Ohio State basketball didn't simply land a four-star recruit Thursday. The Buckeyes convinced him he didn't need to see Duke or Florida.
Four-star 2027 forward Deng Ngor committed to Ohio State after taking an official visit to Columbus earlier this month, giving Jake Diebler his first commitment of the 2027 recruiting cycle.
The 6-foot-8 Canadian had Ohio State, Duke, Florida and Washington in his final four.
The interesting part is what happened next.
Ngor was expected to take additional official visits to the other three finalists. Instead, he shut down the process after seeing Ohio State.
"We were supposed to visit other big schools like Duke, but for our family it really felt right," Ngor's father, Joseph, told The Columbus Dispatch.
Ngor announced his commitment on X:
Buckeyes let’s do it!! #commited pic.twitter.com/HJafweOhz0
— Deng Ngor (@dengngorr) September 17, 2026
For Diebler, this is the type of recruiting win that could matter well beyond one commitment.
Deng Ngor Has Become One Of 2027's Fastest Risers
Trying to determine exactly where Ngor belongs in the 2027 class depends heavily on which recruiting service you prefer.
Rivals is extremely bullish.
Ngor is ranked No. 19 nationally and the No. 5 small forward in the Rivals rankings. The 247Sports Composite is more conservative, placing him No. 95 overall and No. 18 among power forwards.
What's indisputable is the direction he's moving.
Ngor was essentially outside the national conversation earlier this summer before a breakout stretch with Lu Dort Elite and Canada's U18 national team.
He averaged 10.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup and helped Canada defeat the United States for the gold medal.
Ngor scored 15 points in that championship game while making five of his eight shots.
His combination of length, defensive versatility and nonstop motor helped his recruitment explode.
Duke offered.
Florida offered.
Washington became a finalist.
Ohio State got the commitment.
Jake Diebler Needed This Type Of Recruiting Win
Diebler enters his third season with considerably more momentum than he had a year ago. Ohio State went 21-13 last season and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
Now the Buckeyes are trying to turn that progress into something sustainable.
Landing Ngor is an encouraging step.
Ohio State already has former top-10 prospect Anthony Thompson on this season's roster, and Ngor gives Diebler another nationally coveted building block for the future.
More importantly, the Buckeyes didn't win a recruitment against programs operating in a different tier.
They beat Duke and Florida.
And they did it before either program could even get Ngor onto campus for an official visit.
That's the part Ohio State fans should remember.
Ngor was supposed to keep looking.
One weekend in Columbus convinced him there was no reason to.
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