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NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 34 in 2023-24 season

By Joey Loose

Nov 15, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes center Felix Okpara (34) dunks during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Merrimack College Warriors at Value City Arena.
Nov 15, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes center Felix Okpara (34) dunks during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Merrimack College Warriors at Value City Arena. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
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1. Felix Okpara (Ohio State)

All things considered, this past season wasn’t exactly ideal for basketball at Ohio State. However, Okpara’s emergence is certainly one of the best things to come from this year for the Buckeyes. A former Top 100 prospect brought into the program in 2022, Okpara showed potential as a freshman but really started to shine as a demon in the paint for the Buckeyes, even in a season that saw Chris Holtmann lose his job.

Okpara averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game as a full-time starter for the Buckeyes. Additional minutes saw him taking on more of a role on both sides of the ball, becoming a key rebounder during a 22-win campaign. More notably, Okpara was also one of the nation’s top shot blockers as a sophomore and has plenty of opportunity to further develop as an upperclassman.

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In addition to being a dominant rim protector, Okpara also had a few nice efforts for the Buckeyes, including 10 rebounds in their nice win over Alabama and a 15-rebound effort against Indiana. Some of his best efforts came during Ohio State’s resurgence late in the year, with Okpara scoring in double figures in all three NIT games. After his emergence, Okpara garnered plenty of interest and will spend his junior year at Tennessee.

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