Ohio State point guard signee DJ Carton was named Iowa's Gatorade Player of the Year on Friday.
Carton starred for Bettendorf High School in his home state of Iowa, 24.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, six assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 57 percent from the field. He is the only player in the history of the state to both score more than 2,000 points and accumulate at least 1,000 assists. Carton set single-season and career Iowa records for assists and steals. He had 2,332 career assists and 1,106 career steals.
Four-star forwards Alonzo Gaffney and E.J. Liddell combine with Carton to make up the top 2019 recruiting class in the Big Ten. All three are top-50 prospects.
Carton, a four-star prospect, is the No. 28 overall prospect in the country and the fourth-ranked point guard in his class. He, along with Florida State transfer C.J. Walker, will help replace C.J. Jackson after his graduation.
Ben Roderick, a 2019 target from Olentangy Liberty, was named Ohio's Gatorade Player of the Year. He averages 27.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Roderick powered his high school team into the regional final with a win on Thursday night. He, along with Ibrahima Diallo, is being evaluated by the Buckeyes and could be a late addition to the program's 2019 recruiting class.
