Ohio State Guard Scotty Middleton Suspended vs. Penn State

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be shorthanded vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will not have a key player Saturday.

Ohio State will have to play without freshman guard Scotty Middleton against Penn State due to a violation of team rules, per a report from the Columbus Dispatch.

Middleton is averaging 4.7 points on 40 percent from 3-point land and 1.8 rebounds per game in just under 20 minutes. He has become a key scorer from beyond the arc, especially when the team starts building momentum.

The Wichita, Kansas, native averages the eighth most minutes per game and has contributed to a strong Buckeye backcourt consisting of sophomores Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. and senior Dale Bonner.

“That happens sometimes in situations with teams whether it’s injuries or suspensions or whatever,” Chris Holtmann said on his weekly radio appearance. “Scotty’s a good kid. For us, it’s about the next man being ready to step up in anybody’s absence.”

Middleton was a highly touted forward out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, where he was recruited as the No. 60 overall player and the No. 11 small forward out of high school, according to 247Sports.

The Buckeyes have gone on a three-game skid in Big Ten play and have struggled to finish games since the new year. 

Ohio State already lost to Penn State Dec. 9, 2023, when they blew an 18-point lead to the Nittany Lions and lost 83-80. The Buckeyes have also lost three in a row to Penn State.

The Buckeyes and Lions tipped off at noon today, streaming on Big Ten Network.