Thank You, Jared

This afternoon, Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger will end speculation regarding his future and announce that he is ending his career with the Buckeyes and will be entering the NBA Draft in June.

There was speculation that he might go pro after his freshman season, when he was awarded the B1G and National Freshman of the Year honors during a time when he set the OSU freshman scoring record. Many projected him to be a top 5 pick last season- however he returned to Ohio State to make another run at a National Title.

In addition, though, he struggled with some foot and back injuries early in the season and missed several games, including the first matchup against Kansas. It’s logicial, then, his desire to play professionally was partially strengthened by his concern for his long term health.

Sullinger helped Ohio State to a B1G Championship in both of his seasons in Columbus, and led this year’s team to a final four bearth.

Additional accolades during his time at OSU include-

• 2012 Preseason All-Big Ten (Coaches/Media
• 2012 Preseason Top 50 Wooden Award
• 2012 Preseason Naismith Award
• 2012 Preseason Player of the Year (Big Ten, CBSSports.com, USBWA)
• 2012 Preseason All-American (AP, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, Blue Ribbon, Basketball Times, USBWA, ESPN.com)
• 2011 Naismith Award Finalist
• 2011 Wooden Award Finalist
• 2011 Sporting News Freshman of the Year
• 2011 USBWA First Team All-America
• 2011 Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year
• 2011 Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 2011 Big Ten All-Tournament Team
• 2011 NABC District 7 First Team
• 2011 Big Ben Freshman of the Year
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 6, Dec. 13, Dec. 20, Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Jan. 31, Feb. 7)\
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 22, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Jan. 24)

An Columbus native, Jared was the Ohio Mr. Basketball twice prior to enrolling at Ohio State. His HS teammate, Michigan freshman Trey Burke, may be following him to the NBA in the near future.

One silver lining on this: This opens one additional roster spot for Thad Matta’s recruiting efforts… and OSU fans have been pretty blessed by the results of those efforts in the past. You’ve got to wonder how this will impact the decision of Tony Parker, who has OSU near the top of his list.

Jared- you are a true Buckeye legend. Godspeed in the next phase of your career, and thank you for sharing your journey with us.