OSU recruit leaves for N.H. academy

Alonzo Gaffney’s transfer from Garfield Heights to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for his senior season has been completed, his father, Kevin Gaffney, said.

The move had been the subject of speculation for weeks since rumors surfaced in June that the five-star Ohio State men’s basketball commitment for 2019 was considering leaving the state. It came from a desire to give Alonzo Gaffney the best preparation possible for him to get to Ohio State and become an immediate impact player, his father said.

“I just felt that being in the big city, along with getting all this exposure, that he needed to go somewhere where he could really focus both academically and on the basketball court,” Kevin Gaffney said. “I had just heard such great things about (Brewster), so I reached out to them and they were familiar with Alonzo.”

Gaffney, a 6-foot-8, 185pound power forward, is ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the nation by ESPN. He began his high school career at Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cleveland before transferring to Garfield Heights for his junior season.

Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann, who can’t publicly comment on Alonzo Gaffney until he officially signs a letter-of-intent in November, has said that he supports players both remaining at their schools or transferring to academies. Kevin Gaffney said he didn’t consult much with Holtmann on this specific decision.

“My thing with coach Holtmann is that you’ll have my son the next four years if he’s there for four years,” he said. “This was a decision that me and Alonzo and his mom thought about.”