5-star basketball prospect D.J. Carton picks Ohio State over Michigan

Orion Sang | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Watch Iowa PG target D.J. Carton speed through the lane for a dunk Watch Iowa PG target D.J. Carton speed through the lane for a dunk.

John Beilein and the Michigan basketball team hoped to make a splash on the recruiting trail Saturday afternoon.

But 5-star point guard D.J. Carton, who was considering Indiana, Michigan and Ohio State, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Twitter around 3 p.m.

Had Carton picked the Wolverines, he would have become Beilein's second-highest ranked recruit during his U-M tenure.

“I am proud to announce I will be continuing my education and basketball career at The Ohio State University," Carton wrote on Twitter.

B U C K E Y E🔴 N A T I O N⚪️ pic.twitter.com/A8T26fA7W1 — DJ Carton (@DJCarton) July 14, 2018

Carton, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound prospect in the class of 2019, hails from Bettendorf, Iowa. According to the 247Sports Composite ranking, Carton is the nation’s No. 21 overall prospect, the No. 2 point guard in the nation and the best player from Iowa.

Carton’s recruitment was one of the most highly contested in the Midwest. His top six featured Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, Marquette and Xavier. Previously, he whittled his list down to the Wolverines, Hoosiers and Buckeyes, taking official visits to all three schools before making a decision.

More: How five-star point guard D.J. Carton projects in college

Carton has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the rankings this summer, thanks to his performance on the AAU circuit and at other events. Carton was invited to the Under-18 National Team Trials in June; he also participated at the NBPA Top 100 camp, where some considered him the best point guard in attendance.

Beilein and Michigan turned up their pursuit of Carton this spring. In April, Beilein used an in-home visit with Carton; he received an offer shortly after, having already unofficially visited Michigan last September.

Contact Orion Sang: osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!