2024–25 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team

2024–25 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball
2024–25 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	– (– MAC)
Head coach	Jeff Boals (6th season);
Assistant coaches	Lamar Thornton (6th season); Kyle Barlow (6th season); Lee Martin (5th season);
Home arena	Convocation Center
	Seasons ← 2023–24 2025–26 →

2024–25 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
Kent State	0	–	0	–	8	–	3	.727
Akron	0	–	0	–	7	–	4	.636
Miami (OH)	0	–	0	–	7	–	4	.636
Eastern Michigan	0	–	0	–	6	–	5	.545
Toledo	0	–	0	–	6	–	5	.545
Ball State	0	–	0	–	5	–	6	.455
Buffalo	0	–	0	–	5	–	6	.455
Central Michigan	0	–	0	–	5	–	6	.455
Ohio	0	–	0	–	5	–	6	.455
Bowling Green	0	–	0	–	5	–	7	.417
Northern Illinois	0	–	0	–	3	–	8	.273
Western Michigan	0	–	0	–	3	–	8	.273

† 2025 MAC tournament winner As of December 23, 2024

The 2024–25 Ohio University Bobcats men's basketball team will represent Ohio University for the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bobcats will be led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Boals, who was a 1995 graduate of Ohio University.^[1]^[2] They will play their home games at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, as a member of the Mid-American Conference.^[3]^[4]

Previous season

They finished 6–7 in non-conference play and started 1–3 in conference play. They rallied to win 12 of their final 14 conference games to finish the regular season 19–12 with a 13–5 in MAC play to finish tied for 2nd place. They defeated Western Michigan in the first round of the MAC tournament and lost to Akron in the second round^[5]^[6]^[7]

Offseason

Departures

Departures
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason
Miles Brown	2	G	6'1"	180	Grad. Student	Rochester, New York	Graduated, Exhausted eligibility
Gabe Wiznitzer	11	C	6'11"	240	Senior	Walhalla, South Carolina	Graduated
Jaylin Hunter	12	G	6'0"	195	Senior	Manchester, Connecticut	Graduated, Exhausted eligibility
Quinn Corna*	15	G	6'3"	170	Sophomore	Columbus, Ohio	Entered transfer portal
IJ Ezuma	21	F	6'8"	240	RS Sophomore	Raleigh, North Carolina	Left team
Ike Cornish	24	G/F	6'6"	190	RS Sophomore	Baltimore, Maryland	Transferred to Nichols State

* Walk-on in 2023–24
^[8]^[9]^[10]

Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason
Jackson Paveletzke	13	PG	6'3"	175	Sophomore	Kimberly, Wisconsin	Transferred from Iowa State. Will have two years of eligibility remaining.^[11]
Victor Searles	35	C	6'9"	240	Senior	Hilliard, Ohio	Transferred from Ashland. Will have one year of eligibility remaining.^[12]

^[8]^[10]

Recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Ayden Evans PF	Radcliff, KY	Elizabethtown	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jul 15, 2023
Ayden Evans PF	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80
Jessie Burris SG	Delaware, OH	Rutherford B. Hayes	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jul 9, 2023
Jessie Burris SG	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78
Elijah Elliot SG	Wichita, KS	Sunrise Christian Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Apr 30, 2024
Elijah Elliot SG	Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports:
Kiir Kuany PF	Huntington, WV	Huntington Prep School	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jun 5, 2024
Kiir Kuany PF	Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports:
Alex Evans* PF	Radcliff, KY	Elizabethtown	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Mar 9, 2024
Alex Evans* PF	Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A
Chase Boals* PF	New Albany, OH	New Albany	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	240 lb (110 kg)
Chase Boals* PF	Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18] *Walk-on

Roster

2023–24 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Previous school	Hometown
G	0	Ajay Sheldon	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jr	Dublin Coffman	Dublin, Ohio
G	1	Elmore James	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jr	Brush	Cleveland, Ohio
F	2	Alex Evans (W)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Fr	Elizabethtown	Radcliff, Kentucky
G	3	AJ Brown	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	RS So	Orlando Christian Prep	Orlando, Florida
G	4	Shereef Mitchell	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	GS	Sunrise Christian Academy Creighton	Omaha, NE
F	5	Ayden Evans	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Fr	Elizabethtown	Radcliff, Kentucky
G	6	Elijah Elliot	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Fr	Oak Ridge	Orlando, Florida
F	7	Ben Nicol	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	RS Fr	George Washington	Charleston, West Virginia
F	10	Aidan Hadaway	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jr	Lafayette	Lafayette, Georgia
G	13	Jackson Paveletzke	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jr	Kimberly Iowa State	Kimberly, Wisconsin
G	14	Ben Estis (W)	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	RS So	Southlake Carroll	Southlake, Texas
F	15	Chase Boals (W)	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Fr	New Albany	New Albany, Ohio
F	21	Jessie Burris	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Fr	Hargrave Military Academy	Delaware, Ohio
F	23	AJ Clayton	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Sr	Philo	Roseville, Ohio
F	35	Vic Searles	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	GS	St. Charles Ashland	Hilliard, Ohio

Head coach

Jeff Boals (Ohio)

Assistant coach(es)

Lamar Thornton (Ohio Dominican)
Kyle Barlow (Concordia–Ann Arbor)
Lee Martin (Catawba)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: June 10, 2024

Support Staff

**2022-23 Ohio Bobcats Support Staff**
Jake Ness - Director of Basketball Operations Mike Cifliku - Video Coordinator Sara Legarsky - Senior Director of Athletics Communications (Men's Basketball, Field Hockey, Swimming and Diving, Softball) Tyler Congrove - Associate Athletic Trainer (Men's Basketball, Soccer, Men's Golf, Women's Golf) Jessica Arquette - Ohio Athletics Sports Dietitian Kaitlyn Michener - Nutritionist Hannah Rastatter - Nutritionist

Source:^[19]

References

^ "Jeff Boals". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
^ "Jeff Boals". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
^ "Convocation Center". Ohio University. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
^ "MAC Men's College Basketball Standings – 2023–24". ESPN. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
^ "MAC basketball tournament bracket set; Miami RedHawks face Akron in first round". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
^ "Ohio 82, Western Michigan 55". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
^ "Akron 65, Ohio 62". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "TRANSFER PORTAL". Verbal Commits. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ Keegan III, Robert (April 17, 2024). "Men's Basketball: Ohio makes splash with addition of Jackson Paveletzke from Iowa State". The Post. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
^ "Ohio Men's Basketball Adds Transfer Searls to Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
^ "Ayden Evans". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
^ "Jessie Burris". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
^ Beach, Ashley (November 16, 2023). "Ohio Men's Basketball Adds Two During Early Signing Period". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ "Evans headed to Ohio University". The Elizabethtown News Enterprise. November 17, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ DiRenna, Frank (November 9, 2023). "National Signing Day: Which class of 2024 central Ohio athletes are heading to next level?". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
^ Adams, Logan (November 9, 2023). "Men's Basketball: Ohio lands huge commitment from three-star guard, Elijah Elliott". The Post. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
^ "Men's Basketball Coaching Staff". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2024.

[1] "Jeff Boals". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved May 15, 2022.

[2] "Jeff Boals". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 29, 2022.

[3] "Convocation Center". Ohio University. Retrieved September 29, 2022.

[4] "MAC Men's College Basketball Standings – 2023–24". ESPN. Retrieved May 19, 2023.

[5] "MAC basketball tournament bracket set; Miami RedHawks face Akron in first round". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved March 10, 2024.

[6] "Ohio 82, Western Michigan 55". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2024.

[7] "Akron 65, Ohio 62". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2024.

[roster-8] "2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[9] "2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[transfer-10] "TRANSFER PORTAL". Verbal Commits. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[11] Keegan III, Robert (April 17, 2024). "Men's Basketball: Ohio makes splash with addition of Jackson Paveletzke from Iowa State". The Post. Retrieved April 21, 2024.

[12] "Ohio Men's Basketball Adds Transfer Searls to Roster". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

[13] "Ayden Evans". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

[14] "Jessie Burris". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

[signings-15] Beach, Ashley (November 16, 2023). "Ohio Men's Basketball Adds Two During Early Signing Period". Ohio Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[16] "Evans headed to Ohio University". The Elizabethtown News Enterprise. November 17, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[17] DiRenna, Frank (November 9, 2023). "National Signing Day: Which class of 2024 central Ohio athletes are heading to next level?". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

[18] Adams, Logan (November 9, 2023). "Men's Basketball: Ohio lands huge commitment from three-star guard, Elijah Elliott". The Post. Retrieved April 30, 2024.

[19] "Men's Basketball Coaching Staff". ohiobobcats.com. Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2024.

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v t e Ohio Bobcats men's basketball
Venues	Ewing Hall (1907–1908) Ohio Gymnasium (1908–1923) Men's Gymnasium (1924–1960) Grover Center (1960–1968) Convocation Center (1968–present)
Culture & lore	Rufus the Bobcat
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25