Eric Boggs
Jake Diebler tackled one of Ohio State’s pressing needs from the transfer portal on Saturday. Micah Parrish, a former player for San Diego State, committed to joining the Buckeyes, bringing much-needed help for their wing position in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Initially listed as a guard on San Diego State’s team, Parrish is ranked as a three-star small forward prospect in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. He’s considered the 56th small forward and 273rd overall prospect in the portal. Last season with the Aztecs, Parrish averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, alongside 1.2 steals and 0.4 blocks per contest on defense.
Starting his collegiate career as a two-star prospect at Oakland in 2020-21, Parrish then moved to San Diego State, where he continued to make an impact, averaging 7.4 points per game as a junior before the recent season.
Ohio State was in need of wing support after losing Jamison Battle and freshman Scotty Middleton to eligibility and transfer portal, respectively. Both were key shooters for the team, making their shooting skills a valuable addition to Diebler’s squad. Parrish showed consistent performance in his first three seasons, maintaining a decent shooting percentage from beyond the arc. However, his shooting percentage dropped in the previous season, prompting hopes for improvement in the upcoming year.
Aside from his skills on the court, Parrish brings valuable postseason experience to the Buckeyes. During his time with San Diego State, the team reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament twice, even making it to the National Championship Game in 2023.
Evan Mahaffey, who contributed at small forward for Ohio State last season, is set to return, likely sharing the position with Parrish. Parrish arrives with one year of eligibility left, and Ohio State still has one scholarship available for the 2024-25 season. The team is considering former Oakland forward Trey Townsend and former Central Arkansas forward Tucker Anderson to fill the remaining spot. Both players have visited Ohio State this week.
