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Darrion Williams, Ohio State’s top remaining transfer portal target, has officially withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and will return to college basketball for his senior season, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
Williams, a two-time All-Big 12 forward at Texas Tech who was projected to be a second-round draft selection in the 2025 NBA draft held this June, instantly becomes one of the top transfer portal prospects in the country after testing the NBA waters.
The Sacramento, Calif., native is coming off a first-team All-Big 12 season in which he averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from three. He was most effective in Texas Tech’s run to the Elite Eight this March, where he averaged 21.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in their four NCAA tournament games to earn an All-West Region team selection.
Williams, who is averaging 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game across his three-year career (one with Nevada in 2023-24, two with Texas Tech from 2023-25), now becomes offseason priority No. 1 for several notable Power Five teams, including the Jake Diebler-led Buckeyes. Multiple reports have suggested in previous weeks that Ohio State is in the mix for Williams, with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander stating on he and Gary Parrish’s “Eye On College Basketball” podcast that the Buckeyes are the favorite to land the forward.
“Ohio State is the school to watch there (for Williams),” Norlander said. “Though not a guarantee, they’re considered the favorites to get Darrion Williams.”
The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, however, reported that Kansas and NC State are “two of the leaders” to land him. Williams also didn’t rule out a potential return to Texas Tech when asked about it at the combine.
“Tech’s an option, for sure,” he said. “The biggest thing I want…is just to get better. Honestly, it’s my last eight, nine, 10 months in college, so it’s just development and trying to get me to another stage so that I can boost my stock a little bit and just be in a better position for the draft next year if I go back to college.”
BSB will have more on this developing story as news unfolds.
