Ohio State has secured a key piece for its 2026-27 roster, landing former Memphis and LSU guard Curtis Givens III out of the NCAA Transfer Portal on Thursday.The Memphis native is coming off a resurgent second season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game for the hometown Tigers. He shot 43% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc as well, knocking down 35 treys for Penny Hardaway and Co. Givens started 15 of the 25 games he appeared, missing nearly a month at the beginning of the season due to injury.
He finished the season as the team’s third-leading scorer and was second in assists behind senior guard Dug McDaniel. His assist percentage (16.6) was ranked in the top-20 in the American Athletic Conference for the year as well.It was a significant rebound from a tough first season at LSU, where he averaged 4.8 points per game but shot just 27% from the field and 25% from three. He opted to enter the portal after his lone year in Baton Rouge and found some home cooking back in Memphis.
But after a 13-19 finish, Hardaway’s coaching staff and roster were almost completely overturned ahead of what will be a pivotal year next season. The 6-foot-3 Givens, meanwhile, will be a major addition for the Buckeyes. Head coach Jake Diebler is replacing star guard Bruce Thornton, who averaged nearly 20 points per game while earning All-Big Ten honors last year. This developing story will be updated.