Meechie Johnson spent his first two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes before transferring to the South Carolina Gamecocks, where he spent he past two seasons. He’s now back with the Buckeyes after transferring back to Ohio State this offseason, and it sounds like it wasn’t his decision to leave in the first place.
During a press conference this week, Meechie Johnson admitted that he did not want to leave Ohio State when he transferred away from Ohio State back in 2021, indicating that he was forced out by former head coach Chris Holtmann.
“The first time, it just wasn’t going how I wanted it to I guess,” Johnson said according to 247 Sports. “It was not ideally what I wanted. I did not want to leave. It wasn’t ultimately my decision to want to leave.”
After Holtmann was fired, Ohio State hired former assistant Jake Diebler to take over as the team’s new head coach. Diebler decided to bring Johnson back, and it sounds like Johnson is excited to return and play alongside point guard Bruce Thornton.
“To be able to come back, it was everything,” he said. “Like I said, I was able to come and play with a good guard. There are a lot of places I could have went around the country.
“But knowing Bruce and what he wanted for himself and for this team and for this program, where I’m from. I always wanted to get to a tournament, which I’ve done before here, but to go far it just everything made sense. We were able to get on the same page with Coach and we feel like he has put together a good roster for us to go far.
“But like I said, that was then and this is now. I’m just excited for what’s ahead.”
Things may not have worked out the first time for Thornton at Ohio State, but it sounds like he’s excited about his return.
