Ohio State signs recruits for fall

11/9/2006

COLUMBUS - The first basketball hasn't been tipped and already Ohio State and Michigan have restocked.

Two days before one of the nation's top recruiting classes makes its official collegiate debut for the Buckeyes, coach Thad Matta announced he had signed four more top recruits who will enroll next fall.

Signing with the No. 7-ranked Buckeyes were 7-foot-1 Kosta Koufos of Canton GlenOak, 6-9 Dallas Lauderdale of Solon, and 6-6 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky, along with 6-6 Evan Turner from Westchester (Ill.) St. Joseph's.

Koufos averaged 24 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks as a junior before breaking his foot in practice and missing the rest of the season. He was a second-team Associated Press All-Ohioan.

Lauderdale, a first-team all-state selection, averaged 21 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks for a 23-2 team that advanced to the big-school regional finals before falling to eventual state champion Canton McKinley.

Diebler averaged 35.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 4.2 steals, and 4.1 blocked shots, hitting an Ohio state high school-record 27 free throws (in 28 attempts) in a 77-point game against Tiffin Columbian.

ANN ARBOR - Alex Legion, a standout on one of the best prep basketball teams in the country, is headed to Michigan.

Legion, of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, signed with the Wolverines yesterday along with Detroit's Corperryale "Manny" Harris and Kelvin Grady of Grand Rapids.

Legion attended Detroit Country Day before transferring to Oak Hill for his senior season. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Legion committed to UM, then reversed himself before deciding again to attend Michigan.

He was an Associated Press Class B All-State player as a sophomore and junior.

Harris, a 6-5, 170-pound guard, averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season at Redford High School. He was an AP Class A All-State player last year, playing at the same high school that Michigan's Dion Harris attended.

Grady, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound point guard, averaged 15.4 points and 5.5 assists last season at East Grand Rapids High School. He was listed among honorable-mention players on the AP's Class B All-State team last year.