Marquette point guard D.J. Carton is eligible to play immediately next season after the NCAA granted him a waiver, the school announced on Wednesday.
Carton, one of the top transfers this spring, left Ohio State in mid-March and committed to the Golden Eagles a month later. Originally expected to sit out one season before having three years of eligibility, Carton could start immediately for Steve Wojciechowski's team in 2020-21.
The 6-foot-2 point guard was a former ESPN 100 recruit and played a key role for the Buckeyes during the first 20 games of the season. Carton averaged 10.4 points and 3.0 assists, capping his Ohio State career with 17 points and three assists in a win over Northwestern.
Carton took a leave of absence from Ohio State in late January, citing mental health, and missed the final 11 games of the season.
He should help Wojciechowski replace Markus Howard, a first-team All-American and the Big East's all-time leading scorer. Marquette also loses starters Sacar Anim and Brendan Bailey, but brings back Koby McEwen (9.5 PPG, 3.2 APG) and welcomes a top-20 recruiting class led by ESPN 100 prospects Dawson Garcia and Justin Lewis.