Sullinger turned down an opportunity to be the No.1 overall draft pick to return to school for his sophomore season.
Ohio State center Jared Sullinger could have been waiting on the sidelines with the rest of the NBA players had he entered the draft this past summer. But his decision to return to school for his sophomore season has been rewarded with a unanimous AP preseason All-American selection.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta, however, said Sullinger’s decision to return to the No.3 Buckeyes this past summer had nothing to do with the impending lockout.
"He knew what he was going to do from the time he got to Ohio State in the summer," Matta said. "When he told me he was coming back, I said, 'Are you sure? Let's talk about this.' I want what's best for our players. He said, 'No, there's no need to do it, I'm coming back.'"
The 6-foot-9 Sullinger is one of four sophomores on the preseason All-American team. North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, UConn’s Jeremy Lamb and Kentucky’s Terrence Jones join Wisconsin senior guard Jordan Taylor to round out the first team.
Sullinger was the only one to receive all 65 first team votes. North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was the last unanimous preseason All-American selection prior to the 2008-09 season.
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris
(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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