It wasn’t terribly unexpected, but now it appears to be certain.
Andy Katz of ESPN is reporting that Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger will leave the Buckeyes and enter his name into the NBA draft.
Ohio State has scheduled a press conference for 2p.m. today to announce the move.
Sullinger averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season for Ohio State, while being named a First Team All-American. The Buckeyes lost in the Final Four to Kansas, a game in which Sullinger struggled, going 5-for-19 from the floor for 13 points, which will prove to be his last game at the collegiate level.
He was originally expected to leave for the NBA draft last season, but an impending lockout kept him and some other lottery-worthy names in college for another season. Coming back for his sophomore year, Sullinger dropped a significant amount of weight and put up similar numbers as he did in his freshman season.
He is expected to be a Top 10 pick.
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_