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On Thursday, Ohio State announced that redshirt-freshman forward Derek Funderburk has been suspended by new head coach Chris Holtmann for “failure to meet team expectations.” No further information was provided, however, the former four-star recruit was redshirted in his first year in Columbus, despite being the class’ highest rated prospect, according to 247 sports.
The native of Lakewood, OH spent his senior year of high school at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA. The 6’9, 205 pounder seems to be starting behind the eight-ball with his new head coach. With the Buckeyes’ roster rather thin at the moment, Funderburk had been expected to contribute in the front-court along with sophomore Micah Potter and incoming-freshman Kaleb Wesson.
At this point, it is unclear if Holtmann’s first act of discipline as the OSU coach is related to conditioning or a violation of team rules, but it will be an early indication as to how the coach will handle his new squad.