Ohio State Signs Marc Loving- Class of 2013

• Prescott

  Arguably the top player in Ohio in 2013 is Marc Loving. The forward from Toledo is one of the better young prospects in the Midwest, and after a quick unofficial visit he decided to pull the trigger quickly for Ohio State.
  
  
  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Marc-Loving-107120
  
  
  Thursday, August 5, 2010
  Loving is a Buckeye
  
  Marc Loving (6?7/2013) of Toledo St. John?s made a trip to Columbus, Ohio yesterday to visit Ohio State and according to his father the trip went well.
  
  Loving?s father also dropped this bomb shell.
  
  ?Marc slept on his offer and just called Coach (Thad) Matta and gave them a verbal commitment,? said Loving?s father.
  
  Loving has been widely known across the Buckeye state as having elite level talent, but this summer he turned the potential into action. Loving shined for All-Ohio Red?s U15 team as well as starring at the Ohio State team camp in front of all the Buckeye coaches.
  
  Loving continues to get better and better and his pushing 6-foot-8, and looks to have star power potential. He averaged 12 points and five rebounds per game for the Titans as a frosh.
  
  Loving is Ohio State?s first commitment for the Class of 2013. He was also the first player OSU offered in this class.
  
  http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/basketball-recruiting/619180-13-oh-f-marc-loving-buckeye.html
• GOONx19

  

  I know this is only a commit, but at what point can players actually sign these days? It's during their senior year, right?
• Laley23

  

  He cant "sign" for about another 2 years.
• Laley23

  

  However, this is a great get for OSU. He, along with fellow Toledoan and Sophomore to be, Nigel Hayes are both 5 star players at this point. A lot can change, but those two are just studs and dominated the recently broken up City League this past season. I happen to think Nigel was the better player of the two, but Loving will undoubtedly get the better coaching from Ed Heinchel at St Johns Jesuit.
  
  I was PLEADING that Indiana would get involved with these two players early, but it appears OSU will likely land them both (Hayes' brother plays football for OSU).
• CinciX12

  

  Wow, I am never really a fan of stuff like this, no matter the team involved.
  
  Why would you bother with a verbal commitment right now?
• Azubuike24

  

  CinciX12;444063 wrote:Wow, I am never really a fan of stuff like this, no matter the team involved.
  
  Why would you bother with a verbal commitment right now?

  
  Imagine if it was Billy Gillispie or a Kentucky coach?
• CinciX12

  

  Azubuike24;444077 wrote:Imagine if it was Billy Gillispie or a Kentucky coach?

  
  We all know how that would go. He'd be the youngest millionaire in the country
• Azubuike24

  

  Would probably just mean the kid was overrated.
  
  Look at the kids Gillispie signed early.
  
  None are really great prospects, save K.C. Ross Miller being decent.
  
  Gillispie probably could've use a higher payroll haha.
• namod65

  

  CinciX12;444063 wrote:Wow, I am never really a fan of stuff like this, no matter the team involved.
  
  Why would you bother with a verbal commitment right now?

  
  Because OSU isn't going to have a lot of room in the 2013 class. He's taking the spot before others do and he becomes the odd man out.
• Azubuike24

  

  That doesn't mean much really. Coaches will find ways to make room for better players, even if that means encouraging guys to look elsewhere. A lot of these guys who commit in the 9th grade can be very different players by time they are seniors.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Or if he doesn't improve the way he's expected to, he doesn't have a scholarship. It works both ways. There was a player who was supposed to come in with this years class, and he was one of the first commits who had his scholarship offer pulled, if I remember correctly?
• Azubuike24

  

  Exactly. That's why it's tough to get excited or take commits seriously until players are at-least into their Junior season. Unless the guy is just a flat out stud very early, a lot can change.
• thedynasty1998

  

  I don't think there is anything wrong with a fanbase getting excited. It means the guy is committed, but if he doesn't improve, the coach and University are still in control. It would be different if kids were signing at such an early age.
• dokken

  It's a good thing 15 year olds don't change their minds.
• CinciX12

  

  dokken;445658 wrote:It's a good thing 15 year olds don't change their minds.

  
  That's kind of my point though. If you verbal to a school when you are so young, doesn't it kind of make it 'unethical' of other programs to talk to you. Granted that obviously happens everyday trying to get kids to chance their minds, but as a 15 year old wouldn't you be excited about the upcoming process and getting to take advantage of recruiting trips and the like?
• RiverRat13

  CinciX12;445695 wrote: If you verbal to a school when you are so young, doesn't it kind of make it 'unethical' of other programs to talk to you.

  
  You could make more of an argument that offering to a rising sophomore is unethical as the NABC has asked (not mandated) that coaches wait until the summer after the player's sophomore year to offer. Of course, only a handful of coaches actually abide by this guideline.
• centralbucksfan

  RiverRat13;448057 wrote:You could make more of an argument that offering to a rising sophomore is unethical as the NABC has asked (not mandated) that coaches wait until the summer after the player's sophomore year to offer. Of course, only a handful of coaches actually abide by this guideline.

  
  No college coach in his right mind abides by this rule. If they see a STUD, its really a no brainer to try and get him when you can. Obviously, if the kid is THAT good, has the potential and continues to be what they thought....the big time schools will have the upper hand to keep him, or "steal" him away from someone else...which isn't unusual either.
  Matta obviously is one of the top recruiters in the country. I think it would be stupid to question him and his recruiting at this point in time. He is shooting a high percentage in this area.
• RiverRat13

  centralbucksfan;449687 wrote:No college coach in his right mind abides by this rule.

  
  Roy Williams does.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I see nothing wrong with a kid giving his commitment this early. It doesn't hurt anyone or any thing. If he improves just at a normal pace, odds are very good he'll be a decent player and deserving of the scholarship.
  
  Would any of you have turned down Oden, Conley or members of that class? I do believe all of them pledged to come to OSU when they were still sophomores (or very early juniors) in high school. A member of this incoming class, Thomas, accepted Matta's offer when he was a freshman and remains one of the top players in the country, by rankings. Does that mean he made a mistake, too?
  
  Matta is just "playing the game" as it is now structured. Kids are giving verbals early; that's how it's done now.
  
  If he were to ignore that, he'd get left in the dust, as would just about every other top coach in the country.
• centralbucksfan

  RiverRat13;449690 wrote:Roy Williams does.

  
  Ya, uh huh...sure he does. lol
• thedynasty1998

  

  Writerbuckeye;450249 wrote:I see nothing wrong with a kid giving his commitment this early. It doesn't hurt anyone or any thing. If he improves just at a normal pace, odds are very good he'll be a decent player and deserving of the scholarship.
  
  Would any of you have turned down Oden, Conley or members of that class? I do believe all of them pledged to come to OSU when they were still sophomores (or very early juniors) in high school. A member of this incoming class, Thomas, accepted Matta's offer when he was a freshman and remains one of the top players in the country, by rankings. Does that mean he made a mistake, too?
  
  Matta is just "playing the game" as it is now structured. Kids are giving verbals early; that's how it's done now.
  
  If he were to ignore that, he'd get left in the dust, as would just about every other top coach in the country.

  
  I think everyone understands that. In an ideal world, college coaches wouldn't be recruiting kids at such an early age (Mullens committed as an 8th grader I believe).
  
  But this is all just a verbal agreement. OSU can pull the offer at anytime and the student athlete can back out at anytime.
• RiverRat13

  centralbucksfan;450265 wrote:Ya, uh huh...sure he does. lol

  
  Go ahead and show me where Roy Williams has offered a kid before June 15th of his sophomore year as the NABC guideline stipulates.
• centralbucksfan

  RiverRat13;450458 wrote:Go ahead and show me where Roy Williams has offered a kid before June 15th of his sophomore year as the NABC guideline stipulates.

  
  Show me where Matta and other coaches have offered? Its the kids who come out and make their own committment. We all know nothing "official" can be offered at that state.."officially".
  But don't kid yourself, Williams is NO different then any other coach out there. And I happen to be a fan of Williams as a coach btw.
• RiverRat13

  http://bucknuts.com/index.php/Basketball-Recruiting-Article/loving-it-buckeyes-get-the-ball-rolling-for-2013/menu-id-1346.html
  
  "Marc slept on his offer and just called Coach (Thad) Matta and gave them a verbal commitment," said Loving's father.
• Rider_In_Ttown

  

  My 5th grade son is excited. Marc was his summer league coach this summer at St. Johns.