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Aaron Bradshaw is ranked 3rd in the preseason rankings

Harry October 30, 2024

The first year of the Jake Diebler era will stand out Most scholarship players in Ohio State men’s basketball history.

Technically, the Buckeyes will have a roster of 13 scholarship players for the 2024-25 season. But with Ohio State building its roster for this year and a rotation player injured over the summer, first-year coach Jake Diebler was able to add another piece to the puzzle as a player whose NIL compensation would cover the expenses. Enrolling at Ohio State.

It is expected to rank eighth in the annual unofficial media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Indianapolis StarThe Buckeyes are aiming to return to the NCAA Tournament, which they missed the last two seasons. Ohio State went 22-14 last season when Diebler was named head coach after taking over on an interim basis midseason.

Screening the 16-man cast, which includes nine new faces, including two regulars, takes effort, and The Dispatch has you covered. To prepare for the season, The Dispatch is once again releasing its annual preseason power rankings. Every weekday We head to the season opener against Texas in Las Vegas on November 4thWe’ll count upwards when predicting which players will have the biggest roles in the 2023-24 season. It’s not just a measurement of who will lead the team in any given statistical category, but a set of educated guesses about 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

Location: Centre

Suitability: Second year (two left)

Height/weight: 7 feet 1/215 pounds

jersey number: 4

Main: Sports industry

Aaron Bradshaw’s past

He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Bradshaw has developed into a five-star prospect in the 2023 class. Roselle leaves Camden (New Jersey) as a five-star prospect, the No. 1 player in 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 his high school reach 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 DJ Wagner.

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

Aaron Bradshaw’s 2023-24 season summary

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

He scored 3 points, 2 rebounds and a block in 13 minutes off the bench, and Kentucky suffered an 80-73 defeat to the Seahawks. He was more effective in his next game, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal in the win against Penn.

This moved him into the starting lineup, where Bradshaw remained for the next 10 games. Meanwhile, Bradshaw played 19.7 minutes per game and averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. However, after failing to score in 12 minutes against Arkansas on January 27, Bradshaw was removed from the starting lineup and saw his playing time decrease. Over the final 14 games of the year, Kentucky averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game.

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

Bradshaw entered the transfer portal after the season and was transferred to the Buckeyes.

“It was a family affair for me,” he said. “Coach Jake has built a family around this program. For him to do that and show that he cares about his players, that’s all I really want from a coach. Where else would I want to go?”

He is rated as the No. 39 overall transfer, 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 teammate Sean Stewart from Ohio State. The player finished the game with 18 points with his 10-of-13 shooting from the free throw line, and added eight rebounds at 20:33. He was also a 2023 Iverson Classic selection and was named to the 2023 Jordan Brand class.

While spending time at LifeTown within the scope of THE Foundation and NIL partnership, Bradshaw has shown a softer side when interacting with children of different ages.

He said he is close with his mother, Shawndel, who makes the best four-cheese chicken Alfredo. Her favorite move is “The Fifth Element” and while at Kentucky her pregame music choices included Lauryn Hill and Sade. He needs to hit his feet, shoulders and head before going on the field. He wore number 2 to commemorate the day his grandmother passed away in Kentucky.

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

“He’s so tall you think he’s older, but he plays with so much energy,” Glover said. “He can shoot the ball so well and be that size. I remember going to the gym and watching him work out and I was like, ‘Man, he can really shoot the ball. I’ve never played with a player over 7 feet tall who can shoot threes. He looked like Kevin Durant to me. ‘ He can push the ball down the field.”

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

Aaron Bradshaw’s outlook on the 2024-25 season

One of Diebler’s primary goals when building his initial squad was to become a deeper team with more competitive daily training battles. So, despite having been promised a return from Felix Okpara, one of the country’s best shot blockers and a junior forward next season, Diebler went out and recruited Bradshaw with the idea of playing alongside them and also battling each other for supremacy in the post.

A week after Bradshaw’s commitment, Okpara entered the transfer portal. That opened up the center spot for Bradshaw, who now opens the season as arguably Ohio State’s best post option and a critical piece of Diebler’s plans.

“It’s really exciting,” Bradshaw said of his potential role this season. “I don’t want to say too much because I’m not a very talkative person when it comes to my game, but it will be fun.”

The question is how much he is prepared to take on. Bradshaw saw such limited playing time as a freshman that it’s hard to know exactly how much of a leap forward he can be expected to make in the first consistent playing time of his college career. It’s also possible that Bradshaw will get better as the season progresses and he’ll learn what it takes to be a force in the squad.

There are questions about his ability to shoot from the perimeter as well as whether his slender frame can withstand the rigors of the Big Ten schedule, but it’s clear that Diebler believes Bradshaw is a cornerstone for this year’s team. Bradshaw appears to be a post mismatch at his ceiling, someone who can shoot threes, create opportunities from the perimeter, use his size to influence shots at the basket, and dunk anything thrown his way.

“With his versatility and some of the different lineups we put out there, he might not just be guarding centers,” Diebler said. “He’s playing stronger than one might think. There’s a toughness to him. He’s playing with a great motor. I think those things can bridge the gap that’s implied.