The Ohio State Men’s Basketball team huddles up before the Ohio State-Illinois Big 10 Tournament game on March 14. Ohio State lost 88-91. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Just 10 days after former junior guard Duane Washington Jr. announced he plans to depart Ohio State for the NBA draft for good, the Buckeyes filled his vacancy.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported Friday that Louisiana senior guard Cedric Russell will commit to the Buckeyes via the transfer portal.
Russell led the Ragin Cajuns with an average of 17.2 points per game en route to First Team All-Sun Belt honors. The 6-foot-2 guard started all but one of Louisiana’s 26 games in 2020-21, averaging over 33 minutes each time he competed on the hardwood.
Much like Washington did for Ohio State, Russell relied on shooting the deep ball for Louisiana — and did so with success. He shot 40% from 3-point range last season, which placed him in the top 31 in NCAA.
From the field, Russell shot 41.9% and scored double-digit point totals 22 times, including 10 games of at least 20 points. The Louisiana native brought down 3.2 rebounds per game and connected for 30 assists throughout his campaign.
The transfer of Russell is the third such Buckeye addition since the end of last season. Both former Penn State senior guard Jamari Wheeler and former Indiana center Joey Brunk joined in April.
Redshirt junior guard Musa Jallow and sophomore center Ibrahima Diallo transferred out of the program after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.
