Buckeye Basketball Announces Signing Of Pair In 2025 Class

COLUMBUS — The Ohio State men’s basketball program has announced the signing of forward A’mare Bynum and guard Dorian Jones.

Bynum (6-8 210) is from Omaha, Nebraska but is playing his senior season at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. He is ranked the No. 76 player in the nation per On3, and the No. 99 player overall in 247Sports’ own rankings.

Bynum is ranked the No. 14 power forward in the nation per 247Sports. As a junior, he averaged 21.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game at Bryan High School in Omaha. He signed with Ohio State over offers from Iowa, Nebraska, Xavier, LSU, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Oregon, and others.

During the 2024 EYBL summer season, Bynum shot 34% from three-point territory while scoring 11.7 points per game and grabbing 6.1 rebounds.

“I’m excited to welcome A’mare to our Buckeye family,” Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler said via a university release. “He’s got great energy and great enthusiasm for the game and he’s someone that you just love to be around. A’mare embodies what our program is about on and off the court. His versatility is what makes him special. He can handle the ball, he is comfortable both on the perimeter and inside, while being able to guard multiple positions. Buckeye Nation is going to enjoy watching him in Scarlet and Gray.”

Dorian Jones attends Richmond Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is ranked as the top player in Ohio and the No. 68 player overall per 247Sports. They also rank him as the No. 14 shooting guard in the class.

Jones, who possesses a 6-foot-10-inch wingspan, has helped lead his team to three-consecutive state championships. In last year’s title game, he set the state record with seven three-pointers made in a championship game. Jones averaged over 14 points per game as a junior, and was the Division IV Player of the Year as a sophomore after averaging 20.1 points per game.

Jones’ grandmother Charlotte Powell played basketball professionally.

“I’ve built a great relationship with Dorian and am glad that he’s now officially a Buckeye,” Diebler said. “There is a rich tradition of players from Northeast Ohio in our program and Dorian continues that. He has enormous potential as both a scorer and as a defender. He also comes from a great high school program in Richmond Heights that has won three consecutive state titles. Dorian knows how to win and I’m excited for him to join our family.”

Jake Diebler has stated in the past that he will continue to build a roster utilizing both high school recruiting and the transfer portal.

Ohio State’s 2025 signing class ranks 39th nationally and seventh in the Big Ten. The relatively small class is the main reason for the ranking being where it is.

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