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Buckeyes add bulk in Lauderdale

Thad Matta and his staff have locked up the borders in Ohio. Dallas Lauderdale is the latest Buckeye State to commit to Ohio State University. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound big man officially announced his decision to play for the Big Ten school at a press conference on Thursday at Solon High School.
The four-star center got right to the point and announced what so many people in Ohio assumed would eventually happen.
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"I would like to formally announce that my commitment to play basketball and be a student athlete is at The Ohio State University," Lauderdale said at his press conference.
Lauderdale, the No. 100 ranked player in the class of 2007, is the second Ohio player to pick the state school. Five star center Kosta Koufos committed just two weeks ago. Lauderdale's former Cleveland Titan AAU teammate David Lighty is part of the stellar Ohio State class of 2006. Lauderdale is the sixth player from Ohio to commit to Matta over the course of three recruiting classes.
"(Matta is) an enthusiastic guy that just has an amazing passion for the game," Lauderdale said. "He talked about having a vision for his team and now we are starting to see ourselves in that vision."
Ohio State won out over the likes of Syracuse, the only other school Lauderdale visited, North Carolina, Michigan and Louisville.
If there was any worry about Ohio State dropping off the national map once Greg Oden left for the NBA, the addition of Lauderdale and so many other top 100 prospects not only keeps the Buckeyes stockpiled but possibly deeper inside the paint.
"I don't know what my role is going to be so I want to come in and work hard and do what I can do to get the win," Lauderdale said. "That's all I care about."
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