Ohio State sophomore guard Taison Chatman speaks to the media Oct. 1 at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Brailee Rathburn | Lantern Photographer
Taison Chatman jumped up and pulled down a rebound in the Schottenstein Center during the 2025 summer practices for Ohio State men’s basketball.
The play was routine for most players, but for Chatman, it was evidence that he was entering the season healthy for the first time in his three-year collegiate career.
The crown jewel of the Buckeyes’ 2023 recruiting class, Chatman’s college career has been defined more by surgeries and setbacks than playing minutes on the floor. Having competed in just 17 games over two injury-riddled seasons, the redshirt sophomore is finally ready to show why he was one of the nation’s top prospects and to carve out a role on an Ohio State team desperate for depth.
“It feels amazing,” Chatman said. “It’s the first season I’ve been here where I’m fully healthy, I’m excited.”
Chatman was the No. 1 player from Minnesota and the No. 33 player overall in the 2023 recruiting class, winning two 3A state titles while at Totino-Grace High School in Findley, Minnesota. But physical issues derailed his college career before it got started.
He needed surgery on a meniscus injury in 2022 that happened before his senior year of high school, during the National Basketball Player’s Association Top 100 camp. The injury led Chatman to a second procedure on his knee in October of 2023 as an Ohio State freshman.
After recording just 70 minutes of playing time in that freshman campaign, Chatman was primed to make a return to the court for his sophomore season when, in June of 2024, he landed awkwardly in the first open gym of the summer and tore the ACL in his same knee.
“It was hard, just realizing I’m going to miss the whole year,” he said.
While the Buckeyes missed the 2025 NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year, Chatman watched from the sidelines in a brace.
Now, for the first time since coming to Columbus, the redshirt sophomore is entering the season healthy and ready to prove why he was the highest-rated Buckeye recruit since Malaki Branham in 2021.
“I know what I can do, my teammates and coaches know what I can do,” Chatman said. “I think when I get out there, everybody will realize, coming out of high school, why I had the recognition.”
Ohio State is returning last season’s starting backcourt in Bruce Thornton, who averaged 17.7 points per game, and John Mobley Jr., who averaged 13.0 points per game. Chatman said he is focused on fitting into whatever role helps the team.
“[I’m] coming to do what it takes to win, whether it be scoring, playmaking, defending, anything like that, just trying to help the team win,” Chatman said.
Head coach Jake Diebler said he looks for Chatman to improve his physicality and defensive pace.
“As that continues to get better, it just raises the potential of impact that he can have,” Diebler said.
The Buckeyes finished the 2024-25 campaign ranked 14th out of 18 Big Ten teams in bench points per game. Diebler said Chatman adds depth to the roster, whether coming off the bench or not.
After watching 75% of his Ohio State career from the sidelines, Chatman is ready to return to the court.
“I’ve been waiting 2 ½ years to play,” Chatman said. “I’m ready.”
