OSU men land Ohio’s top recruit

The Ohio State men’s basketball team on Tuesday landed a verbal commitment from Malaki Branham, the top recruit from Ohio in the class of 2021 and a key priority for coach Chris Holtmann.

Branham, from Akron St. VincentSt. Mary, posted his commitment to social media — a screen opening to reveal an Ohio State logo, followed by an image of him wearing an OSU uniform, No. 22 — to end the intrigue about one of the most tight-lipped recruiting episodes in recent memory.

A four-star recruit in the 247Sports. com composite database, the 6-foot4, 175-pound Branham never released a list of top schools or favorites. In the days leading to his decision, Ohio State, Alabama, Xavier, Louisville and Baylor were widely considered to be his finalists.

Branham is the No. 27 recruit nationally, according to 247Sports. He’s the highest-rated Ohioan to commit to the Buckeyes since No. 4 Jared Sullinger in 2010. He’s also the first toprated Ohioan to pick Ohio State since Kaleb Wesson in 2017.

With his commitment, Ohio State now has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, trailing only Baylor.

Branham took an official visit to Ohio State during the weekend of Sept. 7, 2019, during which he said he met Clark Kellogg, Jim Jackson, Sullinger and other prominent program alumni. While watching film with Holtmann, Branham said the staff showed him clips and discussed comparisons with D’angelo Russell and former Butler standout Kelan Martin.

Asked afterward what he was looking for in a school, Branham said, “I really just want the coaches to believe in me and know what I can do, play big minutes as a freshman in college and also the family atmosphere and a good education, because I’m definitely trying to get my degree.”

Branham has long been considered a top priority for Ohio State, among coaches as well as fellow members of the 2021 class. When he committed to the Buckeyes in May 2019, forward Kalen Etzler from Convoy Crestview said he had two players he wanted to see join him in the class: Meechie Johnson Jr. and Branham. When Johnson committed to Ohio State that August, Etzler tweeted his support and urged Branham to follow suit.

As a junior, Branham was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in Ohio after leading St. Vincent-st. Mary to a regional semifinal before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the rest of the season.

In mid-april, he told The Dispatch that he wasn’t concerned about offcampus recruiting being suspended indefinitely.

“I think the schools right now that have been contacting me are the schools that are really interested in me and invested in me and want me to come to their campus,” he said, adding that he was in no rush to make a decision. ajardy@dispatch.com @Adamjardy