Five-star small forward Scotty Middleton committed to Ohio State on Sunday, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Middleton had 15 offers from other schools and had also visited with UConn and Seton Hall before settling on the Buckeyes. This move further strengthens a frontcourt that also scored commitments from four-star forwards Devin Royal and Dailyn Swain a few days ago. 247Sports now has Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class ranked in the top-five nationally.
Asked why he chose Ohio State, Middleton credited the school’s culture and coach Chris Holtmann, according to ESPN.
“The coaching staff, the fans and the culture that Ohio State has. How the players and coaches carry themselves. Being at Ohio State is going to make me a better basketball player, but more importantly, a better person… Coach Holtmann was honest throughout this whole process and he never told me what I wanted to hear or held back on anything.”
Middleton (6-foot-6, 180 pounds) has bounced around quite a bit in the last few years. He played his Freshman season in Miami, followed by one in New Jersey and another in Kansas at Sunrise Christian Academy.
Middleton is a capable scorer, but he also feels he can rely on his defense even when his shots aren’t falling. He credits his coaches for instilling that instinct in him:
“The coaches really emphasized it and I think I really bought in and wanted to guard the best players on the team… You’ve got to take it serious. I feel like defense is really everything in my game. It gets me going. When I’m playing bad some games and I can’t hit a shot or nothing’s falling, I rely on my defense.”
Here is a look at Middleton’s highlight reel.
Heading into the 2022 season, Middleton is ranked No. 33 among all players in the nation and No. 7 among forwards by 247Sports.
