Ohio State’s star-studded freshman class is now officially down one member for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said Monday that Rikki Harris, a five-star guard out of North Central High School in Indianapolis, will not play this season, and is going to redshirt in order to properly rehab from a shoulder injury.
“She’s not going to play this year,” McGuff said. “She’ll be out this year and redshirt for sure.”
Harris was the No. 6 point guard and No. 24 prospect overall in the 2019 class, but has dealt with a variety of injuries throughout her basketball career.
“I feel like whatever happens, I’ve been through the worst, I feel like nothing can get any worse than what it already has,” Harris told Buckeye Sports Bulletin ahead of this season. “I already know whatever happens, I can come back from it better.”
The five-star guard was wearing a shoulder sling for much of the year, but did not have it on while she was on the bench Saturday against Purdue, or in practice Monday.
“Making great progress, working really hard with her rehab,” McGuff said. “Trainers and doctors both say she’s on schedule and doing a great job.”
Harris will now have four more years of eligibility, and will come in a redshirt freshman next season. The Buckeyes currently have three commits for the 2020 class: three-star guard Anyssa Jones and three-star forward Gabby Hutcherson, both from local Westerville South High School, and five-star guard Kateri Poole from South Shore High School in New York.
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