by Alex Schwartz

Jared Sullinger is one of America's best big men in the class of 2010, and that's saying something, as the rising juniors feature a number of talented bigs including Josh Smith and Jeremy Tyler. Standing about 6'8, Sullinger is an imposing player on the court with his big frame. Jared is all about Ohio, as he is from the Buckeye State, runs with All Ohio Red for AAU ball, and has committed to the Ohio St. Buckeyes. The All Ohio Red U-16 is widely considered the premiere the best team in that age group in the country and for good reason. Featuring Sullinger, Adrien Payne '10, Dayton-commit Juwan Staten '10, Jordan Sibert '10, and Aaron Craft '10, the squad is seemingly too good to be true. I had the opportunity to catch up with Sullinger at the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando, Florida after his team won a game by forfeit, and then got the chance to see his squad player later on against Team Florida and get a 62-51 win.

NB: What went into your college decision?
JS: What made it was [that] my brother played there, it’s close to home, and the coaching staff. [Head] Coach [Thad] Matta made it really easy for me to just commit the day he offered me [a scholarship]?

NB: Were you always planning on committing at . . . a younger age, or was it the kind of thing where it just . . . felt right at the time?
JS: When it came to Coach Matta, and the coaching staff, and also being in the backdoor of my house, it was a most definite ‘yes.’

NB: What do you think is too young of an age for a player to commit? Do you guys who are committing as freshman or eighth graders [as being] . . . too young, or do you just think whenever you’re ready you’re ready?
JS: I think when you want to go to a school and when you’re ready to do it, do it because . . . they might . . . have a B or C choice and possibly . . . they just stop looking at you and they take that offer back and go to somebody else because you have so many schools on you. So, I think wherever you want to go, just do it, just do it.

NB: What do you think about Trae Golden’s . . . de-commitment [from Ohio St.]? Do you know anything about that.
JS: [Pause] No comment, no comment. . . . I’m not saying ‘no comment’ as in, . . . I’ve got something rude to say. That’s my boy, I talk to him almost every day. About that, that’s kind of . . . hard to discuss because I don’t know the full story, nobody knows the full story except for Trae Golden.

NB: What [do you think] about DeShaun Thomas’ . . . on-again off-again relationship with the Buckeyes and his commitment status?
JS: Actually, . . . the off-and-on, off-and-on, off-and-on is really not the problem, it’s really not because he knows where he wants to go and he’s going off-and-on because his family wants him to re-open [his recruitment], but . . . if he wants to go to the school they [are] going to let him go, but according to DeShaun, his commitment is stronger than ever. He’s not even thinking about going nowhere else.

NB: How strong is your commitment?
JS: Strong, I’m not leaving unless Coach Matta leaves.

NB: What were some of the other schools that you were thinking about?
JS: Florida, my favorite was UConn at the time, Oklahoma, Missouri, Michigan, Michigan St., I had . . . a collection of schools. It was nice.

NB: Are you the best player in your class?
JS: Am I? [Pause] I’m not going to say I am because that’s cocky, but I’m going to say I’m one of the best.

NB: There’s been a lot of talk this summer about you, Tristan Thompson, Josh Smith, [and] guys like that, . . . big guys having big summers [in the class of 2010]. Do you ever read into any of that stuff and look at all that?
JS: I look at it almost every day because I talk to both of them because they play with my adidas Nations team. I talk to both of them and every time I talk to them, they say somebody else is better than them, so I don’t know, I don’t know.

NB: You guys here at All Ohio Red are [very good and] many people think you guys best U-16 team in the country. What does that mean to you?
JS: Something special because from day one with this team in ninth grade our goal was to win every tournament. . . . We didn’t, [we lost] in the King James against OBC [Ohio Basketball Club], but [it was the] same thing . . . this year, win every game. Unfortunately we lost to DC Assault by a buzzer beater, which is a great team. [I] . . . hold nothing against them, I’m not saying it was by [a] fluke, but they got us, but . . . with this collection of players we got to say ‘who’s the role man and who’s the go-to man?’ and as far we done, we [have] found everybody’s roles.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?
JS: Offensive rebounding.

NB: What’s the weakest point of your game?
JS: [Pause] [Playing in the] fourth quarter.

NB: Is that just stamina-wise?
JS: Yeah, fourth quarter.

NB: What are you trying to do to work on your stamina?
JS: Wind sprints, wind sprints, [and] jumping rope. It’s getting a little better here [and I have] dropped a couple pounds. Unfortunately I can’t [drop more]—but everybody keeps saying I’m slimmer—but . . . [for] some reason there’s something about the Sullingers . . . we can’t drop a couple pounds, just a couple.

NB: What current NBA pr NCAA player would you compare your game to?
JS: [The] NBA player [would be] Andrew Bynum. . . . [The] college player [Pause]—at the time it was Glen Davis—but somebody else [now]. I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you.

Sullinger is all about Ohio. It's clear that location was key in his decision to choose Ohio St. and that he truly loves being a Buckeye. Jared is a great talent and is superb in the post. The big man has the capability to be a special player down the road. I mean that figuratively, but it's also somewhat literal, as he is not going very far after he is done with his high school career. Who knows, maybe he will make the NBA and end up with the Cavaliers. That's a bit further down the figurative road, but with Sullinger's talent it's a distinct possibility that the NBA could be in his future. This Ohio-bred big man will be making some noise over the next few years, and he will be doing it in the red and white of All Ohio Red and the Ohio St. Buckeyes.

Scouting Report on Jared Sullinger
Physically, Jared Sullinger is a beast. Although he is only about 6'8, he looks much bigger due to his overall size and large frame. He also has big hands and long arms. Sullinger is strong, and utilizes his size and strength to his advantage, as he is powerful in the post and uses his body well. Jared is a true banger down low, as he plays such a physical game. The rising junior does have to lose some weight. This will not only be good for him physically, but it will help him to keep up with the play. Sullinger lags behind getting back on defense sometimes and even getting upcourt for offense at times. In addition, he is not particularly fast and can get lazy on the glass. These problems likely have something to do with his stamina, which would be improved if he shed a few pounds. Sullinger blocks shots well and is a quality rebounder on both ends of the floor. On offense, he can put the ball in the hoop from many angles. He doesn't shoot jumpers very much, as he is a true post player. The ability to step out and shoot the rock would be helpful to him, but he is just so dominant with the ball on the low blocks. Jared Sullinger is an old-school bruiser with a knack for putting the ball in the cup.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/.