we do after every game, here are three things we can take away from the OSU’ win over Northwestern to run their overall record to 10-3, and the Big Ten record to 4-3.

NEXT … Not bad at the point

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Notre Dame’s Battle With No. 22 Ohio State Comes Up Short

Notre Dame proved itself a worth competitor in this year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with No. 22 Ohio State.

Notre Dame proved itself a worth competitor in this year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with No. 22 Ohio State. In fact, it led for the majority of the contest. However, the good times couldn’t last as the Irish blew an 11-point lead in the second half and lost, 90-85.

Dec 8, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Nate Laszewski (14) goes up for a shot as Ohio State Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell (32) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The game was tied at 75 with three minutes to go, and the Irish (1-2) got within one three times after that. They trailed, 88-85, with 17 seconds left and the shot clock turned off. Some tough defense by the Buckeyes (4-0) prevented an easy shot. Then, with time almost gone, the Irish got sloppy in desperation and ended up throwing the ball out of bounds without even getting an attempt, allowing C.J. Walker to ice the game with two free throws.

After missing all five field-goal attempts in the first half, E.J. Lundell came alive in the second to lead the Buckeyes with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. He and Walker (16 points) combined to shoot a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. Justice Sueing also scored 16, and Duane Washington Jr. had 13. Justin Ahrens’ 12 points off the bench were triple the scoring output of the Irish’s substitutes.

Dec 8, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) dribbles as Ohio State Buckeyes guard CJ Walker (13) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Prentiss Hubb scored a career-high 26 points and dished out a game-high six assists. Nate Laszewski came within a rebound of a double-double with 17 and nine. Dane Goodwin scored 16, and Cormac Ryan led all first-half scorers with 15 before being kept out of the points column in the second half. The Irish’s chances for victory were hampered after Juwan Durham fouled out with seven points and nine rebounds, which was pointed out on the ESPN2 broadcast as a rarity for a Notre Dame player.