Ohio State's starting center is back with the team.
Aaron Bradshaw has returned to team activities after missing the last five games while under investigation by the university for a domestic incident. Buckeye basketball coach Jake Diebler said the investigation has concluded and Bradshaw will begin working his way back to the court in his weekly radio appearance Monday on 97.1 the Fan.
"Aaron is back with our team after the university concluded its process," Diebler said. "Now, there's going to be a return-to-play aspect that we're going to have start evaluating right away and there's no firm timeline for what that looks like. But he will be back with our team. As far as anything regarding the process, we can't comment further on the university's process, but that's the latest update."
The domestic dispute occurred at Bradshaw's off-campus apartment, according to the Columbus Dispatch, though it is unclear what transpired. Ohio State released a statement before its game against Campbell on Nov. 22 that he was away from team activities while the university followed its "established process."
Prior to the investigation, Bradshaw started Ohio State’s first four games of the year at center, averaging 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. Power forward Sean Stewart took Bradshaw's place in the starting lineup at center while Devin Royal started at power forward and backup center Austin Parks saw increased use in the last five games. The Buckeyes are 3-2 in Bradshaw's absence, with wins over Campbell, Green Bay and Rutgers but losses to Pitt and Maryland.
Bradshaw will go through a "return-to-play" process, as Diebler indicated, before getting back on the floor. Ohio State plays its next game against No. 2 Auburn on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Atlanta, Georgia as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving, with ESPN2 set to broadcast the contest.
Correction: This story previously stated that Bradshaw has missed four games, but he has missed five.
