Ohio State Basketball: DJ Carton Immediately Eligible in Transfer to Marquette

Carton left the Buckeyes last January, citing mental health concerns. Now he's eligible to play later this year closer to home.

© Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

DJ Carton won't have to sit out the 2020-2021 season after stepping away from the Ohio State program during the middle of last season. Marquette University has announced that Carton has been granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the NCAA on Wednesday. He has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Carton is from Bettendorf, Iowa and he'll now be significantly closer to home. His stint with the Buckeyes lasted only 20 games as a true freshman, but it wasn't for a lack of productivity. The 2019 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner was a regular for Coach Holtmann and helped lead the Buckeyes to a No. 1 national ranking.

Carton played 20 games for the scarlet and grey before announcing he was taking a temporary leave of absence from the team on January 30. He tweeted shortly thereafter that his mental health wasn't quite right and he needed some time away from basketball. He spent some time at home before returning to campus to take classes in mid-February, but he never officially returned to the team.

Thankfully, it appears Carton is in a better place mentally and ready to move forward on his journey.

BREAKING: The NCAA has granted @DJCarton a waiver and he is immediately eligible to play for #mubb in 2020-21 after transferring from Ohio State. Averaged 10.4 ppg. in 20 appearances last season and has three years of eligibility with MU. pic.twitter.com/cPYlZ7rI6Y

— Marquette Basketball (@MarquetteMBB) June 17, 2020

Carton finished the season as Ohio State's third-leading scorer at 10.4 points per game, while averaging 3.0 assists per game in nearly 24 minutes each night.

Carton's departure isn't a surprise to the Buckeyes, as he officially entered the transfer portal on March 19. However, the news of his immediate eligibility for the Golden Eagles coincides with today's announcement that freshman forward Alonzo Gaffney has been admitted to Northwest Florida Junior College. Luther Muhammad is a third Buckeye to transfer out this summer (Arizona State).

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