Ohio State will be without the freshman featured as its sixth man against Illinois when it plays Iowa on the road Friday.
Guard Scotty Middleton, a key contributor off the bench at wing for the Buckeyes, is out with a minor lower-body injury. He's considered day-to-day per an Ohio State spokesperson.
Middleton averages 16.6 minutes per game, third-most among the Buckeyes' non-starters and most among their freshmen. He averages 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game this season, shooting 37.5% from three.
Middleton previously missed Ohio State's game against Penn State on Jan. 20, suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He returned for the Buckeyes' following contest at Nebraska.
Out of high school, Middleton was one of three composite top 60 recruits in Ohio State's 2023 recruiting class, which landed at No. 8 in the national team recruiting rankings.
Fellow freshman and forward Devin Royal could be a bigger option for the Buckeyes on the wing without Middleton, with guard Dale Bonner being another candidate to see an increase in minutes. It could also open the door for sophomore guard Bowen Hardman to get a bit more action.
Ohio State and Iowa tip-off from Iowa City at 7 p.m. on FS1.
