Former Ohio State Guard signs contract with Czech league team

A second Ohio State Buckeyes player has signed a contract with a professional team.

Just one month after former Buckeyes sharpshooter Jamison Battle signed with the Toronto Raptors in the NBA, Dale Bonner has also found a new home for himself.

Bonner has signed a contract with SK Slavia Prague of the Czech first division, as the team announced on X on Saturday morning.

The double transfer began his career at Fairmont State in Division II, where he spent two seasons and led the team in points, assists and steals. Bonner then made the Division I team and became a rotation player for Baylor under head coach Scott Drew – one season after they won the national title.

As a Bear, Bonner averaged just under four points in 60 games. While he wasn’t a standout offensive player, his most important contributions came on the other end of the court.

Especially in his only season at Ohio State as one of the team’s oldest players, Bonner took on the role of both leader and key perimeter defender. The Shaker Heights, Ohio native could advance from baseline to baseline and block the opposing team’s best guard.

Bonner delivered a great performance for the Buckeyes in the National Invitation Tournament, scoring a season-high 12 points against Virginia Tech, along with two steals and five rebounds.

The one-year-old Buckeye was part of a team that experienced many ups and downs, including letting former coach Chris Holtmann go in the middle of the season and then defeating then-No. 1 Purdue under Jake Diebler.

His new team should now hope to get the best out of Bonner, who should continue to play to his strengths in defense and offense.