Will the third time be the charm for the Ohio State basketball, as they await an addition from the James clan? LeBron James did not play college basketball, but later on, admitted that the Buckeyes would have been his preferred destination. Even Bronny James last year was close but eventually chose the USC Trojans. As per reports and On3 prediction, Bryce James is 92.6% ready to commit to Ohio State. But, the coach is not waiting until then to add more players to the team.

Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers star’s second son holds a ranking outside of 100 per On3. Currently ranked 135, his average EYBL stats also did not do him any favor. Bryce James averaged 5.6 points in 5 games with 2.4 rebounds and 1 steals. ESPN and 247 Sports have also rated him a 3-star recruit player. And unlike his first recruitment, coach Jake Diebler has added another Ohio native to the squad.

A power forward from Upper Arlington, Alex Smith has committed to the Buckeyes. After his unofficial visit during the weekend, the 6-foot-8 committed. Travis Branham of 247 Sports confirmed on X about the recruitment. Smith impressed the coaches during the camp earlier in June as he scored 20 points against multiple opponents. Apart from his confirmation, coach Diebler added a big player from Europe before possibly adding Bryce James.

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There was one roster spot open for the 2024-2025 season, and the Buckeyes decided to add Ivan Njegovan. The 7-foot, 1-inch from KK Bosco, played in the top Croatian basketball league. In the Favbet Premijer Liga, he led his club this past season in rebounds (4.8) and blocks (1.8) per game. Njegovan will begin his year as a freshman despite playing professionally in Croatia.

Ahead of Bryce James arrival, the coach is building his team

In the past year, Smith sprouted from 6-6 and called the move a “dream come true,” in June. And after the confirmation, the Ohio native echoed a similar sentiment. “I have had a long relationship with Diebler and a great connection,” he said. “They have supported me a ton and have been straight up to me about things and I think that’s really hard to find in a program. There’s a ton I could speak on but that, plus the school being 15 minutes away from me, just all puts the pieces together.”

Smith earned an offer from the Buckeyes earlier this summer after a strong camp performance at Ohio State’s team camp. Apart from the Buckeyes, Indiana was the first Big Ten school to offer him. He also felt there was no stress or anxiety after his commitment. Plus, the surrounding people would always support the decisions.

Ahead of this season, Front Office Sports reported a new deal for Ohio State. All Ohio State student-athletes will get a customized card that will help them get free food per week for 15 weeks during the 2024-25 athletic season as part of a NIL deal. This may not directly help Bryce James’ recruitment, but the efforts of the Jake Diebler-coached team need to be applauded.

Bryce James already visited the program on an unofficial trip in October last year. Plus, he also attended a football game between Ohio State and Maryland. But, there is also an offer from Duquesne, led by new head coach Dru Joyce III on the table. The former high school teammate and a friend of his dad’s has a 7.4% chance as per On3.

As Ohio State continues to build its roster, it will be interesting to see how things unfold with Bryce James. Do you think he wi;; sign with Ohio State? Let us know in the comments.