While the current squad of the Ohio State men’s basketball team remains stable, some recent developments have been made concerning a few players who had planned to suit up for the Buckeyes next year.

JaQuan Hart, a highly-touted freshman guard who is ineligible to play this season, left the program on Friday. Hart has been practicing with the team this year but is unable to play as a partial academic qualifier. He would have been eligible to play next season.

He left the team beause he did not want to continue his education, said coach Jim O’Brien in a written statement.

After originally committing to attend college at the University of Michigan, Hart, a Flint, Mich. native, decided to join the Buckeyes’ program after UM denied his admission.

After a strong senior season, Hart was one of the most sought after recruits in the country. Several recruiting services rated him as one of the top 30 players in his class. He finished as runner-up for Mr. Basketball in the state of Michigan. Kevin Tolbert of Michigan State won the award.

In more positive news for the Buckeyes, they received a couple of written commitments for the recruiting class of 2002-03, and one verbal commitment for the class of 2003-04.

Ricardo Billings, a 6-foot 3-inch guard from Detroit, and Charles Bass, a 6-foot 8-inch forward from Illinois, have signed letters of intent to join the Buckeyes next year.

“We think in getting Ricardo and Charles we not only get two quality basketball players, but a couple of terrific young men,” O’Brien said in the statement.

Billings is one of the top players in Michigan, according to several recruiting services including Prep Spotlight and All Star Report. He averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as a junior for Rogers High School, earning him a spot on the first team all-state by both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.

Bass is viewed as more of a project by most recruiting experts, but he has a strong upside, O’Brien said. He averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists last year for Crete-Monee High School.

“Charles is slender but has a world of potential,” O’Brien said. “He has the ability to rebound baskets because of his length and long arms. He is another player with a variety of skills who will enhance our frontcourt with his athleticism.”

One other high school senior who originally said he would join the Buckeyes has rescinded his committment. Aaron Spears, a 6-foot 10-inch 250-pound center from Chicago decided a couple of weeks ago not to join the program after verbally committing on Oct. 13.

The Buckeyes have one scholarship left to offer for next year’s class if they choose to use it. They could hold the scholarship for the recruiting class of 2003-04, when Ohio is loaded with highly-ranked players.

One of those players has already said he plans on coming to OSU when his high school days are over.

Ivan Harris, a 6-foot 8-inch forward out of Springfield, plans to don the Scarlet and Gray in two years. Harris is rated the second-best player in Ohio and among the top 50 players nationally. He chose the Buckeyes over Michigan State.

OSU will have either two or three more scholarships left to offer recruits for the 2003-04 class, depending on what they do with the remaining spot for the 2002-03 class.

One player who is gaining a lot of attention, both statewide and nationally, is Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary junior phenom LeBron James, a 6-foot 7-inch guard who is considered by many to be not only the best player in the state, but in the country.

There have been rumors that James is looking to jump straight from high school to the NBA, but he is still considering playing at the collegiate level.