Meechie Johnson, a player for Ohio State, takes a leave of absence. Aaron Bradshaw is still out before the Kentucky game.

Kentucky’s Wildcats are off to a great start. They are 10-1 so far and only have a few non-conference games left. For example, they play the Ohio State Buckeyes this coming Saturday in Madison Square Garden.

As the CBS Sports Classic gets ready to start, it sounds like the Buckeyes might not have enough players for their game against the Cats on Saturday.

A spokesman for the team said that fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson has left the school. His return has not been scheduled.

Ohio State’s cycle is incomplete without Johnson. He plays the second-most minutes on this Buckeyes team and scores just over nine points per game. He has also caused a lot of trouble for Kentucky. For example, he scored 14 points in last year’s win over the Cats. Later, in the 2022–23 season, he scored 26 points in a win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena.

Aaron Bradshaw is still out for the Buckeyes, so the team might not have a known face to the BBN either. After not playing in five games in November, Bradshaw got back to team practices a little more than a week ago. Since he was trying to get back into game shape, you’d think he’d want to play this weekend against his old team in New York City, but he’s still not ready to go.

Wednesday, the Buckeyes easily beat Valparaiso 95–73, with junior forward Devin Royal scoring 31 points (11/16 shooting).

As Saturday night gets closer, there will be a few stories to keep an eye on.