Our Honor Defend

Ohio State fielded a very good shooty hoops team that won the Big Ten regular season crown and the conference tournament.  While a special team was not able to make it out of regionals and prepare for basketball in Indianapolis this weekend, local Buckeye fans who had their curiosity piqued by the shooty hoops team were able to get a glimpse of the future at the Value City Funeral Parlor.  The McDonald’s All-American game — the premier high school all-star exhibition game — was hosted last night in Columbus.  “Super Six” Buckeyes DeShaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger played for the East side and started.  While the East side lost by a late 3 from the West’s Brandon Knight, Jared Sullinger was awarded co-MVP honors for leading the East side with a game-high 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

The co-MVP honor is all the more remarkable considering Jared Sullinger was only probable to even play tonight.  In what appeared to be a possible bout with food poisoning, Sullinger was given fluids intravenously in order to prevent dehydration.  These types of games are always hard to read since it’s just not shooty hoops as it will be.  Rather, it’s a highlight reel of dunks, halfhearted defense and hilariously botched attempts at circus plays.  Still, the Buckeye fan can extrapolate that most performances by Jared Sullinger in Columbus next season will not be preceded by a stay in the hospital to protect against dehydration.  There’s plenty of reason to be interested in the upcoming 2010-11 season.

As co-MVP playing before a supportive hometown crowd, Jared Sullinger was obviously a big attraction for this game and was watched by recruiting gurus.  ESPN noted the following about Sullinger’s performance and how he projects at Ohio State.

Jared Sullinger will have no problems compensating for his lack of athletic ability
No one has ever doubted Sullinger’s skills. He has the best hands, feet and feel for the game of any player in this class and it’s not even close. At the college level, he has a chance to be an All-American from Day 1 at Ohio State. He’s not a great athlete but that’s the only thing that’s missing from his package. People fixate on Sullinger”s marginal athletic ability, but they shouldn’t. Most coaches would rather have a guy who can play than an athlete who is still developing. The common thought is that you can’t teach athleticism. Well, you’d have a hard time teaching a big man the kind of skills Sullinger possess. They’re plenty of productive guys in the pros — such as Kevin Love and Elton Brand (both former McDonald’s All-Americans) — who aren’t great athletes. Sullinger can play.

DeShaun Thomas, the other future Buckeye in the equation, started off the game as one of the main sources of offense for the East side.  Thomas’ particular problem was his jumpshot from three.  He missed all five attempts and, if I remember correctly, he airmailed his first one from the baseline early in the first half.  He finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

Further, Evan Turner was at this game, telling people that he was going to take another trip home and discuss the all-important question of staying/leaving with his mom before making a decision.  This is a bit of an elephant in the room, so obviously there will be more on this as it develops.