2023 St. Marys (Ohio) Memorial Center Austin Parks Commits To Ohio State
Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann landed a commitment on Sunday afternoon from St. Marys (Ohio) Memorial three-star center Austin Parks, who pledged his services to the Buckeyes over finalists Indiana and West Virginia.
The 6-foot-9 and 240-pound Parks is considered the 18th-best center and No. 148 prospect overall in the class of 2023, as he’s averaging roughly 20 points and nine rebounds per game for the Roughriders this season.
Parks picked up an offer from Ohio State while on an unofficial visit back in June and his relationship with Holtmann, assistant coaches Ryan Pedon and Jake Diebler and graduate assistant Greg Oden grew from there.
He returned to campus for a pair of football games in the fall, including the wins over Tulsa in mid-September and Penn State in late October, which gave him a chance to spent more time with the staff and watch the basketball team practice.
Parks also attended a pair of basketball games this season, including the win over Duke on Nov. 30 and last Sunday’s win over Maryland, at which time he made Holtmann aware of his decision to become a Buckeye.
With that, Parks becomes the second member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class, joining Louisville (Ky.) Christian Academy four-star combo guard George Washington III. The Buckeyes are expected to add one more player in the cycle after signing five players in the class of 2022, though that could change with the transfer portal playing such a significant role in roster management.
If all remains the same, though, other in-state names to keep in mind for that spot include Cincinnati Taft four-star shooting guard Rayvon Griffith; Columbus Africentric four-star small forward Dailyn Swain; Pickerington Central three-star small forward Devin Royal; and Huber Heights Wayne three-star combo guard Lawrent Rice.
With Parks now in the fold, Ohio State has the nation’s fourth-best recruiting class, trailing only Duke, Purdue and Indiana.
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