Kentucky transfer forward Aaron Bradshaw commits to Ohio State
Former Kentucky forward Aaron Bradshaw has committed to Ohio State, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. He only spent one season with the Wildcats.
In his lone campaign at Kentucky, Bradshaw made 26 appearances and 10 starts. He did not play his first game until Dec. 2 after suffering a foot injury during the summer. The 7-foot-1 freshman averaged 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 57.6% from the field.
Bradshaw’s best game of the season came against Penn when exploded for 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Bradshaw also posted a pivotal performance in Kentucky’s win over North Carolina, scoring 12 points in only 21 minutes.
Bradshaw played high school basketball at Camden (NJ), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Bradshaw entered his name into the transfer portal on April 8. He is one of four Kentucky players who entered the portal after John Calipari accepted an offer to become the next head coach at Arkansas.
Bradshaw took his official visit to Ohio State this past weekend. He was also reportedly recruited by North Carolina in the portal. Now, Bradshaw will help beckon in a new era under Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler.
Aaron Bradshaw joins a new era in Columbus
Diebler became the Buckeyes’ interim head coach in February after the program fired head coach Chris Holtmann. Diebler didn’t wait to make an unforgettable introduction. In his first game at the helm of the program, Diebler led Ohio State to a nail-biting upset over eventual national runner-up Purdue.
Diebler didn’t stop there. The team finished the season with a 6-2 regular-season record under the 37-year-old head coach. The Buckeyes then reached the quarterfinals of the NIT, ultimately falling to Georgia. Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork is ecstatic for the future of OSU men’s basketball.
“Jake Diebler possesses all of the characteristics we were seeking as we conducted a very comprehensive and thorough search for a new head coach,” Bjork wrote in the statement announcing Diebler’s promotion. “Those include coaching ability, passion, energy, program knowledge, character, integrity and ties to Ohio.
“Throughout the search, every time we analyzed what was best for the program, our decision kept leading right back to Jake. The way he has led the program since February 14 has been exemplary and is only the beginning of what lies ahead for Buckeye Basketball. The future is exciting, and I cannot wait to watch him lead this program.”