Last year, Jared Sullinger was coming off an outstanding freshman campaign at Ohio State. Had he declared for the NBA Draft at the time, he would have been facing a top 10 pick, perhaps even top 5.
But with the lockout looming, Sullinger chose to stay at Ohio State for another season, and led his team to the NAA Final Four before falling to Kansas.
The decision to stay took a turn for the worse, as it is now being reported that Sullinger will not be invited to New Jersey for the NBA Draft on Thursday. The top 10-15 players in the draft are traditionally on-hand for the NBA festivities, but Sullinger will not be one of them this season.
Last week it was reported that he had been red-flagged by NBA doctors, making his selection riskier. Popular belief is now that he will not be taken amongst the top 15 choices, and the NBA non-invitation is further proof of that.
FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico now believes that Sullinger will be selected in the low-20s by the Boston Celtics.
-Jeff Seemann
