D. J. Carton
Desi Justice "D. J." Carton (born August 5, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the Marquette Golden Eagles of the Big East Conference. He previously played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
 Carton in January 2020 | |
| No. 21 – Marquette Golden Eagles | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Big East Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 5, 2000 Pineville, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bettendorf (Bettendorf, Iowa) |
| College |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
Growing up, Carton's family moved several times before settling in Geneseo, Illinois. He excelled at baseball and could throw 75 miles an hour by seventh grade. He also played running back on the football team, but a rotator cuff injury forced him to concentrate on basketball. Carton moved to Bettendorf, Iowa after eight grade and he attended Bettendorf High School, where he became a starter on the basketball team as a sophomore.[1] As a junior, he was a first-team all-state pick, averaging a school-record 26.3 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He scored 49 points against Davenport West High School during his senior season. Carton led the Bulldogs to a 21–2 season and the top of the Class 4A state rankings before they fell to Dubuque Senior High School in the state Sweet 16 despite 27 points from Carton.[2] As a senior, Carton averaged 24.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.[3] Carton finished his career as the all-time leading scorer with 1,198 points and was among the school's all-time leaders in rebounds (372) and assists (257).[4] He was named Co-Iowa Mr. Basketball in 2019, alongside Jake Hilmer. In AAU play, Carton competed for the Iowa Barnstormers before joining the Quad City Elite.[5]
Recruiting
Ranked the 34th best player in his class and a four-star recruit, Carton committed to Ohio State on July 14, 2018, over offers from Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Marquette and Xavier, among others.[6]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. J. Carton PG |
Bettendorf, IA | Bettendorf (IA) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 14, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 33 247Sports: 32 ESPN: 35 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Carton was named the Big Ten preseason freshman of the year, but Florida State transfer C. J. Walker started ahead of him at point guard to begin the season.[3] Carton scored a season-high 19 points on December 15, 2019, in a 84–71 loss to Minnesota.[7] On January 26, 2020, Carton scored 17 points and had three assists in a win over Northwestern. He decided to take a leave of absence from the team on January 30, citing mental health issues.[8] Carton averaged 10.4 points and 3.0 assists per game as a freshman, shooting 40% from 3-point range. Following the season, he opted to transfer from Ohio State.[9]
On April 15, 2020, Carton committed to continue his career at Marquette.[10] He was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.[11]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Ohio State | 20 | 3 | 23.9 | .477 | .400 | .759 | 2.8 | 3.0 | .7 | .4 | 10.4 |
Personal life
Carton was born in Pineville, North Carolina. Carton's mother Jennifer played volleyball at the University of Colorado. His father Desi Wilson played basketball and baseball at Fairleigh Dickinson University before being selected in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft by the Texas Rangers and enjoying a short career with the San Francisco Giants. His maternal grandfather Gene Meeker played basketball at the University of Iowa during the 1950s. Carton has not seen his father since the age of four. When his mother married Dale Carton, he changed his name from Desi Wilson to Carton.[1]
References
- Coss, Matt (December 1, 2018). "Bulldogs' Carton makes meteoric rise to stardom". Quad City Times. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- Helwagen, Steve (April 24, 2019). "A Class By Itself: Holtmann has high hopes for 2019 signee haul". 247 Sports. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- Doxsie, Don (March 19, 2019). "Bettendorf's Carton leaving Ohio State program". Quad City Times. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- Coss, Matt (March 12, 2019). "Carton, Hilmer share Mr. Basketball honor". Quad City Times. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- "Iowa all-state boys' basketball 2019: Jake Hilmer, DJ Carton named Mr. Basketball co-winners". The Gazette. March 12, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- Landis, Bill (July 14, 2018). "5-star point guard DJ Carton commits to Ohio State basketball: What it means for the Buckeyes". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- "Minnesota knocks off No. 3 Ohio State 84–71". ESPN. Associated Press. December 15, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- Borzello, Jeff (January 30, 2020). "Ohio State's D.J. Carton takes leave, cites mental health". ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Boone, Kyle (March 19, 2020). "Ohio State freshman D.J. Carton enters transfer portal after stepping away for mental health reasons". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Daniels, Evan (April 15, 2020). "OSU transfer DJ Carton commits to Marquette". 247Sports. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- Means, Stephen (June 17, 2020). "Former Ohio State basketball player D.J. Carton granted immediate eligibility at Marquette after transfer". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 17, 2020.