Hairston high on a pair of powers

Ohio State has taken full advantage of last weekend's talented underclassmen group that was on campus.

Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger were on campus were already committed. Trae Golden and Cameron Wright need to return home and mull over the trip before they each committed.

Spotsylvania (Va.) Courtland big man Joshua Hairston was also on campus. He didn't commit but the Buckeyes are high on his list. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound big man has been on a number of campuses already and has liked what he has seen across the country.

His first trip to Columbus was a good one, he says.

"It went very well. It was a great experience. I thank coach Matta for letting me come up there," Hairston said. "I was there with Deshaun Thomas, Jared Sullinger, Trae Golden and some great guys that I got to meet and people that I will stay in contact with. It was truly a great experience."

In fact, when Golden committed to Ohio State, Hairston said the Georgia guard immediately text messaged him to let him know of the decision.

Hairston has been to Georgetown multiple times for games and was on the Big East campus two weeks ago when the Hoyas officially tipped off the season.

"Midnight Madness was crazy. I got to meet Greg Monroe and he was a real great guy," Hairston said. "Coach (John) Thompson and all of his coaching staff are all really great people. I got to meet Roy Hibbert. I've meet him before but it was good to see and talk to him again."

Hairston has been to Georgetown a couple of times and Virginia Tech

"It was real fun because it brought back memories for my mom. She went to Virginia Tech. It was a great experience for her and a great experience for all of us. We got to tour the campus and got to meet some of the basketball players. It was fun."

The two Final Four teams are in the mix with Hairston heading into his sophomore year.

"Right now Georgetown and Ohio State are the ones that I'm really considering choosing," Hairston said. "They are both great schools and have great coaches. Coach (Thad) Matta and coach Thompson are really great people. Both of those schools are really high on my list right now."

Hairston said he doesn't want to leave out the other programs that he's looking at either. He has been to Virginia Tech, Maryland and Virginia while Wake Forest and Villanova have shown significant interest.

Hairston, a member of the class of 2010, has watched a number of players in his grade make early decisions. He said an early decision could happen with him, too.

"I can see myself (committing early). I want to make sure that the school that I choose to go to values academics," Hairston said. "My family, myself, my sister, we all take academics very seriously. I know that if I had to stop playing basketball tomorrow that I'd have my academics to rely on. I hope this doesn't happen and knock on wood, but if I were to get injured and I couldn't play anymore, I'd have my degree. So making sure that the school is academically strong and making sure that is the school that I'm the most comfortable with. It's almost like a home away from home."