Devin Royal is No. 9 in our Ohio State men's basketball preseason power rankings
Men’s basketball season is about to get underway, and it’s time to dive into the Ohio State roster.
After a 16-19 record that caused the Buckeyes to miss the postseason for the first time in coach Chris Holtmann’s six seasons with the program, Ohio State returns several key core players while adding a highly rated freshman class and a three-man transfer group all expected to make significant impacts.
To get ready for the season, The Dispatch is once again rolling out its annual preseason power rankings. Each day leading into the Nov. 6 season opener with Oakland, we will count upward while projecting which players will have the biggest roles on the 2023-24 season. This isn’t just a measurement of who will lead the team in any particular statistical category, but a series of educated guesses on which players’ contributions will go the longest way toward where the Buckeyes finish.
The series moves into the single digits today with first-year forward Devin Royal.
No. 9 – Devin Royal
Position: Forward
Eligibility: First year (three remaining)
Height/weight: 6 feet 6 / 220 pounds
Jersey number: 21
Major: Sport Industry
Background
The highest-rated recruit from Central Ohio since Pickerington North’s Jerome Hunter was No. 51 in the 2018 class, Royal arrived at Ohio State as the top prospect in the state, the No. 12 small forward in the country and the overall No. 52 national prospect according to 247Sports.com. ESPN ranked him the No. 9 power forward in the class.
As a junior, Royal averaged 19.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists and was named first-team all-state. In a 55-48 win against Centerville in the state title game, Royal led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and added four rebounds, two assists and a block.
Royal had publicly trimmed his list to nine schools on July 18: Alabama, Clemson, Marquette, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Penn State. From there, he cut it further to three finalists: the Crimson Tide, the Spartans and the Buckeyes. He took official visits to Ohio State and Michigan State during the spring.
Although he would fall just short of repeating as a state champion as a senior, Royal was named Ohio Mr. Basketball after averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 64.9% from the floor.
Need to know
Royal announced his commitment to Ohio State at a press conference inside room 115 of Pickerington Central while surrounded by family, classmates and teammates during the summer of 2022. His commitment was just a few days before fellow four-star prospect Scotty Middleton committed to Ohio State. As he chased a championship during his senior season, Royal was the subject of a local film documentary alongside Africentric’s Dailyn Swain, who signed to play with Xavier. Royal had to ask Evan Turner, the 2011 national player of the year whose jersey hangs in the rafters at Value City Arena, to wear his No. 21. In a photoshoot while on a visit to Ohio State, Royal wore No. 14. While at Pickerington Central, Royal played alongside current Ohio State defensive back Sonny Styles. Associate head coach Jake Diebler was his primary recruiter.
As a high school player, Royal participated in the Kingdom Summer League. He left Pickerington Central as the program’s all-time leading scorer, passing Jae’Sean Tate. Royal was named a Top 30 player at the 2022 Pangos Camp in Las Vegas and was named camp MVP by On3.com
Royal’s father, Daryl, was a running back for the University of Cincinnati and rushed for 1,471 yards and added 496 receiving yards from 1994-96.
2023-24 season outlook
There were a lot of things the Ohio State coaching staff liked about Royal as he was being recruited, but high on the list was his ability to score regardless of the level of competition he was facing. Be it an AAU game, an appearance at an elite camp or just an open gym setting, Royal’s talent would translate and allow him to enjoy success.
That is going to be tested anew this season as he steps into a rotation role on this Ohio State team. Unlike last year’s freshmen, Royal will have the benefit of not being thrust into a primary role from the very start as the likes of Jamison Battle, Evan Mahaffey and even Zed Key should be able to assume some of the production and minutes left behind by Justice Sueing and Brice Sensabaugh.
"Devin’s had some really good moments here of late," Holtmann said during the preseason. "He continues to get in better conditioning and better shape."
In a charity exhibition game against Dayton, Royal had 6 points on 2 of 3 shooting and pulled down three rebounds in 18:47. Asked what he'll take most from the experience, Royal said, "Just getting the jitters out for the first game. To feel they have trust in me to come out and do what I do is great. I really appreciate that from the coaches."
A season similar to what E.J. Liddell put together as a freshman (6.7 points, 3.8 rebounds while playing 16.6 minutes per game off the bench) feels reasonable for Royal, who figures to end the season on a high note with a significant role in the offing for his sophomore year. However short the rotation proves to be for Holtmann this season, Royal will be safely on the inside seeing regular playing time.
"Devin’s just a competitor," fifth-year graduate transfer forward Jamison Battle said. "Devin is someone who works his tail off just to get better and he’s always willing to learn. When you’re talking to him he’s always listening, he’s always trying to get better and that’s something I appreciate about him, working out with him in the summer. He’s very hard on himself because he knows how good he can be, and he sees it."
Royal has as good a chance as anyone on the roster to outplay his preseason ranking.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy
Additional reading
Ohio State's Devin Royal was center of attention as senior
Columbus filmmakers showcase Devin Royal, Dailyn Swain's senior seasons in documentary
Previous power rankings
No. 10: Taison Chatman
No. 11: Austin Parks
No. 12: Bowen Hardman
No. 13: Kalen Etzler
No. 14: Owen Spencer
No. 15: Colby Baumann
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State Buckeyes preseason power rankings: No. 9 Devin Royal
