The Ohio State basketball program landed a major commitment on Thursday as top-20 wing Deng Ngor shut down his recruitment and made his pledge to the Buckeyes.
After choosing Ohio State over a final four that included Duke, Florida and Washington, he made it clear as to why the Buckeyes were the choice.
“I have a lot of reasons why I chose the Buckeyes as home, but the main reasons were the future basketball development plans they have for me, the opportunity to play, relationships with the team, and the way they had me as their top priority," he told Rivals.
Ngor is an intriguing prospect and one who shot up many rankings boards following a breakout summer, which included leading Canada to the Gold Medal in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
He is a 6-foot-8
wing who can play multiple spots on the floor and he says his versatility is his best asset.
Ngor joins 5-star Anthony Thompson as back-to-back top-20 prospects to commit to the Buckeyes in the 2026 and now 2027 classes.
While there was some concern over job security for head coach Jake Diebler, it's clear his connection with recruits is a big reason for the expected rise in talent inside the program now and in the coming years.
“I have a very good relationship with Coach Diebler and Coach Simons since September 2025 as they were the first to start recruiting me out of my Top 4," Ngor added. "We talk everyday and it feels like it’s more than just basketball which was a big factor in my recruitment.”
Ohio State is coming off of an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, falling in the first round. This season, expectations are there to be a potential second-weekend team, or beyond, if the pieces come together.
Time will tell, but it's clear the influx of talent isn't stopping and Ngor is another big part of the future of this program.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: New OSU basketball commit explains his reason in picking the Buckeyes
