Nov. 18, 2009

ATHENS, Ohio-Ohio head men’s basketball coach John Groce announced another highly-regarded signing class this fall with the additions of T.J. Hall (Gainesville, Fla.), Ethan Jacobs (Tipton, Ind.), Ricardo Johnson (Covington, Ky.) and Nick Kellogg (Columbus, Ohio).

“To say I am pleased with the addition of T.J. Hall, Ethan Jacobs, Ricardo Johnson and Nick Kellogg would be an understatement,” said Groce. “I am thrilled! We worked very hard as a staff to address some needs we felt like we had following up on last year’s class. We are building a very talented and deep team that is going to fit very well into how we want to play. As we did last year, the four young men we added all come from winning programs, with both Ricardo and T.J. leading their teams to state championships as juniors.”

Hall, a 6-6 forward, is a three-star prospect according to FloridaProspects.com. He was coached at Gainesville High School by Kelly Beckham and the Florida Elite AAU Program by Conrad Foss, which also produced current Ohio sophomore Steven Coleman.

Hall’s Gainesville squad won the 5A state championship as a junior with a 29-3 record. In the title game, Hall notched 21 points, including a 5-7 effort from 3-point range after posting eight points, 10 boards and six assists in the state semifinal. Hall received a grade of 85 in ESPN.com’s recruiting rankings and was listed as the #78 small forward.

“We are very pleased with the signing of T.J. Hall,” Groce said. “T.J. brings a terrific skill package to the forward position and he will really thrive in our system. He has been coached very well by Coach Beckham. His ability to handle, pass and shoot the ball with great accuracy and range is exciting for us as a staff. We love his versatility. We anticipate an exciting career for T.J. at Ohio.”

Jacobs, a two-star recruit according to Scout.com, is a 6-10 center who checked in at #255 in HoopScoop’s senior rankings and was listed as the #23 center. He plays at Tipton High School for head coach Brad Dickey and was a member of the Spiece Indy Heat AAU Program that is directed by Todd Hensley. Jacobs received a grade of 86 in ESPN.com’s recruiting rankings.

Jacobs’ Tipton squad notched a 23-3 mark last season, losing to Ft. Wayne Bishop Luers (the eventual state champion 60-53 in the regional).

“We are really excited about Ethan Jacobs joining our Bobcat family,” said Groce. “He has a unique skill set for a 6’10” post. His quick release, ability to shoot the ball and ability to run the floor make him very special. We want to play with pace and he fits our system very well at his position. He loves to play and I love that about him. The fact that he is very bright and an outstanding student is equally exciting to me. He continues to improve and develop at a rapid pace and we anticipate a very bright future for Ethan at Ohio.”

Johnson, a 6’5” three-star recruit according to Scout.com and Rivals.com, was listed 83rd in the class of 2010 by MaxPreps.com and checked in as the 18th-best wing forward. He received a grade of 90 in ESPN.com’s recruiting rankings.

Johnson is an athletic wing, who averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a junior while leading his team to the Kentucky state championship, where he was named Tourney MVP. As a sophomore, Johnson helped lead his team to a 34-3 record and a runner-up finish in the state tournament.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the addition of Ricardo to our Ohio Bobcat family,” Groce said. “He comes from a great program at Holmes, coached by David Henley. He has terrific size, length and versatility for a wing guard. With his athleticism and ability to shoot the ball, he is a complete player and one who has a very bright future at Ohio. It has been important to me from Day 1 that we recruit ‘winners’ at Ohio and we are excited that both he and T.J. led their teams to state championships last year.”

Kellogg, the younger brother of current Bobcat junior Alex Kellogg, helped lead his St. Francis DeSales High School team to back-to-back state Final Fours. The 6’2” combo guard was rated #204 in HoopScoop’s senior rankings and was listed as the 65th-best “2 Guard” in the class. He also received a grade of 87 in ESPN.com’s recruiting rankings and checked in as the 62nd-best “point guard” in the class.

“First and foremost, Nick is a winner,” said Groce. “We also really like his ability to play the combo guard position as well as defend multiple positions. Nick brings a toughness and competitiveness that we love as a staff.  His understanding of how to play the game and what it takes to win will be invaluable attributes for our basketball program”.

The Bobcats play Lamar on Monday in the Convocation Center. Tip time is 7 p.m.