O’Brien Signs Pair to National Letters of Intent – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio–A pair of star high school basketball players signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play for Ohio State University and Jim O’Brien, Buckeye men’s basketball coach. The student-athletes will begin play as Buckeyes in 2002-03.
The class is made up of Ricardo Billings, a 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound guard from Rogers High School in Detroit, Mich., and forward Charles Bass (6-8, 180) from Crete-Monee (Ill.) High School.
“I am thrilled with the two kids that have signed letters of intent to play at Ohio State,” O’Brien said. “We think in getting Ricardo and Charles we not only get two quality basketball players but a couple terrific young men.”
Billings averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as a junior. He was a first team all-state selection by both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. Both publications selected him first team all-metro and all-city. He was a USA Today Honorable Mention All-America and was rated No. 42 among all juniors nationally by the basketball recruiting publication Prep Spotlight.
Bob Gibbons’ All Star Report, a publication dedicated to basketball recruiting, lists Billings as one of the Top 75 rising seniors in America.
“Ricardo was one of the most highly-recruited guards in the country,” O’Brien said. “We’re very pleased to get a player of his caliber. He has the ability to play a lot of different positions, giving us the versatility to do a lot of things in the backcourt.”
Bass averaged 16 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a junior. He was the Southern Illinois Conference Association (SICA) Player of the Year in 2000-01. He was an all-conference selection as both a sophomore and junior while making several all-tournament teams along the way.
“Charles is slender but has a world of potential,” O’Brien said. “He has the ability to get rebound baskets because of his length and long arms. He is another player with a variety of skills who will enhance our frontcourt with his athleticism.”
