Change of plans for four-star Babbitt

After gathering commitments from top target after top target, Ohio State finally hit a bump in the recruiting road as four-star prospect Luke Babbitt of Reno (Nev.) Galena High School has decommitted from the Buckeyes and has already chosen another school.

"Luke just called Coach Matta to tell him he isn't going to Ohio State but is going to stay home and sign with Nevada," said Galena head coach Tom Maurer. "He doesn't want to be recruited again."

Babbitt, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, has felt the tug of family loyalty in both Ohio and Nevada.

"Luke is so driven and so family oriented," said Coach Maurer. "He was in the gym till 11:30 last night. His grandparents lived in Ohio and have had season football tickets forever, and I think that was the main draw to Ohio State. But the more Luke thought about it, he wanted to stay home and play in front of his parents."

Babbitt added onto his coach's comments, pointing out that his decision was in no way a negatively directed to Ohio State.

"I've just been thinking about this for a couple weeks," said Babbitt. "It came down to wanting to stay closer to home for my four years of college. It has nothing to do with Ohio State. I just have to go where I'll be happiest, and I wanted to make the change as soon as possible to be fair to everyone."

Babbitt, the No. 45 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, led Galena to a state championship last season.

Luke Babbitt scouting report:

A versatile player who can score inside with his penchant for establishing position and then with his agile footwork, Babbitt also has a very nice face up jumper out to well beyond the three-point line. Also skilled as a passer and rebounder, Babbitt has the ability to impact the game anywhere on the court offensively. However, his suspect foot speed and lack of explosiveness are a concern.