Buckeyes Hoops Signee Devin Royal Wins Ohio Mr. Basketball

Devin Royal became the 12th Buckeyes basketball player to win the Ohio Mr. Basketball award in its 36-year history Wednesday.

Ohio State's had a pretty good track record in recent memory with Mr. Basketball award winners.

Jared Sullinger was Ohio's Mr. Basketball in 2009 and 2010, Deshaun Thomas won the award in Indiana in 2010, E.J. Liddell was a two-time Mr. Basketball in Illinois and Malaki Branham won it in his senior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School.

The Buckeyes currently have Florida's 2022 Mr. Basketball in forward Brice Sensabaugh, and they'll have the Buckeye State's 2023 winner in Devin Royal next season.

“It means a lot. I’m happy,” Royal said in a release. “I wish I’d have gotten it last year, too, but it’s good to have it. It was one of my goals for sure."

🏆 Congratulations @DevinRoyal7 on being named 2023 Ohio Mr. Basketball!

Devin becomes the 12th Ohio State Buckeye to win the award, the last being Malaki Branham in 2021.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/nH4g6iiBTO

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) March 15, 2023

It was announced Wednesday that Royal beat out four-star Indiana signee Gabe Cupps and Xavier signee Dailyn Swain from Columbus Africentric, as well as Jerry Easter II, Bede Lori, Darryn Peterson and Luke Skaldic.

Royal was a 2022 finalist for Ohio Mr. Basketball, but Cupps was last year's recipient, which Royal said in a release fueled him to win the award this year.

The four-star recruit said his main goal right now is winning back-to-back state titles.

“The biggest goal for me walking into this year was to win state back-to-back," Royal said in a release. "I will celebrate this, though. It’s an award I think I earned for all the work I put in.”

The 6-7, 210-pound power forward set Pickerington Central High School's scoring record last Thursday, breaking former Buckeyes forward Jae'Sean Tate's mark of 1,489 points.

Head coach Chris Holtmann said on his radio show Monday that Royal was "a major target for us from day one."

"Devin's kind of a multi-dimensional forward," Holtmann said Feb. 20. "Obviously people in Columbus, in our state know Devin Royal, what he can be and how exciting he is."

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