Ohio State's Kyle Young to miss Michigan game with concussion suffered against Purdue

INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State senior forward Kyle Young will miss today's Big Ten semifinal game against Michigan after suffering a concussion in Friday's win against Purdue, the program announced.

According to the release, Young has entered Ohio State medical protocols and will be evaluated daily. 

It's not the only significant injury absence that will affect the game. Michigan announced that senior Isaiah Livers, who who had 12 points and played 36 minutes in the first meeting between the teams, suffered a stress fracture in his right foot in Friday's win against Maryland.

Manning the paint against 6-10, 265-pound Purdue center Trevion Williams, the 6-8, 225-pound Young was called for a foul with 17:04 to play in the second half as the Boilermaker charged through the lane and drew contact. As the players untangled themselves, Young remained on the floor, holding his head with both hands before slowly getting back to his feet.

Young spoke briefly with the coaches, remained in the game for four more possessions – two on offense, where he had an assist, and two on defense – before being removed from the game with 15:38 to play as Ohio State called a timeout after Purdue had pulled within 53-43.

He would not return. This is his second concussion in less than three weeks. He suffered one in the final moments of Ohio State's game against Michigan on February 21 and would miss the team's game at Michigan State four days later before returning for the following game against Iowa on February 28. In the game against the Spartans, Young was replaced by Musa Jallow in the starting lineup.

“I’d like to look back and know the exact scenario right now,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said when asked after the game why Young remained in the lineup for four possessions after the blow from Williams. “In that moment, we pulled him initially out of an abundance of caution. He said he wanted to play and gave us the indication that he was OK. Perhaps looking back on it I could’ve pulled him and maybe should’ve done that, but in that moment I just looked and trusted what he said.”

After he went to the bench area, Young received nonstop attention from the Ohio State medical staff. He sat on his chair for a while before getting up and walking behind the cloth backdrop behind the bench risers that features the Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin logos. He remained back there for several minutes before briefly returning to the bench and then, towel over his head, heading to the locker room at about the midpoint of the second half.

Until that point, Young had been putting together a career performance. When he closed the first half with a corner three, it gave Ohio State a 49-31 lead and Young a few milestones. His 18 points had already tied a career high, and his 4-for-4 shooting performance from three-point range marked the first time he had made more than two in a single game.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy