Michigan was a finalist for the five-star player.
Michigan was a finalist for a five-star point guard. Instead, D. J. Carton is heading to one of U-M’s biggest rivals.
Carton announced via Twitter Saturday that he has committed to Ohio State .
The Bettendorf, Iowa product is the No. 21 player in the 2019 class according to the 247sports.com composite rankings. Several days before committing, Carton announced he had narrowed his list of schools to three, but Michigan and Indiana lost this recruiting battle to the Buckeyes.
“I would like to thank all the coaches for taking time to recruit me and show interest in me,” Carton wrote.
Ohio State, in Chris Holtmann’s first season as head coach, went 25-9, including 15-3 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, lost in the second round to Gonzaga.
Michigan has offered scholarships to at least two other guards in the 2019 class, New York’s Joseph Girard III and Detroit’s Mark “Rocket” Watts, though neither are true point guards. Zavier Simpson, Michigan’s returning starter at the position, is a rising junior.
