Ohio represents a storied basketball program that has produced a handful of professional athletes all over the world. From Dave Jamerson to Jason Preston, Ohio has proved it can be a mid-major program that produces real professional talent.
Over the last couple of years, Ohio has had a handful of players land contracts in professional basketball leagues, including Jaylin Hunter, Dwight Wilson and Ben Vander Plas. The Post had a chance to talk to a couple of these players to check in on the overseas experience.
Here is what they had to say:
Jaylin Hunter
Ohio’s most recent professional graduate, Jaylin Hunter, has thrived in 2024-25, playing in the United Kingdom for the Leicester Riders.
Hunter played for Ohio from 2022-2024 where he recorded 895 points in two seasons. Hunter was Ohio’s leader during the 2023-24 season, averaging 14 points and five assists per game. In Leicester, Hunter has transferred that success, currently averaging 12 points and seven assists per game.
“One thing that's really important to me, and something that I got when I was at Ohio, is just being around good people,” Hunter said. “I think that's really important. It's good to have great basketball minds around, but also having good people.”
The adjustment can be tough for any player going from college basketball to overseas. Hunter admitted that sometimes being in the UK can be lonely and difficult.
“I would say it comes and goes; there are good days, and there are bad days, just like everybody else,” Hunter said. “It's taught me to enjoy being alone, finding out things that I like to do on my own time.”
One thing that’s helped Hunter is connecting with players he knew from the U.S.
“There's a player that my dad coached back when he was at Nebraska (Leslee Smith), back in 2014,” Hunter said. “When I was 14 years old, I remember going to his games and watching him play. He still has a successful career and is playing in this league now. So every time we played them, I make sure I go and talk to him.”
Hunter hasn’t only connected with players playing overseas; he keeps in contact with former teammates and coaches, especially current Ohio guard Shereef Mitchell.
“I just got off the phone with Reef probably a day or two ago,” Hunter said. “Me and him talk pretty often. We send TikToks to each other all day, so we've kept in contact. He's going through a lot of the same things I went through my senior year … staying in the moment, but still being ready and prepared for whatever's next for him.”
Hunter said there are highs and lows of playing overseas, but if you’re as passionate about basketball as he is, it’s all worth it.
Ben Vander Plas & Dwight Wilson
Ohio’s Ben Vander Plas and Dwight Wilson were once roommates in Athens and have now found themselves together again, playing in the same league but on different teams in Sweden.
Vander Plas and Wilson are among the most memorable players of the last 10 years of Ohio basketball. Each played a critical role in Ohio’s 2021 MAC Championship win and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Wilson spent two seasons as Ohio’s big man, tallying 1,000 points and rebounds in his collegiate career. Vander Plas spent four years as a go-to scorer with the Bobcats, tallying over 1,500 points during his time in Athens.
Both Wilson and Vander Plas shared similar stories of a struggle to adjust to overseas basketball. However, now that each has finished a couple of seasons, things have become admittedly easier.
Earlier this season, the former teammates and roommates had a special opportunity to face off with one another for the first time.
“It felt surreal, kind of like full circle,” Wilson said. “It was like we were wearing green jerseys the whole time. To me, I was overall just happy to see him. I was happy to see him and happy to see that he's doing well. It was nice, it felt like old times.”
For Vander Plas, who won the battle between him and his ex-roommate, the experience of playing against Wilson was equally surreal.
“(Dwight) is one of my best friends from back at OU,” Vander Plas said. “We were roommates for a couple of years. He's got a special place in my heart; he always will … After the game, we talked for a long time. It was really cool just to see someone that you grew with and you played with for so long, chasing their dream and meeting up with them across the world.”
For both Vander Plas and Wilson, getting back to America to play professional basketball in either the NBA or the G-League is the ultimate goal.
“I've been blessed to be able to make a living off of playing the game and support my family that way,” Wilson said. “It's the reason I started playing in the first place, and you know, as of right now, we're still trying to make it a reality.”
