Aaron Bradshaw is No. 3 in our Ohio State men's basketball preseason power rankings

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Aaron Bradshaw is No. 3 in our Ohio State men's basketball preseason power rankings

Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Wed, Oct 30, 2024 ·

8 min read

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The first year of the Jake Diebler era will feature the most scholarship players in Ohio State men's basketball history .

Technically, the Buckeyes will feature a full complement of 13 scholarship players for the 2024-25 season. Yet as Ohio State has built its roster for the year and sustained a summer injury to a projected rotation player, first-year coach Jake Diebler was able to add one more piece to the puzzle as a walk-on whose NIL compensation will cover the costs of enrolling at Ohio State.

Projected to finish eighth in the annual unofficial media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star , the Buckeyes aim to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out during each of the last two seasons. Ohio State went 22-14 last season as Diebler was named coach after having taking over midseason on an interim basis.

Sifting through a 16-man roster featuring nine new faces including two walk-ons requires effort, and The Dispatch has you covered. To get ready for the season, The Dispatch is once again rolling out its annual preseason power rankings. Each weekday leading into the Nov. 4 season opener against Texas in Las Vegas , we will count upward while projecting which players will have the biggest roles on the 2023-24 season. This isn't just a measurement of who will lead the team in any particular statistical category, but a series of educated guesses on which players' contributions will go the longest way toward where the Buckeyes finish.

The series continues today with second-year center Aaron Bradshaw.

No. 3 – Aaron Bradshaw

Position: Center

Eligibility: Second year (two remaining)

Height/weight: 7 feet 1 / 215 pounds

Jersey number: 4

Major: Sport industry

Aaron Bradshaw: What type of production can Ohio State fans expect from Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw?

Aaron Bradshaw's background

Born in Camden, New Jersey, Bradshaw grew into a five-star prospect in the 2023 class . He left Roselle (New Jersey) Camden as a five-star prospect, the No. 1 player from his state and the No. 5 national prospect according to 247Sports.com.

Bradshaw averaged 8.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks while helping lead his high school to the state championship game as a junior. As a senior, Bradshaw averaged 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and was a semifinalist for the Naismith national player of the year award while playing alongside future Kentucky teammate D.J. Wagner.

Entering his senior season, Bradshaw named seven finalists for his next step: Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma State, UCLA, and the NBA G League. He then took official visits to Louisville and Kentucky before committing to the Wildcats. He was one of four five-star players to sign with coach John Calipari in his class.

Jul 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Aaron Bradshaw shoots over head coach Jake Diebler during a summer workout in the practice gym at the Schottenstein Center.

Aaron Bradshaw's 2023-24 season recap

Before setting foot on Kentucky's campus, Bradshaw suffered a foot injury that would derail his preseason development. Bradshaw suffered a broken foot in the McDonald's All-America Game that eventually led to a June surgery. He would miss the first seven games of the season before making his debut in a Dec. 2 home game against UNC Wilmington.

In 13 minutes off the bench, he scored 3 points and had two rebounds and a block as Kentucky took an 80-73 upset loss to the Seahawks. He was more impactful in his next game, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal in a win against Penn.

That moved him into the starting lineup, where Bradshaw remained for the next 10 games. During that stretch, Bradshaw saw 19.7 minutes of playing time per game and averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. But after going scoreless in 12 minutes against Arkansas on Jan. 27, Bradshaw was removed from the starting lineup and saw his playing time drop. In Kentucky's final 14 games of the year, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game.

In the postseason, Bradshaw played two minutes in as Kentucky was bounced by Texas A&M in its first SEC tournament game and only four minutes in the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland. For the season, Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing 13.7 minutes per game in 26 appearances including 10 starts. He shot 57.6% (49 for 85) from the floor, 56.8% (25 for 44) from the free-throw line and 28.6% (4 for 14) from 3.

Bradshaw entered the transfer portal after the season and committed to the Buckeyes .

"It was a family thing with me," he said. "Coach Jake built a family around this program. Him doing that and showing that he cares about his players, that's all I really asked for in a coach. Where else would I want to go?"

He was rated the No. 39 overall transfer, the No. 7 center in the portal and a four-star transfer prospect according to 247Sports.

What you need to know about Aaron Bradshaw

Bradshaw was a 2023 McDonald's All-American, where he teamed up with new Ohio State teammate Sean Stewart. He finished with 18 points thanks to a 10-for-13 effort at the free-throw line and added eight rebounds in 20:33. He was also a 2023 Iverson Classic selection and named to the Jordan Brand class of 2023.

While spending time at LifeTown as part of his NIL partnership with THE Foundation, Bradshaw showcased a softer side as he engaged with kids of varying ages.

He is close with his mother, Shawndel, who makes the best four-cheese chicken alfredo, he said. His favorite move is "The Fifth Element," and while at Kentucky his pregame music choices included Lauryn Hill and Sade. Before taking the court, he has to tap his feet, shoulders and head. At Kentucky, he wore No. 2 to commemorate the day that his grandmother passed away.

Ohio State's Aaron Bradshaw talks with a kid while at Lifetown Columbus as part of a volunteering event put together by THE Foundation on Oct. 15, 2024.

Bradshaw's favorite NBA player is Kobe Bryant, but teammate Ques Glover said his first impression of Bradshaw was that he looked like Kevin Durant.

"He's so tall, so you think he's older, but he plays with a lot of energy," Glover said. "He can shoot the ball real well and be that size. I remember when I walked in the gym and I was watching him work out and I was like, 'Man, he can really shoot the ball. I've never played a guy over 7-foot who can shoot the 3. Kind of looked like Kevin Durant to me.' He can push the ball up the court."

He played one game this year in the Kingdom Summer League . Bradshaw first dunked a basketball in sixth grade. He enjoys fishing.

Aaron Bradshaw's 2024-25 season outlook

One of Diebler's primary goals when constructing his first roster was to become a deeper team with more competitive daily practice battles. So while he already had a pledged return from Felix Okpara, one of the nation's top shot blockers and a junior this upcoming season, Diebler went out and recruited Bradshaw with the idea of playing them together while also battling each other for supremacy in the post.

Within a week of Bradshaw's commitment, Okpara entered the transfer portal . That opened the center spot for Bradshaw, who now opens the season as Ohio State's unquestioned top post option and a critical part of Diebler's plans.

"It's real exciting," Bradshaw said of his potential role this season. "I don't want to say too much because I ain't really a big talker when it comes to my game, but it's going to be fun."

The question is how much he's ready to take on. Bradshaw saw such limited playing time as a freshman that it's hard to know exactly how much of a leap he can reasonably be expected to make in the first consistent playing time of his collegiate career. It's also likely that Bradshaw will get better as the season progresses and he learns what it takes to be a stalwart in the lineup.

There are questions about his ability to shoot from the perimeter as well as whether his slender frame will hold up through the rigors of a Big Ten schedule, but it's clear that Diebler believes that Bradshaw is a cornerstone piece for this year's team. At his ceiling, Bradshaw projects as a post mismatch, someone who can hit 3s, create opportunities from the perimeter, use his size to affect shots at the rim and dunk anything thrown his way.

"He may not just be guarding centers with his versatility and some of the different lineups we put out there," Diebler said. "He plays stronger than one might assume. There's a toughness to him. He plays with a great motor. I think those things may bridge that gap that's implied."