Jason Singleton played a pivotal role in Ohio State men’s basketball’s remarkable 1998-99 season, helping lead the Buckeyes back to the NCAA Tournament after a seven-year absence and all the way to the Final Four. He was part of a standout roster that included Scoonie Penn, Michael Redd, George Reese, Ken Johnson, Brian Brown, Jon Sanderson, and Neshaun Coleman.
After his playing career, Singleton returned to Columbus and worked in the Ohio State athletic department before becoming the athletic director at Columbus Academy High School. His son, Jason Singleton Jr., is now emerging as one of the top basketball prospects in Ohio’s 2026 class.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Singleton Jr. was ranked No. 4 overall in the state by PrepHoopsOhio.com’s Michael Roth—trailing only Anthony Thompson (Western Reserve Academy), Marcus Johnson (Garfield Heights), and Alex Smith (Upper Arlington), all top prospects with Ohio State commitments. He was placed just ahead of TJ Crumble from Lutheran East, who also holds an offer from OSU. (Singleton Jr. has yet to receive a rating from 247Sports.
This past season, Singleton Jr. led Columbus Academy to an impressive 28-1 record, with the only loss coming in the Division V state title game against Lutheran East. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 steals per game under coach Jeff Warstler. His performance earned him Central Buckeye League Player of the Year honors, along with first-team all-district and third-team All-Ohio recognition.
In the state championship loss, Singleton Jr. gave a standout performance, scoring 27 points with nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals while playing all 32 minutes. He shot 9-of-19 from the field, hit 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and was 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. In the regional final against Columbus Ready, he contributed 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Currently, he plays for the Ohio Buckets 17U travel team, which finished 3-1 at the Buckeye Classic in Columbus, narrowly losing the title game to Alex Smith’s Midwest Basketball Club. The team competes on the Nike EYCL circuit, just below the elite Nike EYBL level.
Singleton Jr. is drawing interest from several college programs. He holds offers from Nebraska, Creighton, Ohio University, Detroit, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, and Yale. He also visited Ohio State for a game and remains in contact with head coach Jake Diebler’s staff. Purdue has shown interest as well.
We caught up with Singleton Jr. during a break at the Buckeye Classic for a Q&A and have included photos and video highlights of his recent performances.
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