The Justice Sueing comeback tour continues for the Ohio State forward when the Buckeyes host Charleston Southern on Thursday.
Playing in his first game in almost a year, Sueing led the Buckeyes (1-0) with 20 points to go with three steals and two assists in their 91-53 win over Robert Morris in the season opener Monday.
Sueing missed all but two games last season due to an abdominal strain and had last played on Nov. 12, 2021. He put in 24 minutes vs. Robert Morris and declared himself fit for his next challenge against Charleston Southern (1-0).
“I’m ready to get right back into it,” he said.
It’s been a long journey for Sueing, who played two seasons for California then transferred to Ohio State and sat out the 2019-20 season, per the former NCAA rules. He averaged 10.7 points in 2020-21 before last season’s disappointment.
“It just finally felt comfortable to be out there healthy with these guys,” Sueing said. “We worked really hard over these past couple weeks, past couple months, really since the summertime to get here, so now that the season is actually here, we’re just going to keep taking it one day at a time.”
Charleston Southern defeated Toccoa Falls 83-52 on Monday behind the career-high 26 points from sophomore Claudell Harris Jr. Cheikh Faye added 14 points, hitting four 3-pointers.
The Buccaneers shot 38 percent from the floor and made just 8 of 34 from 3-point range but coach Barclay Radebaugh emphasized the positives.
“I thought defensively we were absolutely terrific,” he said. “To do the things we’re able to do defensively was a really good sign. The whole night would have felt differently if we had made some shots, but we didn’t.
“We have spent a lot of time on defense since the summer. We will score points. We will shoot better. But you don’t win our league if you are not a good defensive team.”
–Field Level Media