Jared Sullinger doesn’t seek the spotlight. But when you’re as good a player as the Ohio State freshman forward is, the spotlight finds you. Sullinger is on the shortlist of candidates for national player of the year, has a certain NBA future, but shakes it off. He has said he wants to return to the Buckeyes for his sophomore season. While that may change, this won’t: If Ohio State is to advance as far as most predict it will, he must continue to come up big. For a big man, Sullinger plays with a ballerina’s step. He’s nimble on the block, has a surprisingly high basketball IQ for a player so young and is uncannily consistent. He has 17 double-doubles this season and is unexpectedly efficient at stealing the ball. And he’s humble. Despite the accolades and attention, Sullinger has found a way to fade into the team concept and steer clear of distractions. That may be the most attractive attribute of all.
East Regional
Favorite: Ohio State
The Buckeyes are the power team in the tournament. Anchored by freshman Jared Sullinger in the post, the Buckeyes are as complete a team as there is in the tournament. They are a solid blend of youthful talent and upperclassman experience. Four players average double figures in scoring. The Buckeyes are arguably the best passing team in the country and can beat you inside or out — as a team they shoot more than 42 percent from 3-point range. And maybe most importantly, this season they are 6-1 in close games (games within 5 points or less).
Sleeper: Washington
The Huskies turned in a bit of an uneven season but rebounded to win the Pac-10 Tournament, which included a big victory over Arizona, the conference’s regular-season champ. Isaiah Thomas is a big-time little guard, capable of making the big play or hitting the big shot when the pressure is at its highest. Senior forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning combines with Thomas to give the Huskies a nice one-two punch. Bryan-Amaning provides the muscle, with averages of 15.5 points and 8.1 rebounds.
Upset alert
Marquette over Xavier. Xavier is a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament and is usually the team being picked to upset a higher seed. This time, however, Marquette is that team. The duo of Jimmy Butler and Darius Johnson- Odom puts up 31.9 points and can shoot well from 3-point range. Marquette has had a penchant for coming up with big wins during the regular season.
Bracket breakdown
This bracket is sneaky difficult, but Ohio State should see its way through to the Final Four. The bottom half of the bracket will be very interesting. North Carolina is the No. 2 seed, but while the Tar Heels got better as the season wore on, they also have looked vulnerable at times. Should UNC falter, it could open the door for teams like Washington, Xavier or Marquette to advance deep into the tournament.
