Scotty Middleton out for Penn State game because of suspension

COLUMBUS — Ohio State freshman forward Scotty Middleton won’t be playing Saturday afternoon against Penn State. Middleton has been suspended for a violation of team rules.

Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch was the first to report the news. Lettermen Row confirmed it.

Middleton has played the most of the Buckeyes’ four freshmen this season. He’s averaging 16.9 minutes, 4.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

“He’s done some good things on both ends,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said of Middleton Friday. “He’s shot the ball well and given us a lift on defense as well. So he’s obviously been the one that’s gotten the most consistent minutes of that group.”

Middleton was the third-highest rated prospect in the Buckeyes’ 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

The 6-foot-7, 190-pound Sunrise Christian Academy product made an immediate impression with his defensive flexibility. He can guard multiple positions, and Holtmann says it’s because of Middleton’s attention to detail.

“You can really trust his ability to follow the game plan and the scouting report to be committed on that end,” Holtmann said on his 97.1 The Fan radio show earlier this month. “And he’s got good length. But he cares defensively. And that’s why he’s played the most as a freshman.”

Middleton has primarily been 3-and-D wing for the Buckeyes — his 14 triples are tied for the fourth most on the team — but the thought was that he could morph into a bigger piece of the offense as the season wears on and as Ohio State searches for more scoring outside its three-headed attack of Bruce Thornton, Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr.

Middleton was the only Ohio State player to register a positive plus/minus at Indiana on Jan. 6. He was plus-four in the 71-65 defeat after shooting 4-of-4 from the field with nine points and one block in 18 minutes. He did, however, contribute to the Buckeyes’ turnover problem that night with a pair of giveaways.

Still, earlier this month, Holtmann called Middleton’s minutes in Bloomington “outstanding.” They were much needed, too, considering Middleton entered the night having shot 20.7% from the floor over the previous six contests.

“I thought in some of those games where he wasn’t efficient offensively, he was forcing the issue too much,” Holtmann explained on his radio show back then. “He was forcing his offense as opposed to just letting it happen, letting it come to you, play to your strengths. He’s got to continue to do that.”

Holtmann added at the time: “You just have to be patient, take the offense that’s there, be aggressive when it’s time and then compete on both ends. And he did that really well against Indiana.”

Middleton wasn’t as efficient in a 71-60 defeat to then-No. 15 Wisconsin the following week. He finished minus-four after shooting 2-of-5 from the field and missing both of his free throw attempts. That said, he didn’t turn the ball over, he logged an assist and, following a Felix Okpara block, he knocked down a crowd-roaring 3-pointer that capped an 8-0 second-half run.

Holtmann reiterated postgame that Middleton needs to strike the balance between being aggressive but also not forcing things.

“I do think when he does that,” Holtmann said, “there’s going to be opportunities for him to be another scorer that we need, for sure.”

Ohio State assistant coach Jack Owens noted a few days later: “Scotty, his energy level and his competitive fight — he’s willing to take on any challenge.”

But Middleton was “questionable” Monday at Michigan with an ankle injury. Although he played in the 73-65 loss, the first-year wing missed all three of his shots, including two 3-pointers, and split his two attempts at the line in his nine minutes of action.

His development trajectory will depend on his availability, and not just health-wise. The length of Middleton’s suspension is currently unspecified.