Former Ohio State point guard D.J. Carton announced his decision to transfer to Marquette on Wednesday evening.
It’s official💙💛🦅 let’s go❗️❗️ pic.twitter.com/xHdDUZGqd5
— DJ Carton (@DJCarton) April 16, 2020
A former four-star prospect from Bettendorf, Iowa, Carton came to Columbus as the 34th-best prospect in the 2019 recruiting class and the Buckeyes’ highest-rated signee since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. He averaged 10.4 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 20 games as a freshman.
Carton scored a career-high 17 points in his final game at Ohio State, a 71-59 win over Northwestern on Jan. 26. But just four days later, he announced he’d be taking a leave of absence from the team in order to improve his mental health.
“I have been through a lot,” Carton said in a statement he posted to Twitter on Jan. 30. “I’m disappointed to say I’m not 100 percent right now. I am not doing my teammates justice if I don’t work on this now. I am doing everything in my power to strengthen my mental health. I will fight for my team and Buckeye Nation and I will come back stronger!”
Head coach Chris Holtmann did not put a timetable on Carton’s potential return, though it was always unlikely he’d do so during the 2019-20 season. He did return to in-person classes in late February, but then entered his name into the transfer portal on March 19.
Unless he receives a waiver, Carton will have to sit out the 2020-21 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining for the Golden Eagles, provided he uses a redshirt next year.
It’s worth noting Marquette — which is located in Milwaukee, Wisc. — is roughly three hours away from Carton’s hometown, while Columbus is a little over seven.
Carton’s announcement comes just 24 hours after his former teammate, Luther Muhammad, announced Arizona State as his own transfer destination.
