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Two Former Top-100 Recruits among Transfers OSU Hoops Could Be in Mix For

Two former top-100 recruits could be in the mix for OSU.

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2 months ago

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MJ Rice on a 2021 visit to OSU. (Via his Twitter)

Among the names OSU has been linked to already during the transfer portal cycle — of which there are many! — there are two that pop off the page as players who could be great fits for the program and have some history with the coaching staff currently in place.

The first is transfer MJ Rice, who out of high school signed with Kansas but barely cracked the rotation, playing just 7.6 minutes per game in only 23 total appearances. Rice was a four-star, top-40 recruit in the 2022 cycle who chose the Jayhawks, you might remember, over Pitt, NC State and OSU. At the time of his commitment he was ranked as a five-star, top-20 player in the class.

The second is transfer AJ Storr, who out of high school signed with St. John’s. Storr was a top-100 recruit coming out in the 2022 class before signing with the Red Storm. He played quite frequently with St. John’s last season — averaging 21.1 minutes per game and 8.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game — but the program has underwent a coaching change this offseason that likely precipitated the move. Storr committed in 2021 to St. John’s over OSU, among other finalists, and the Cowboys are reportedly among the many who have contacted him as he hits the open market again. (Along with, as you can see, pretty much every other major program across the country.)

OSU definitely needs to add some shooting to its 2023-24 roster, and Storrs appears to check that box pretty convincingly. He took 5.4 3-pointers per game last season at St. John’s and made 40.4% of his 94 total attempts, which would have been a higher hit rate than anyone else on OSU’s team last season. Rice is more of a power wing who plays like a Lu Dort — strong, physical, gritty defender who can slash — but he was known for his shooting as a prospect in high school, even though it didn’t completely translate to success as a freshman at KU. Here’s what 247Sports’ Brandon Jenkins wrote of him when evaluating him in 2021:

Rice is a powerfully-built wing who is a true matchup nightmare in the high school game. He has the physical build of a Mack truck but combines his powerful frame with a great amount of athleticism and skill. He is simply a strong-bodied wing who can score at all three levels. His strength allows him to be extremely effective on the drive as he bullies and overpowers opposing defenders on his way to the rim where he is an elite finisher. Rice has a similar build to former Baylor undersized power forward Mark Vital but does not have the same level of bounce even though he is a threat to basket protectors in the rim. But what makes him all the more special is that he can knock down the perimeter jumper with regularity. He can drain in jumpers off the bounce with range to the three-point line and he has a knack for putting the ball in the basket as he is always a threat to go on exciting scoring runs. His effort however goes beyond scoring. He has a nose for the ball on the glass and after snatching boards he has the ball skills to lead the break to make something happen. Throughout this past year, Rice has been one of the more consistently productive prospects in the national 2022 class. He has the body and skill set to make an immediate impact in the college game if that is the route he decides to move forward with.

[247Sports]

At this point it’s probably too early to tell if OSU has a real shot at either Rice or Storrs — or both or neither — but with so many names already in the mix, these two should be worth keeping a close eye on as Mike Boynton and his staff look to reboot the roster and reload entering next season.

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