Former Duke forward Sean Stewart commits to Ohio State ahead of 2024 college basketball season

The Ohio State Buckeyes landed former Duke Blue Devils forward Sean Stewart via the transfer portal. He was the No. 62 prospect in the portal (via 247Sports) and chose the Buckeyes over the Georgetown Hoyas and Cincinnati Bearcats with whom he took visits during the week.

When the current Ohio State coach Jake Diebler was the assistant coach of the Buckeyes, he was also the lead recruiter of Stewart from high school and ultimately, that relationship played a part in the prospect choosing to join the program.

During an interview with The Dispatch, Stewart detailed his unique relationship with the coach.

“Me and Diebler picked up our previous vibe from the first time recruiting me,” Stewart said. “He was the lead recruiter when I was in high school. We talked almost every day leading up to my decision day, so to have that call when he called me the first day when I entered the portal, it was exciting to talk to him again," Stewart said.

"He kept reiterating how crazy it was that this came full circle that he recruited me as an assistant coach and now he’s a head coach. It’s a lot of chemistry since the first day he started recruiting me.”

Why Sean Stewart joined Ohio State

Sean Stewart is a former five-star prospect and was the No. 17 overall prospect in the class of 2023 according to 247Sports.

The Ohio State Buckeyes finished No. 2 in Stewart's ranking of programs to join from high school, and it is no coincidence that he finally landed there.

Michael Stewart, the prospect's father revealed in an interview with "Eleven Warriors" that the input of Ohio State coach Jake Diebler was important in Sean Stewart opting to join the program.

"He laid out a comprehensive plan for how he can help Sean achieve some of his basketball goals," Michael Stewart said. "I think that with the other guys they have on the team, there's an immediate fit. There's a need. And I think Sean can slide in at any capacity and help Ohio State achieve some of their goals."

The former Duke prospect averaged just 8.4 minutes of action last season on a talented Duke roster. He also averaged 2.9 points on 57.1% shooting from the floor, 3.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.5 blocks.

He had a breakout game against La Salle where he registered 16 points and 10 rebounds in November.

Coach Diebler lost valuable talent from last season's team including Zed Key, Felix Okpara, Bowen Hardman, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Scotty Middleton creating a void that Stewart could fill with significant minutes next season.

In the same interview, Michael Stewart explained that his son's versatility is what made him such a valuable addition to the Buckeyes.

Sean Stewart also visited Cincinnati and Georgetown before settling for Ohio State.