StudCraft

[danwismar]

All of us 6 months ago..."yeah, Lighty, Sully, Buford, Diebler, blah, blah.. but who's going to play point guard?"

C'mon, Buckeye honks and hangers-on...you were worried about giving significant minutes at point guard to the little white freshman from Findlay, weren't you?

We heard he could defend a bit, and that he was smart and tough, but really, who in the hell expected this kind of showing? I sure didn't.

The on-ball defense is amazing. He had a ridiculous seven steals vs Iowa last week. After the ball-handling and distribution, plus the defense, any points he scores are a bonus.

All in all, it's pretty amazing that Matta has them 20-0 and No. 1, with 3 freshmen in the top 8 rotation. Lighty and Buford had everything go wrong for them vs Illinois...like 5 for 22 combined...and the frosh stepped up huge.

Career game for Sullinger...forget the 40 he got against some weak sister in December. This was a coming out game for him.

[motherscratcher]

Read Doug Lesmer's article on him the other day. Sounds like he's a Buckeye because Sullinger pulled for him HARD and we were able to rip him from the Vols. Great story on the kid. Plays D like champ.

[swerb]

Kid has been great. And he's a lock to stay all four years! Love watching him play.

[peeker643]

And he's a lock to stay all four years!

Still 5 years less than Lighty.


I kid about that but it's unbelievably fortunate to have a guy like that on this team. Guy's a 'glue guy' in every sense of the word.

[motherscratcher]

And he's a lock to stay all four years!

Still 5 years less than Lighty.


I kid about that but it's unbelievably fortunate to have a guy like that on this team. Guy's a 'glue guy' in every sense of the word.

It's crazy. Lighty came to tOSU with Greg Oden. Since then Greg Oden was the first pick in the NBA draft and his NBA career very well may be over (I hope not).

Meanwhile, David Lighty is STILL at Ohio State.

[noles1]

Classic case of the recruiting "experts" completely missing on how talented this kid was.

He's the real deal when it comes to PG's. Going to be fun to watch over the next few years. Said it when they won at Florida, this might be the most entertaining and best team we have had under Matta. Without Erving on Duke, we might be the favorite in this whole damn thing right now.

If memory serves me right, this kid won a state title at QB for Liberty Benton too. A legitimate talent.

[danwismar]

Starting quarterback AND class valedictorian in high school. How often does that happen?

[peeker643]

Starting quarterback AND class valedictorian in high school. How often does that happen?

I bet that the media guides at Ivy League schools are full of those stories while at Pitt it's quite rare

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Someone here called him a "pitbull on defense" in an article, perfect fuckin description. He's a solid game manager as a frosh, I have no complaints the kid has been aces.

This team is a great mash up of youth and experience. My only concern is some of the minutes, the Iowa game was a good example. 7 man rotation is kinda odd given they have decent depth.

[gotribe31]

I love everything about the kid. Takes smart shots, can get to the rim, makes the right passes and is a lockdown defender on defense. I have been really enjoying the Aaron Craft experience for some time now.

Sulli is an animal. Love watching him play. Do we think he's one and done?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Do we think he's one and done?

If there's no NBA lockout, then yes.

I hope the NBA locks out for the next 3 years, so I can watch this team run off a couple National Titles.

He's gonna be a beast in the NBA too.

[danwismar]

Do we think he's one and done?

Got no insight whatsoever, but it's hard to turn down lottery pick money. I've got to believe it will depend a lot on what happens in the NCAA tournament...and of course what happens with the NBA labor situation.

Pretty inconsiderate of these guys to refuse to put off becoming multi-millionaires so that my friends and I can watch them beat up on college kids for one or two or three more years. Pricks.

[peeker643]

Do we think he's one and done?

Got no insight whatsoever, but it's hard to turn down lottery pick money. I've got to believe it will depend a lot on what happens in the NCAA tournament...and of course what happens with the NBA labor situation.

Pretty inconsiderate of these guys to refuse to put off becoming multi-millionaires so that my friends and I can watch them beat up on college kids for one or two or three more years. Pricks.

What I wanna know is if Sullinger has the physical potential to get taller. If he's done growing I'd rather have Terrence Jones from Kentucky because his game is more well rounded and I think Sullinger is a man amongst boys (which ends obviously when he's playing against more guys his size or bigger).

But if Sullinger has legit 6'10" or bigger height left in those growth plates then he'd be my guy if I was going big in the top 5.

[e0y2e3]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

The fact that Sullinger is getting some top 5 consideration shows how awful this draft is.

Uhg.

Kevin Love, who everyone and their mother wants to comp him to is two inches taller, BTW.

[gotribe31]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

The fact that Sullinger is getting some top 5 consideration shows how awful this draft is.

Uhg.

Kevin Love, who everyone and their mother wants to comp him to is two inches taller, BTW.

Agree, which is why I'm hoping he sticks around another year. There's no doubt he is talented and knows how to maximize his frame, but there aren't many 6'8" guys playing the 4 in the NBA.

He would, of course, be far and away the best Cleveland Cavalier this (or likely next)season.

[peeker643]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

The fact that Sullinger is getting some top 5 consideration shows how awful this draft is.

Uhg.

Kevin Love, who everyone and their mother wants to comp him to is two inches taller, BTW.

Can he be Paul Millsap one day? Is that top end if he gets no taller?

That's what scares me about a 6'8 guy who uses his ass to make his way to the basket in college and doesn't have an all around game.

Is Irving still the clear cut #1? Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Sullinger and Irving first four?

[e0y2e3]

Jones, Irving, Jones, Kanter, Walker, Sullinger and Valanciunas are pretty much getting all the love right now.

The death of Barnes (still a top 10 prospect) as the next Kobe and Irving's foot has really effed all this up.

Sullinger would be a fool to not come out.

And yeah, Milsap as a ceiling is real.

Other undersized top 10 picks - Horford and Love - both are AWESOME and both are two inches taller.

[e0y2e3]

Oh and all summer draft express was raving about Sullinger's ability to hit the mid range jumper. If he shows that as a legit part of his game at some point he becomes less scary.

Still should never be top 5.

[danwismar]

The other thing to think about is that Sullinger is so fundamentally sound right now, you wonder how much better he can get. He's not the greatest athlete out there. Maybe this is all there is.

This is pretty damn good...but a kid like Jones is a beast waiting to be coached up. But that's risky too, in its own way.

[e0y2e3]

Absolutely Dan.

As someone who has admittedly watched Sullinger like three times this year I can't speak nearly as well as you on him.

That sweet jumper he showed off all summer at camps and workouts, does it ever come out or was it just as meaningful as Yi and his famous chair workouts?

BTW: I still think if Irving's foot heals in time for workouts and he declares he ends up going #1, kid was just unreal pre injury.

[neoleo]

That sweet jumper he showed off all summer at camps and workouts, does it ever come out or was it just as meaningful as Yi and his famous chair workouts?

He rarely pulls it out because he's surrounded by four outside players for 35 minutes a game, but when he shoots it, it looks good.

I saw him play in high school a few times when he actually shot the jumper. He has good touch.

He's still undersized for the NBA, but I think he's a lot more well rounded then he has shown in Matta's system so far this year.

[noles1]

I want to see more but I am beginning to form an opinion on Jared that is contrary to some thoughts around here.

Additionally, I was very impressed with Johnson last night.

[skatingtripods]

Aaron Craft's best performance of the year might be this:

[statmasta]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

The fact that Sullinger is getting some top 5 consideration shows how awful this draft is.

Uhg.

Kevin Love, who everyone and their mother wants to comp him to is two inches taller, BTW.

A 6'8" guy? You mean a 6'8" power forward. LeBron was 6'8" when he came out, and obviously that wasn't dumb.

[motherscratcher]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

The fact that Sullinger is getting some top 5 consideration shows how awful this draft is.

Uhg.

Kevin Love, who everyone and their mother wants to comp him to is two inches taller, BTW.

A 6'8" guy? You mean a 6'8" power forward. LeBron was 6'8" when he came out, and obviously that wasn't dumb.

LeBron doesn't play in the post. (Well, unless everyone else on his team is hurt.)

Are you saying they should draft Sullinger in the top 5 and then put him at the 3, where he doesn't play, because he's the same height as LeBron? That seems like a bad idea to me.

[danwismar]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

Not to split hairs, but Sully is listed at 6'9", and he's what...19?

Besides, the statement is way too categorical. Charles Barkley was 6'4" playing the 4 in a league of guys 4 or 5 inches taller on average.

If Sully's not worthy of being drafted top five, it's not because he's too short.

The TV broadcasters the other night said he has said he'd like to play two years. I hadn't heard that before, and don't know how credible the report is...but it's encouraging.

[e0y2e3]

Charles Barkley is the exception, not the rule.

Sullinger measured in at all the camps last summer a touch over 6'8", now if the 6'9" is an inch he grew then good for him but I'm willing to bet it's your standard college exaggeration in the program.

Guys 6'8" have to be unparalleled talents to reach an all pro level playing in the post. They have to be hall of fame level freaks (like the 6'6" Barkley). Right now there is one guy in the league 6'8" tall that can put up numbers (Milsap).

Short guys who only play in the post, have weight concerns and haven't shown a perimeter game are big big big concerns. 6'8" should be enough to keep him out of the top five alone, but the other stuff does as well.

Not trying to insult the guy, love him as a college player, but this is the big leagues and height is height. Glad you pointed out the one freak to succeed at a HOF level in the "recent" NBA while being a post playing midget.

[jb]

You would have to be a complete and utter moron to draft a 6'8" guy in the top five.

Not to split hairs, but Sully is listed at 6'9", and he's what...19?

Besides, the statement is way too categorical. Charles Barkley was 6'4" playing the 4 in a league of guys 4 or 5 inches taller on average.

If Sully's not worthy of being drafted top five, it's not because he's too short.

The TV broadcasters the other night said he has said he'd like to play two years. I hadn't heard that before, and don't know how credible the report is...but it's encouraging.

No Dan, ignore your eyes. Show bias against a kid who took coaching at a non-basketball factory run of the mill public school program and actually shows something 99% of NBA big men can't seem to learn: an old school back to the basket bona fide low post on-the-blocks game. Doesn't matter.


He's one inch under 6'10" at age 19. Flush him.

PS - Craft is the shit. Thank GOD IU ran Coach Knight years ago else huys like he and Diebler would likely be across the border.

[danwismar]

...a kid who took coaching at a non-basketball factory run of the mill public school program and actually shows something 99% of NBA big men can't seem to learn: an old school back to the basket bona fide low post on-the-blocks game.

Exactly. The kid showed better low post moves in his first college game than ever shown in the college careers of Oden, Koufos and Mullens...first-rounders all.

[dmiles]

e0 since you are in the know or probably follow this stuff a little closer is the height exaggeration strictly a college thing? Meaning Love is listed at 6'10" is his 6'10" legit compared to Sullinger's 6'9"?

What is Boozer's actual height and does anyone think that is a more appropriate comparison?

[e0y2e3]

Boozer is just a tad under 6'10" and Love is really 6'10, as once players have the predraft heights out there people "know' how tall they are.

Boozer is a good comp on some levels, but Boozer makes his money at the pro level because of his mid-range game and his insane physique. Sullinger has been a fat kid forever and is just sort of in shape now. If he can show a mid-range game like Boozers as well as get in shape like Booz I am down for him as a prospect.

That said, I'm not saying that he is going to suck in the pros at all I am just saying that he should not be a top five pick. If the Cavs were picking somewhere between 7-12 I would be going nuts over them grabbing him. I just think if you are at the top of the draft you have to shoot for the moon and the stars, not hope that someone grows, gets faster or shows a nasty mid-range game.

He's not a poo-poo pro prospect, just lacks the potential to deserve an elite draft spot.