New Ohio State men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann has work to do to catch up on the recruiting trail being that he was hired in the middle of the summer evaluation period. But he made his presence felt with one his current players on Thursday.
Holtmann suspended freshman forward Derek Funderburk for what the program describes as a “failure to meet team expectations,” according to a press release sent by a team spokesman. The release did not specify the length of Funderburk's suspension, though the spokesman said that would be “determined internally.”
Ohio State officially introduced Holtmann as its 14th head coach on Monday at Value City Arena and announced his hire Friday. Holtmann also completed his staff this week, announcing the additions of Ryan Pedon, Terry Johnson and Mike Schrage earlier Thursday.
Funderburk redshirted the 2016-17 season, his first on campus, under former coach Thad Matta. A 4-star recruit from St. Edward's High School in Lakewood, Ohio, Funderburk played his senior season at Hargrave Military Academy.
Before Thursday, the last time the Ohio State men's basketball program suspended a player was in February 2015. Marc Loving missed three games that year, in what amassed to a two-week shelving.
