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SG JJ Sullinger (Official Thread)

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Sullinger doesnt get a DUI

Sullinger pleads guilty to reckless operation charge
Prosecution drops possible drunken-driving conviction





Ohio State basketball player J.J. Sullinger avoided a possible drunken-driving conviction yesterday when he pleaded guilty in Franklin County Municipal Court to reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

Sullinger, 22, of Columbus, was charged with drunken driving Sept. 4 after Columbus police observed him driving erratically and stopped him at 12:19 a.m. on I-71 north of Broad Street. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.099 percent by a breathalyzer test, according to a police report. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.08 percent.

Sullinger’s attorney, William R. Meeks, said the prosecutor’s office agreed to accept the plea to the reduced charge because there was probable cause to dispute the original charge based on Sullinger’s "superlative" performance in the field-sobriety test that was administered and videotaped by the arresting officer.

"There were no balance issues," Meeks said. "Because of that fact, we were pretty well convinced we would have to challenge the scientific believability of the (breathalyzer) machine."

Meeks said there also were different test results, 0.099 percent and 0.101 percent, on "two different pieces of paper . . . which was going to be yet another issue in the case."

Sullinger, who was fined $250 and placed on two years’ probation, admitted after the court proceeding that he had "a few drinks" with friends before he was stopped on the freeway for failing to signal before changing lanes.

"I just would like to say that I’m sorry," he said. "I made a mistake. I don’t advise anybody to drink and drive. I know there are little kids out there that look up to me and hopefully they don’t make the same mistake I made."

Meeks said Sullinger satisfactorily completed an alcohol assessment and counseling program administered by Ohio State after the arrest.

Sullinger, who has one season of eligibility remaining at Ohio State, said his punishment from coach Thad Matta was 5-mile runs beginning at 5 a.m. for 15 days last fall. He said he also wrote letters of apology to "people affiliated with the university and basketball team." "My dad told me you’re not judged by this, you’re judged by what you do after this," said Sullinger, who was accompanied to court by his mother, Barbara. "As long as I keep my nose clean and don’t make any more mistakes, I think I can get past this."
 
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Sullinger Sees Urgency As Senior Year Nears

scout.com (free)

10/26/05

Sullinger Sees Urgency As Senior Year Nears

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J.J. Sullinger

By Steve Helwagen
Managing Editor
Date: Oct 25, 2005

The OSU men's basketball team will look to senior co-captain J.J. Sullinger for leadership. Sullinger is back for his third season with the Buckeyes. The Thomas Worthington graduate played one year at Arkansas before transferring home to OSU. He discussed his goals for the season ahead.

J.J. Sullinger has played three full seasons of Division I college basketball spread over four seasons – one at Arkansas and the last two at Ohio State.


But nowhere in there has Sullinger enjoyed the Holy Grail of college basketball – an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

He and his OSU teammates were denied The Big Dance last winter as the school self-imposed a postseason ban. The Buckeyes ended the year 20-12 and, by all accounts, would have been somewhere in the NCAA’s field of 65 had they been eligible.

Now, the 6-5 Sullinger and three other OSU seniors are down to last one chance to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. They do not intend on missing that chance.

“There is definitely some urgency,” Sullinger said. “I think we’ve done a real good job of displaying that. We worked hard during the off-season. I know this is the best off-season I’ve had. I am really excited to keep working hard as the season approaches.”

Sullinger started all 32 games a year ago, averaging 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as OSU’s small forward.

“Our main concern now – and it is still kind of early – is we’re trying to be as good as we can be,” Sullinger said. “We want to be a better team every day.”

Sullinger is a product of Thomas Worthington High School on Columbus’ north side. He grew up as an OSU fan. But when then-coach Jim O’Brien wanted Sullinger to spend a year in a prep school, he opted instead to take an immediate scholarship offer from Arkansas and coach Nolan Richardson, who was acquainted with Sullinger’s father, Satch.

But when Richardson was fired after Sullinger’s freshman season, he almost immediately transferred home to Ohio State. O’Brien was able to find a scholarship slot for Sullinger. Of course, O’Brien was fired in June 2004 and was replaced by Thad Matta.

Matta stabilized the program and also worked hard to ensure its future. He figures to bring in one of the best – if not the best – recruiting class in the country next fall, led by national top overall prospect Greg Oden of Indianapolis. Sullinger – remember, he’s a lifelong OSU fan – is excited about the future of the program.

You have to forgive him, though, for also being a bit keyed up about the present.

“We’re thinking about this year,” Sullinger said. “I think everybody is thinking about this year. Any time you can get some recruits with such high status as those guys, they’re going to be excited. We understand that and we’re excited, too. I’m probably the most excited out of anybody.

“But I’m excited about this year as well. We are trying to work hard and get better. We want to lay down the foundation so when those guys do come, we can set the bar for them. We’re excited about this year as well as next year.”

Sullinger and his three classmates – Terence Dials, Je’Kel Foster and Matt Sylvester – have been selected by Matta as co-captains. Sullinger thinks their experience could give OSU an invaluable edge as it negotiates the tough Big Ten schedule.

“Coach Matta said he has never had a team with four seniors,” Sullinger said. “We have three fifth-year seniors on this team. We’ve got guys with a lot of experience. We’ve got a good group of guys. We’re excited. We have everything we need to be capable of doing well this season.”

Those four seniors are among just 10 scholarship players on this year’s OSU roster. But Sullinger said they are a tight group.

“We’re definitely a family,” he said. “We all work hard together and we relax. You can have 14 or 15 guys, but if two or three of them are on a different page I think that’s worse than having 10 guys or eight guys. We are a close knit group. All of us are on the same page. Our main concern is winning, no matter what it takes or no matter how it’s done. We’re willing to do anything we have to do.”

Sullinger said sophomore post player Matt Terwilliger, in particular, has taken some strides during the off-season.

“We’re trying to get better as a team and get better as individuals and just try to be the best team we can be,” Sullinger said. “Some of these guys don’t even look the same as last year. Matt Terwilliger is one. He looks like a totally different person.

“As a team, we want to be physical. We got outtoughed a couple of times last year. If we play together and do those things, we should have a good chance.”

Matta is glad to have a guy with Sullinger’s experience – he has played 91 games at the Division I level – in the backcourt.

“I’ve really seen James grow as a person in the time I’ve been with him,” Matta said. “He’s been a three-year starter in college and averaged 10 points across the board. You hope as he goes into his senior year he’s carrying kind of hatchet.”

In terms of having a hatchet, Matta said he did not mean he expects to see Sullinger committing fouls. He wants to see him use his tools to his fullest ability.

“I want all of our seniors to say, ‘The sand in the hourglass is slipping through,’ ” Matta said. “They need to say, ‘This is it and we can have a great senior year.’

“We need those guys to come out and lead. There aren’t many players in the country who can say they have seen more than these guys have seen. I hope they are ready and geared up to have a big season.”
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Sullinger at Power Forward

Interesting move by JJ and Matta.

Sullinger bulks up so he can play power forward
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
J.J. Sullinger

It sometimes seems like ancient history, obscured by recent mediocrity and turmoil in the Ohio State men’s basketball program. But every once in a while, video of the 1999 Final Four team is taken off the shelf in the Schottenstein Center and replayed.

"That was a special team," said J.J. Sullinger, who was 16 and a big fan.

It also was a team that had a 6-foot-5 senior, Jason Singleton, playing out of position at power forward. Surrounded by stars, Singleton did the little things unnoticed on the outside but not unappreciated on the inside.

Much like the job Sullinger, now a 6-5 senior himself, did last Sunday in Ohio State’s exhibition win over Findlay.

"He’s so strong on the glass," Findlay coach Ron Niekamp said after Sullinger had 10 points and 10 rebounds in an 83-53 OSU win. "He intimidates shots. Any time anyone tries to get in the gaps offensively, he’s there. He’s a real physical presence on the floor."

The comparison with Singleton came to mind when Sullinger moved to power forward early in the second half. The Buckeyes went to a smaller, quicker lineup, revved their defense and broke open the game.

"The luxury we have this year is we have different combinations because guys can come in in multiple spots," Sullinger said. "Putting me at the ‘four’ kind of provides us with a little bit of a quicker team."

It was one of 21 lineup combinations that coach Thad Matta tried. Five of the 10 Buckeyes played at least two positions; Ron Lewis and Je’Kel Foster played three. Matta said he plans to be mad scientist again today when the Buckeyes play their final exhibition game, against Ashland, at 2 p.m. in Value City Arena.

Matta, who loves versatile players and flexible lineups, was hamstrung in that pursuit last season because players were digesting a new system and some could not handle multiple positions. Lewis’ addition this season gives the Buckeyes another big wing guard and Matta more leeway to spot Sullinger at power forward, among other things.

Sullinger prepared in the off-season by gaining about 15 pounds, to 220, and pushing his bench press above 300 pounds.

"Playing the four’s a pretty tough position," he said. "Being 6-5, you’re always going to be going up against guys at least as big if not bigger than you are, so you definitely have to battle and hold your own."

Sullinger weighed 193 pounds and bench-pressed 220 when he transferred to Ohio State three years ago.

"I was a weakling," he said, smiling. "Terence (Dials) always teases me that I’m a natural big man stuck in a perimeter man’s body."

Sullinger has matured in other ways. Matta said he was the MVP last Sunday because of how hard he played. He has been the same way in practice, Matta added.

"The biggest difference is the small things have mattered more to him as we began this year than maybe (they did) before," Matta said. "Rebounding. Defending on the ball. Being in better help position (off the ball). Having a better understanding offensively of timing as opposed to just kind of playing and saying, ‘I’m just going to make plays off of my athleticism.’ Now he seems to be putting more purpose toward everything that he does."

Sullinger, a fifth-year senior, said such awareness comes with experience.

"I’ve seen both sides," he said. "I’ve seen when we weren’t doing so well and I saw last year when we did pretty good. There was a difference between the two.

"We need somebody that just does the small things. If that’s my calling, if that’s my duty, then I’m going to do it to the best of my ability."

[email protected]
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Well, its not suprising, it gets Sullinger in the paint area where he excels, he was the second leading rebounder a year ago and also enables Matta to get Lewis, Butler or Mays and Sylvester on the court at the same time...

I really don't know what this says about Ivan Harris and Twig....:(
 
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Sullinger looked to have a pretty beastly body last year. I cant wait to see how much bigger he has gotten and how much his stamina has increased. Looking at minutes played and point total, JJ is an impressive and key part of our team.
 
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Jason Singleton was probably the last chiseled athlete who did all the "little things" so well, putting the team above himself. And that kind of comarison ain't too bad if you ask me. It's been a lacking element since our run to the Final Four.
 
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