'21 OH C - Charles Bediako (Alabama Verbal)

Rivals.com
24/7Sports

Center
6'10''|220 lbs
CLASS OF 2021

Ohio State has offered.

 

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A Canadien Offer
Charles Bediako hasn’t slept much in the past month. Basketball has taken precedence.

The four-star center’s journey began when he traveled to France with Canada’s U19 FIBA World Cup team in late June. There, Bediako spent about five days before heading to Greece for the FIBA tournament, which featured some of the best under-19 players in the world. At 17 years old, he played two age groups up and was the youngest player on his team. After six games in eight days, he took a 12-hour flight from Greece to Toronto, where he only spent one day before leaving in a bus on a 14-hour drive to Georgia to play with the U16 UPLAY Canada team at Peach Jam, the famed Nike EYBL grassroots event.

Finally, Bediako can get some sleep – but not until after an impromptu phone call from Holtmann.

Ohio State hosted Bediako, who plays for ISA at Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby, for a visit in November, and the coaches have been tracking his progress in the eight months since then. At last weekend’s Peach Jam, Bediako said, he saw a Buckeyes coach at each game he played. Shortly after he completed his games, assistant coach Ryan Pedon sent him a text to let him know “the whole coaching staff really loved” him. He also mentioned Holtmann might soon reach out.

On Monday night, he got the call from Holtmann who extended an offer.

“He was just talking to me, saying, ‘We really like you,’” Bediako told Eleven Warriors on Tuesday. “He said he wanted to call to officially offer me a scholarship to Ohio State. Honestly, I was excited. I was excited, but I just kept poised.”

Bediako, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound center, now holds offers from Illinois, Ohio, Rutgers, Detroit and the Buckeyes. Marquette and Texas recently reached out, and Kentucky, Michigan State, Maryland, Dayton and Xavier have reportedly expressed interest. After his recent performances, that list will continue to grow.

Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz, draft analysts for ESPN, mentioned Bediako as a future NBA prospect to watch after seeing him play in Greece. He’s currently the No. 65 overall prospect and ninth-ranked center in the 2021 cycle.

Ohio State has positioned itself well early in the recruitment of Bediako, a native Canadian who plays for ISA at Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby. After his November visit to Columbus, he told Eleven Warriors that he felt the Buckeyes were the first team that “really wanted” him, and the interest hasn’t changed eight months later.

“Coach Ryan, he calls frequently, we talk,” Bediako said. “I still have that great feeling. Even when I posted about (the offer), the fan base, a lot of Ohio State people there just congratulating me. It just puts a smile on my face.”

Bediako is particularly fond of Pedon, who has a similar interest in the big man.

“For coach Ryan, he said basically he likes me, not only likes me as my skills and how much potential I have, but he also likes my character,” Bediako said. “He liked when me and Ryan ran together the pick and roll. He just likes how I have a high motor up and down the floor and I can be versatile. And he also just liked how I was coming along, like from the beginning when he first saw me to now. He told me he was just happy and proud and excited.”

The connection between Bediako and Ohio State added an unexpected variable when ISA recently hired former Buckeyes walk-on-turned-scholarship player Jake Lorbach as an assistant coach.

Bediako hasn’t known Lorbach for long, but they were in contact soon after the offer.

“(Lorbach) texted me actually yesterday,” Bediako said. “He was going crazy.”

Bediako doesn’t have any visits to any school scheduled. Holtmann told him he wants him to visit Ohio State again this fall, though.

 

Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann was in today for Top-75 junior Charles Bediako, a source told @Stockrisers.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) September 12, 2019

 

Bucknuts' @SteveHelwagen has story on Canadian hoops star talking about #OhioState visits. https://t.co/hEbNMJAdmD

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) January 23, 2020

 

Canadian big man Charles Bediako adds high-major offers, plans to remain in Class of 2021 https://t.co/cDftmo6tFg@CBediako@isa_basketball

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 2, 2020

 

Canadian big man Charles Bediako has Zoom calls with Duke, Pitt, Michigan
https://t.co/eiXjUaaBhk@CBediako @isa_basketball

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 17, 2020

 

Canadian big man Charles Bediako has Zoom calls with Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan
https://t.co/OFNXb4neD4@CBediako @isa_basketball

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 28, 2020

 

#Duke has been targeting class of 2021 center Charles Bediako for quite some time. He's widely considered one of the best shot-blockers in the nation. But there's more to his game. We spoke with @coreyevans_10 to get his thoughts. https://t.co/c6QVa8t3Hf @clintjackson1

— Brian McLawhorn (@BrianMcLawhorn) June 1, 2020

 

Charles Bediako, 6-foot-11, 215 pounds, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)

Here is the second five-star center prospect that Ohio State has offered in 2021, and much like Reid’s recruitment, everyone wants a shot at Charles Bediako. Originally from Canada, Bediako spent his last year at ISA with current Ohio State commitment Meechie Johnson. However, just yesterday he announced that he would be transferring to powerhouse IMG Academy for his senior season, which consequently took Johnson out of his ear. Nonetheless, the Ohio State coaching staff is still very much pursuing him and he is listening. Bediako is a bit of a rare prospect when it comes to big-name recruits because he does not do much talking about his recruitment. But that has not stopped programs like Michigan State and Duke to name a few from jumping into the mix like. Of all the prospects discussed here, Bediako seems like the least likely to be a Buckeye if you ask me. Maybe it is because he doesn’t talk much or maybe it is because of his lofty ranking, but he seems destined to go elsewhere. Duke is as blue blood as they come and Alabama has recruited Canada well, so it appears those two programs are out in front of the pack with Michigan and Michigan State likely in the next group. Ohio State is still in this one but they have some ground to make up and truthfully it could be even more than it seems.

To all the hoops recruiting fans on ⁦@BuckeyeScoop⁩ you asked for this and here it is.

I put nearly two thousand words together on the big man situation for Ohio State in 2021.

Click the link below for the full break down and my prediction: https://t.co/TEnUj4ElSy

— Mick Walker (@MickWalker247) June 17, 2020

 

BEDIAKO TRANSFERS SCHOOLS
A few months ago, Charles Bediako told us about how his high school teammate – Meechie Johnson – was staying in his ear about attending Ohio State. He said it was a daily occurrence.

That, evidently, has come to an end. After two years at ISA at Andrews Osborne Academy, Bediako announced his transfer to IMG Academy.

In doing so, he leaves both the state of Ohio and a high school team with a Buckeyes commit for a powerhouse prep school in Florida. While Bediako – a five-star 2021 center originally from Canada – remains a target for Ohio State, his decision to head to IMG won’t help the Buckeyes, who are battling Duke, Alabama and others.

 

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Four-star Charles Bediako, a 6-foot-10 big man, has a final list of 10. Eric Bossi ranks the top five as he sees it right now: https://t.co/Y6dFqZEnM8 pic.twitter.com/MWYUpyXxFk

— Rivals (@Rivals) July 25, 2020

 

Canadian big man Charles Bediako heading to IMG Academy, plans to cut list soonhttps://t.co/uEL6qt0Znd @CBediako @IMGABasketball @UPLAYCanada

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 24, 2020

 

247Sports Composite top 25 ranked Charles Bediako is down to a final five. A look at the contenders https://t.co/eK1Ne7v1oe pic.twitter.com/0hip7Pit4y

— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) October 10, 2020

 

#Buckeyes make the top five for big man Charles Bediako. https://t.co/waggChAEAR

— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) October 10, 2020

 

Top 30 big man Charles Bediako is closing in on a decision. He’s down to 5 schools and broke down each school, a timeline and more with @247Sports. @CBediako

Story: https://t.co/XJWVKCvjzh pic.twitter.com/FEkXICVVPg

— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) December 28, 2020

 

The Basketball Buckeyes are hoping a commitment from a five-star center could push them to the next level, and they are pursuing two big-time talents at the position. https://t.co/p6728iuR2v

— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) December 29, 2020

 

Talked with five-star senior Charles Bediako this morning. He told @Stockrisers that his decision is most likely going to come in March. I’d pretty much say very likely.

His finalists: Alabama, Duke, Texas, Ohio State, and Michigan. Story tonight.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) February 20, 2021