minsta

Preseason rankings place Micah Parrish at 5th

Pabio October 28, 2024

The first year of the Jake Diebler era will feature most scholarship players in Ohio State men’s basketball history.

Technically, the Buckeyes will feature a full roster of 13 scholarship players for the 2024-25 season. Yet as Ohio State built its roster for the year and suffered a summer injury to a slated rotation player, first-year coach Jake Diebler was able to add an extra piece to the puzzle as a backup of which NIL compensation will cover the costs. to enroll at Ohio State.

He is expected to finish eighth in the annual unofficial media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star.the Buckeyes aim to return to the NCAA tournament after missing each of the last two seasons. Ohio State went 22-14 last season as Diebler was named coach after taking over on an interim basis mid-season.

Sifting through a 16-man roster that includes nine new faces, including two replacements, takes effort, and The Dispatch has what you need. To prepare for the season, The Dispatch is once again releasing its annual preseason power rankings. Every day of the week leading up to the season opener on November 4 against Texas in Las Vegaswe’ll count up while projecting which players will play the most important roles during the 2023-24 season. This is not simply a measure of who will lead the team in a particular statistical category, but a series of educated guesses about the contributions of the players who will contribute the longest to the Buckeyes’ finish.

The series enters its final week today with fifth-year goalie Micah Parrish.

No. 5 – Micah Parrish

Position: Guard

Eligibility: Fifth year (zero remaining)

Height/weight: 6 feet 6 / 205 pounds

Jersey number: 8

Major: Human development and family sciences

Ohio State Buckeyes: Often overlooked transfer Micah Parrish brings motivation to Ohio State

Micah Parrish’s background

A Detroit native, Parrish grew up watching his father and friends play summer league ball before adopting the sport as his own.

In three years at River Rouge, Michigan, Parrish helped his high school to a 95-14 record that included two conference titles and an appearance in the state championship game. However, during his senior year, Parrish had only one Division I scholarship offer. It was from Detroit Mercy but was ultimately waived, leading Parrish to weigh a number of options from divisions II and III. Instead, he opted for a postgraduate year, where he helped Gilbert (Ariz.) Hillcrest Prep go 30-5.

This resulted in a scholarship offer. Greg Kampe called and Parrish signed with Oakland University in the 2020 class as a two-star prospect according to the 247Sports.com rankings. He immediately slotted into a starting spot, averaging 10.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 assists while starting in 57 of 59 games over two seasons with Oakland .

The goal was for Parrish to eventually transfer to the next level, and in 2022 he entered the transfer portal and committed to San Diego State after also receiving interest from West Virginia, Colorado State, Michigan State, Alabama and Illinois, among others. . In his first season with the program, the Aztecs reached the national championship game averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game.

That season, Parrish scored 15 points, pulled down five rebounds and helped San Diego State beat Ohio State 88-77 on the opening day of the Maui Invitational.

In four years of college basketball, Parrish averaged 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He’s a career 42.8 percent shooter and 33.2 percent on 3-pointers. In nine NCAA Tournament games, Parrish is 7-2 and averaging 6.3 points per game.

Parrish was listed as the No. 334 player in the 2024 transfer portal according to 247Sports.

Micah Parrish’s 2023-24 Season Recap

After San Diego State’s run to the title game, Parrish entered the starting lineup and started 36 of 37 games as the Aztecs went 26-11, won the fifth seed in the NCAA tournament and lost – again – to UConn in the NCAA. Tournament. This time it was a Sweet 16 loss and Parrish entered the transfer portal.

He opened the year with a game-high 17 points in an 83-57 win over Cal. St. Fullerton. Parrish scored in double figures in 18 games and finished the year averaging 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and a career-high 1.9 assists while playing 27.5 minutes per game.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider Text Group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

Parrish was named to the Continental Tire Main Event all-tournament team as San Diego State defeated Saint Mary’s and Washington.

Parrish finished with a turnover rate of just 9.2 percent, the 108th lowest mark in the country according to KenPom.com. During his fourth year, Parrish shot a career-low 29.2% from 3-point range while attempting a career-high 149 shots from deep.

He missed three games in four years and didn’t miss a game during two seasons at San Diego State.

What you need to know about Micah Parrish

His full name is Micah-Immanuel Parrish. His father, Emanuel, based it on the Old Testament of the Bible.. This translates to: “Just like Yahweh, God is with us.” Two of his siblings also play basketball: his sister Evangelina is a senior on the Chicago State team, and Elijah plays for Rochester Christian University. His father grew up a Michigan fan who appreciated the Wolverines’ famous Fab Five recruiting class.

Parrish is the first Ohio State player to wear No. 8 since Charles A. Ropes. He averaged 1.7 points and played in 43 games, in 1954-55. In high school, Parrish was coached by LaMonta Stone, who had been an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2002 to 2004. Parrish’s favorite NBA player is Kawhi Leonard.

In Oakland, Parrish was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2021 and the All-Defensive Team in 2022. He was a two-time Freshman of the Week in 2020-21.

In high school, he ran track and was on the 200 and 400 meter relay teams. He has participated in community service events through his partnership with THE Foundationthe primary name, image and likeness of the men’s basketball program.

Micah Parrish’s outlook for the 2024-25 season

A priority target for the Buckeyes in the transfer portal, Parrish comes to Ohio State with a reputation as a physical and courageous defender. In choosing the Buckeyes, Parrish said he was looking for a chance to play closer to home, to finally play in the Big Ten and also be allowed to take on a larger offensive role.

A small hybrid player probable extra forward/guard, Parrish will be counted on to bring his experience in a winning culture to Ohio State. Not only has he been part of two teams that made at least the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but Parrish’s 135 career games rank him among the top five active college basketball players overall. national.

As part of a backcourt featuring Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson Jr., both of whom should take plenty of shots for Ohio State, Parrish will have opportunities as a second offensive option who can score in a variety of ways. He will also be expected to help distribute the ball while helping anchor an Ohio State defense that opens the year in need of an upgrade.

“Being able to have toughness, playing defense on every possession, not taking a break, that’s what I can bring here,” Parrish said at Ohio State’s media day. “The hard work it takes to win.”

In Ohio State’s 80-62 loss at Cincinnati on October 18, Parrish led the Buckeyes in shot attempts (12) and tied for the scoring lead with 11 points.. He was 3 of 12 from the field, 1 of 6 from deep and had three turnovers in 23:58. For Ohio State to reach its ceiling, Parrish will need to be more efficient and take better care of the ball, as he emerges as a key contributor on both ends of the court.

He also stood alongside Thornton and Johnson as the Buckeyes and Bearcats met for the captains’ pregame meeting at midfield at Fifth Third Arena.

There might be some nights where Parrish leads the Buckeyes in scoring, but his overall value as a veteran defender and team leader puts him central to Diebler’s plans.

“We had really big plans for Micah from the moment we started recruiting him,” Diebler said over the summer.