The state of Ohio gets help in the back room via the transfer portal.
The Buckeyes received a small roster boost Sunday afternoon when West Virginia transfer guard Sean McNeil signed for Ohio State, he announced on Twitter Sunday afternoon.
OH @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/45JR82LSVj
— Hot Boy 22 (@SeanMcNeil22) April 24, 2022
McNeil chooses Ohio State over Cincinnati, Louisville, Indiana, Texas Tech and Virginia. After three seasons with the Mountaineers, he remained eligible to play at Ohio State for two seasons.
The McNeil file
- Year: Senior
- Size: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
- Position: Guard
- School: West Virginia
- statistics: 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game last season
McNeil appeared in all of West Virginia’s 32 games during the 2021-22 season and finished the season second on the team with 12.2 points per game while leading the team at 36.8 percent with three points scored
The addition of McNeil marks the second off-season transfer portal acquisition for Chris Holtmann and company, who signed Wright State transfer guard Tanner Holden earlier this month. Holden averaged 20.1 points per game for the Raiders and led Wright State to its first-ever NCAA tournament win before announcing he was transferring schools.
Ohio State lost to coveted transfer guard Nijel Pack on Saturday when the former Kansas State Wildcat picked Miami over the Buckeyes, among others, but the subsequent addition of McNeil helps fill an obvious need in a Buckeye backcourt that’s lost big talent in recent weeks.
Jamari Wheeler, Cedric Russell and Jimmy Sotos all exhausted their eligibility last season, Malaki Branham has been drafted for the NBA and Meechie Johnson and Justin Ahrens have both entered the transfer portal this offseason.
Ohio State will also welcome newcomers Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle and Bowen Hardman to the guard post, but now with McNeil and Holden the Buckeyes have veteran backcourt experience that should matter as the Scarlets and Grays continue to retool for the campaign 2022-23.