Will Jared Sullinger Really Return to Ohio State?

Most hoops fans were somewhat surprised when Ohio State fell to Kentucky on Friday night, as the Buckeyes had looked like the best team in the tournament up to this point. But still, Kentucky has plenty of great talent, and by no means was it an “upset.”

However, there was a more surprising turn after the game was decided. The potential top pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Jared Sullinger, made the statement that he would return to Columbus for his sophomore season.

For those who missed it, here’s his exact words:

"I’m going to be an Ohio State Buckeye next year. This isn’t why I came here, to come in here and see my seniors in here crying. I came here to win a national championship. I’m a man of my word. That’s period, point blank. I’m coming back."

Say what?!

Like most people, I thought it was a forgone conclusion that Sullinger was on his way to the NBA…..and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, this completely changes the entire dynamic of the 2011 draft.

You can go two ways with this. First off, this wasn’t the first time that Sullinger expressed his desire to come back to school for another season. He’s said something to this effect before, and he certainly sounds like he strongly wants to return for another shot at a national championship.

On the other hand, you could say that following an unexpected loss like the one again Kentucky, he was bound to make a statement like this. We’ve seen college athletes do this before, and in the heat of the moment, make a declarative statement that turned out to not quite be the case once a little time had passed.

Considering what is at stake for Sullinger in the draft, it’s easy to believe that the latter is more likely to happen. Everyone will talk about the potential for injury and the fact that his stock will never be higher than it is right now.

We all remember what happened with Matt Leinart at USC, and how that turned out for him as he fell all the way to the tenth pick the following year, and is struggling to find a job in the NFL.

But, let’s not make it seem like that’s automatically going to happen to Sullinger if he decides to return to Ohio State. Sure, the risks are there. But injury concerns shouldn’t the primary factor in his decision to return or not. I mean, the guy could slip on a banana peel tomorrow and get injured. Injuries are a part of the game and a part of life.

You can’t blame a player for wanting to win a championship, and let’s be honest, he’s got a much better chance of doing that in Columbus than in Cleveland. That’s one thing that we do know for sure.

If he wants to come back and play in college, then I sincerely hope he gets the chance to do that. We all know there will be plenty of people telling him about all the opportunities that the NBA will give him, but if he wants to come back, then hopefully he’s the one that gets to make that choice.

The money in the NBA is great. And while the game is more-so a business now than it’s ever been, players still play because they love the game. Sullinger seems like the type of player that loves the college atmosphere, and would love to get a national title under his belt before bolting to the Association.

While being the top pick in the draft would be special, there’s nothing like winning a championship. And if that’s what Sullinger really wants, I hope he comes back and gets another shot at it.

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