Following a night where an Ohio State product was selected in the first round of the NBA draft for the second-consecutive season, another former Buckeye will get their chance to display their skills on the professional stage.
Former Ohio State forward Justice Sueing agreed to join the Oklahoma City Thunder’s summer league roster Friday, according to Draft Express Director of Scouting John Chepkevich.
The longest-tenured Buckeye on last year’s roster, Sueing transferred to Ohio State in 2019 after two seasons at California, where he combined to average 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.
Although he was forced to sit out the entire 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Sueing made an instant impact in his redshirt-junior campaign.
Starting in each of Ohio State’s 31 games in 2020-21, Sueing helped guide a talented Buckeyes roster to a 21-10 overall record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, using his two-way skillset to rank third on the team with 10.7 points a game along with a team-high 29 steals.
The forward’s contributions were best felt during the Buckeyes’ run to the 2021 Big Ten Tournament championship game. On a team consisting of current NBA players E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington Jr., Sueing made his impact felt throughout Ohio State’s four games, headlined by his 22-point, four-rebound performance in their 91-88 overtime championship game loss to Illinois.
Sueing’s successful redshirt-junior season was followed by a disappointing year marred with injuries. After producing 12 points and seven rebounds in the team’s first two games, the 6-foot-6 forward was forced to miss the rest of the season with an abdominal injury. The ailment continued to hamper Sueing in the offseason, preventing him from resuming basketball activities until the end of August.
Earning an extra year of eligibility due to his injury, Sueing returned to the Buckeyes in his sixth and final collegiate season. On a new-look Ohio State team that featured six freshmen and four transfers, Sueing emerged as a key leader in an inexperienced locker room, serving as a team captain for the second consecutive season.
On the court, the sixth-year forward quickly returned to his old form. In his first game played in 360 days, Sueing regained his rhythm, netting a team-high 20 points on 8-14 shooting to lead the Buckeyes to a 91-53 victory in their season opener against Robert Morris.
Sueing used his fast start to propel him to thrive in his fourth and final season with Ohio State. Amidst a difficult 16-19 campaign filled with inconsistent team play, Sueing found individual success, ranking second on the team with 12.3 points a game along with a third-best 5.2 rebounds a contest and 64 total assists.
The Honolulu native closed his career out in style, netting 10 or more points in the Buckeyes’ last seven games. Sueing also served as a driving force during the team’s unexpected four-game Big Ten Tournament run, producing clutch baskets in wins against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State while averaging just under 15 points a game.
After former teammate Brice Sensabaugh was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Thursday, Sueing now earns his opportunity to compete for a spot on an NBA roster.
Sueing will make his summer league debut on July 3 when the Thunder match up against Sensabaugh’s Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will begin at 9 p.m. and will be aired on NBA TV.
