According to a report filed by ESPN.com on Monday, Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger has been medically red flagged by NBA doctors. Sullinger was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, but now a potential back issue may be the sole reason why he free-falls out of the first round.
ESPN.com's report stated that a number of league doctors have looked over the medical report and have informed their respective teams that Sullinger's back issue may shorten his career; some have even gone as far to recommend that their teams do not select him in the first round.
When asked for comment, Sullinger's agent David Falk declined, while his father Satch downplayed the severity of his son's back issue.
Via ESPN.com:
"He had a bulging area that was due to his hamstring and quads being so tight," Satch Sullinger told ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz in a phone call Monday afternoon. "It pulled on his hip flexor and he's been taking care of it to loosen it. You can call it a red flag if you want. But it's tight hamstring and tight quads. He's been to doctors, he's doing yoga and deep tissue massage. The flexibility is helping take the pressure off the area.
"We've got nothing to hide. At this stage it's all about what they can't do. Jared is a skilled player. A two-time All-American. He can play."
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