BOOM! Four-star combo guard Taison Chatman commits to Ohio State

Sep 21, 2022 - 12:09 AM

Three weeks after George Washington III’s de-commitment from the Ohio State men’s basketball program, Chris Holtmann and his staff have secured a pledge from another highly-ranked guard.

Four-star combo guard Taison Chatman, who plays for Totino-Grace High School in Minneapolis, has made it known that he’ll be donning the scarlet and gray beginning in the fall of 2023. He is the No. 31 player in the nation according to 247Sports, as well as the best player in the state of Minnesota and the No. 8 combo guard in the country.

Holtmann and his staff could not have been too pleased with the news that Washington — a four-star in his own right, who committed nearly an entire year ago — was no longer going to Ohio State. But the staff worked quickly to pivot to other players whom they’ve been recruiting for some time, and may have even found a superior player in Chatman than they had in Washington.

At 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Chatman is not a true point guard and will not demand the ball as a floor general does. While he is comfortable with the rock in his hands in crunch time, look for him to be much more of a scorer than a facilitator once he gets to Columbus. Chatman chose the Buckeyes over Kansas, Xavier, Virginia, and his home state school, Minnesota.

Ohio State was pretty late offering Chatman, officially extending an offer on June 20 — the same day he also received offers from Virginia, Baylor, and Michigan. Shortly thereafter, Chatman cut his list to five schools, including the Buckeyes. He took an official visit to Columbus on September 2, and was on hand to watch the No. 2 Ohio State football team knock off No. 5 Notre Dame in the Horseshoe. The other three members of the 2023 recruiting class were also visiting that day, giving Chatman a chance to get to know his future teammates, roommates, etc. According to all accounts, it was a great visit, and Ohio State ensuring the entire recruiting class was there with Chatman was not just a happy coincidence.

There have not been many interviews or quotes from Chatman himself, but his father, Tommy, spoke with Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch after their Sept. 2 visit to Ohio State:

“Once they got eyes on him live, I think the thermometer ran hot,” he said. “One thing I will say about the (Ohio) State guys is they have been absolutely consistent with calling and communicating and showing him and us that they want him. Diebler has been all over it, man. Coach Holtmann as well. The difference from these guys is they’ve been, consistent may be an understatement.”

Chatman is the fourth member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class, alongside three-star center Austin Parks (St. Marys), four-star forward Devin Royal (Pickerington), and four-star forward Scotty Middleton (Wichita, KS).

With the addition of Chatman, Ohio State now has the No. 5 recruiting class in the country, behind Duke, Michigan State, UConn, and Kentucky. This likely puts a wrap on the Buckeyes’ 2023 class, unless four-star guard Bronny James chooses Ohio State in the spring.

Check out some recent video of Taison’s game below: