COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball’s head coach Chris Holtmann doesn’t expect freshman D.J. Carton to be in attendance when the Buckeyes travel to Iowa City to face Iowa Thursday night.
Carton’s hometown of Bettendorf, where he was a four-star recruit, is an hour from Iowa’s campus. The Hawkeyes were among his final schools for consideration before he picked Ohio State.
Carton has missed the past five games while dealing with personal matters that he credited to his mental health. Before his departure, he was averaging 10.4 points and 3.0 assists per game this season. The Buckeyes are 4-1 in his absence.
Carton is still enrolled at Ohio State, and announced on Instagram that he will be returning to campus on Friday, suggesting that he could be rejoining the team after it returns from Iowa. Nothing has been made official on Carton’s status for the rest of the season, but it is unlikely that he will play again.
“There’s a lot that has to happen before that’s even in the conversation, medically and in terms of overall health,” Holtmann said. “That’s not even a consideration. ... I’m hopeful that we can get him on a path toward improved health. That’s the only priority."
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