John Mobley Jr. sticking with Ohio State amid Chris Holtmann firing
Ohio State fans can breathe easier for the time being regarding the future after the school announced the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann on Wednesday.
John Mobley Jr., the Buckeyes’ highest-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, tells Rivals that he still plans to head to Columbus next season.
“As of right now, I’m still committed,” the 6-foot point guard said matter-of-factly. “Coach (Jake) Diebler is the interim coach right now and he’s the one who recruited me. I’m still committed.”
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Holtmann’s reign in Columbus ended abruptly this week after just shy of seven seasons at the helm. The Buckeyes had gone 2-9 over their last 11 games and are second-from-last in the Big Ten.
Mobley, who checks in at No. 50 in the Rivals150, got tipped off about the move beforehand and said he’s had talks with Diebler that have eased concerns thus far.
“I got the heads up a little before the news came out, so it didn’t catch me off guard,” Mobley said. “We had a good talk and I feel good about everything. I’m just focusing on my season and trying to win a national championship right now.”
Mobley has been stellar this season at Wasatch Academy, playing in the country’s most grueling league, the Nike EYBL Scholastic with nine teams ranked in the Top 25 in the country.
“I’m just working on every aspect of my game; being more aggressive on the defensive end, getting my teammates involved, controlling pace and things like that,” Mobley said. “Those are the things I can control. I just want to be as ready as possible when I get to the next level.”