Ohio State's Justice Sueing declares for NBA, will not pursue seventh college season

Justice Sueing has made a decision about his plans for life after Ohio State.

After four seasons with the Buckeyes, two of which were spent almost exclusively on the sidelines, the two-time team captain announced Wednesday evening that he would officially be putting his name into the NBA draft rather than pursue a final year of college basketball.

“My years at Ohio State have been filled with unforgettable moments and invaluable lessons that I will hold on to for the rest of my life,” he wrote in a graphic posted to his Twitter page. “I’m forever grateful for the friendships and bonds I’ve built with Coach (Chris) Holtmann, the staff, and my teammates. Scarlet and Gray will always be etched in my heart.”

After crediting God, his parents and family for their support, Sueing wrote that he’s “excited to announce that I am entering my name into the 2023 NBA Draft.”

The announcement provides clarity on where Sueing will be next season. Although he had one more year of eligibility remaining, Sueing participated in senior day and had made it clear throughout the year that the 2022-23 season would be his last with the Buckeyes.

In his return from a groin injury that robbed him of all but two games the year prior, Sueing was second on the team at 12.3 points per game and also averaged 5.2 rebounds in 35 games including 32 starts.

Thanks to the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility offered to all players who participated during the 2020-21 season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sueing was eligible for a seventh season of college basketball. The native of Honolulu, Hawaii, began his career with two seasons at California before transferring to Ohio State and sitting out a year to satisfy the NCAA transfer rules of the time.

He then played the 2020-21 season for Ohio State, averaging 10.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists but dealt with a groin injury late in the season that would linger longer than expected. He would play two games the following season before shutting it down, sitting out the remainder of the season and eventually receiving a medical redshirt.

That made him a sixth-year graduate forward for the Buckeyes, but there were no plans for him to return for a seventh. Ohio State signed a four-man freshman class for 2023 that, with no roster attrition, had the Buckeyes at maximum capacity for 2023-24 and clearly did not factor a potential Sueing return into the equation.

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In a sit-down interview with The Dispatch leading into senior day, Sueing said he wasn’t sure what was next for him after Ohio State and hinted that it might be life outside of basketball.

“I feel like God puts us through things to help us prepare for something that’s better to come,” he said in late February. “Even though this is some hardship, it’s been a lot of adversity we’ve been facing the last couple months, I feel like everyone on this team is going to be able to take some kind of lesson with them. Whether it helps them on the court or off the court or later in their career something with their family, it’s all meant for something.

“Myself, I can’t say what I think it’s going to do yet, but it’ll definitely be something that helps shape me into the player and person I’m going to be in the time to come.”

Now, that next step will officially be a career in basketball.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NBA draft, not seventh year, up next for Ohio State's Justice Sueing