Ohio State's star freshman basketball player, Jared Sullinger, is the nephew of a former Iowa player

Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger is the college basketball freshman sensation of the season so far.

The young man brings averages of 17.6 points and 10.1 rebounds to OSU's game at Iowa Tuesday night. He had 19 and 9 in his Big Ten opener, an 85-67 win at Indiana last Friday.

Sullinger recently mourned the loss of an uncle, Harold Sullinger of Columbus. Harold died last month. He played basketball for Iowa, and lettered for the Hawkeyes in 1972 when he averaged 5.9 points per game.

From an AP story last month:

Jared Sullinger missed No. 2 Ohio State's shootaround earlier Thursday (Dec. 9) while he said goodbye to one of his favorite uncles at a funeral home.

He got in his shooting later.

Sullinger set an Ohio State freshman record with 40 points, leading the Buckeyes back from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat visiting IUPUI 75-64.

"I got to see my uncle for the last time," Sullinger said of the viewing for Harold Sullinger. "It was really tough. This game really does go to him."

Here is

a short obituary for Harold Sullinger, who died at 58.