Scotty Middleton entering transfer portal after one season at Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Ohio State freshman wing Scotty Middleton was the first member of the Buckeyes’ 2023 class to make an impression on the court this season. He’s also the first member of his class to hit the transfer portal.
Middleton put his name in the portal Monday and then put out a statement on social media.
“It has been an honor to suit up for Ohio State for this past season,” Middleton wrote. “I will cherish the memories and relationships I’ve built forever. I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and go through the NBA Draft process while maintaining my college eligibility.”
Middleton missed all three NIT games the Buckeyes played in. He was back home attending to a family matter during the first two rounds of the 32-team tournament and arrived back with the Buckeyes just ahead of their quarterfinal matchup versus Georgia, which he also didn’t participate in.
“He knows he has our support and the support of Ohio State and all the resources we have here that he may feel like he needs or doesn’t need,” head coach Jake Diebler said the day before the quarterfinal. “But we’ve come alongside him, and we’re supporting him.
“I think he’s doing well. He’s just processing some things.”
After making a good first impression in non-conference play, Middleton had a rough start to 2024. While Ohio State dropped 8-of-9 games from Jan. 6 to Feb. 6., Middleton missed two games. He didn’t play against Penn State on Jan. 20 — the Buckeyes’ lone win in that winter slump — because of his violation of team rules, and he didn’t play at Iowa on Feb. 2 because of an ankle injury. Middleton said he actually twisted both of his ankles this season, another obstacle to navigate in a season full of hardships.
In the seven games Middleton played during Ohio State’s month-long Big Ten slide, he wasn’t the 3-and-D contributor he proved to be at the beginning of the year. The Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas) product converted just 3-of-12 attempts from long range, plus he scored more than five points only once in that span.
By mid-February, seventh-year Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann — the man who signed Middleton as part of the Buckeyes’ 2023 recruiting class — was fired with six regular season games left.
Ohio State as a whole could have folded, and Middleton especially could have thrown in the towel. Instead, he continued to work.
Middleton averaged 4.4 points per game this season but 6.3 points per game after Diebler took over as head coach. During that eight-game span, Middleton shot a blistering 65% from beyond the arc. In other words, he converted 13-of-20 3-pointers.
He recorded four multi-make 3-point games in that run. To put that in perspective, Middleton had logged three such outings in his first 22 appearances for the Buckeyes.
Middleton also brought back the defensive intensity he delivered at the beginning of the season, serving as a catalyst for several Buckeyes transition buckets.
The 6-foot-7 wing will be taking his budding talents elsewhere, though.
Middleton is the second Ohio State player to enter the portal this offseason, joining sophomore guard Bowen Hardman.
