Standout High school athletes face the tough decision to choose the right college to ensure that they keep growing in the right direction. Although most elite hoopers stay in the NCAA for just one year before declaring for the NBA Draft, that singular year can make or break their draft projections. Apart from the sports culture, athletes are also drawn by the party scene in different colleges. Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell also faced a similar decision after high school.
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As a five-star recruit, Russell was drawing plenty of interest from top-quality college programs. But he opted Ohio State University for very specific reasons.
On his The Backyard Podcast, DLo recalled why he chose Ohio State while golfing with Devin Booker. Russell told Booker that when he was in OSU, there was a popular phenomenon called “I’m Shmacked”(which D’Lo calls ‘Smacked’ repeatedly), where colleges showed a compilation video of their school’s party lifestyle to lure in athletes.
Booker remarked that these parties are the primary reason why an athlete visits different programs for a first-hand feel of the fun. But Russell revealed that he didn’t even visit Ohio State’s basketball program before making his decision.
In fact, he looked at their football program and loved the vibes there so much that it convinced him to commit to the program. The way the football team held itself inserted a lot of confidence in D’Lo about the Buckeyes’ culture.
Russell told Booker, “I ain’t take no visits.. I went to Ohio state football bro, after I seen that, I committed.”
At any rate, Russell was convinced that the Ohio Buckeyes was his desirable destination. He turned down the Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, and UNC Tar Heels for the Buckeyes. He’d carve out a prolific 2014-15 season with them.
D’Angelo Russell was a terrific NCAA player
Russell spent just one season with the Buckeyes but made a remarkable impression in the brief period. He flourished under head coach Thad Matta. Apart from being a reliable shooter, the left-handed athlete also showcased a prolific all-around game. He became the first Ohio State freshman to record a triple-double.
D’Lo put up an impressive 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 44.9% shooting from the floor and 41.9% from the three-point line. He garnered a lot of fame after a 28-point performance in the Overtime win against VCU that helped his team advance to the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.
Although they lost in the next round, Russell’s stock rose significantly. The 6’3” guard earned the 2015 Jerry West Award which is granted to the best college shooting guard in an NCAA season.
His ability to make both off-the-dribble and off-the-catch shots was perfect in the NBA. Therefore, the Lakers selected him with the second pick in the 2015 Draft. Since then, he has been one of the best lefty scorers in the league and has become a core part of the LeBron James-era Lakers.
