Ohio State fans only had a few months to get to know B.J. Mullens before he bolted Buckeye country for the NBA. Dallas Mavericks’ fans had even less time to enjoy the 7-footer.
The Mavs selected Mullens with the 24th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft and then dealt him to Oklahoma City for point guard Rodrigue Beaubois and a future second-round pick.
The Columbus product earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors during his lone collegiate season. Mullens was rated the top college recruit coming out of high school by Rivals.com and was a 2008 McDonald’s All-American.
Mullens joins a young Thunder roster filled with inexperienced talent, including 2007-2008 Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant.
Despite his lack of experience, Mullens’ physical tools placed him in the first round of many mock drafts. His size and athleticism provide him with a unique skill set among post players.
Mullens was the only OSU player entered in the draft. He’s the fifth Buckeye selected in the first round during the last three drafts, with Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daquean Cook in 2007 and Kosta Koufos in 2008.
