Ohio State forward Kyle Young facing appendix surgery

CLEVELAND – Ohio State junior forward Kyle Young is being evaluated for appendicitis and could have surgery as soon as Monday, the Dispatch has learned.

Sunday, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound Young started for No. 2 Ohio State against No. 22 West Virginia in what would be a 67-59 Mountaineers win despite throwing up immediately before the opening tip, coach Chris Holtmann said afterward. With the team staff keeping a close eye on what they thought was a touch of the flu, Young saw 22 minutes of playing time and finished with two points but a game-high 11 rebounds while playing in obvious discomfort.

“It was touch-and-go with him,” Holtmann said.

As Holtmann conducted his postgame news conference in the hallway outside the Ohio State locker room, Dr. Grant Jones, the team’s orthopedist, motioned to him and pointed to his midsection while discussing Young. While fielding a question about the game, Holtmann replied to Jones, “Is that right?” before briefly lowering his head and telling reporters that the doctors were checking on Young. You can watch the encounter at roughly the 4:40 mark of the postgame interview video attached to this story.

Shortly thereafter, Young’s family arrived.

No official announcement has been made, but Young was expected to return to Columbus for an admitting diagnosis of appendicitis. He is unlikely to play in Friday’s home game against Wisconsin, when the Buckeyes resume Big Ten play.

Young has started all 13 games for Ohio State this season and is averaging 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, with most of his production coming from effort plays, in 22.7 minutes of action.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy