Harrison Barnes vs. Jared Sullinger: Who Will Be the Better NBA Player?

Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) and Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) will be two of the best players in the upcoming college basketball season.

Most media members and college hoops fans thought that both of these players were easily going to be Top Five lottery picks in this past summer's 2011 NBA Draft. 

They both decided to return to campus for their sophomore years, attempting to help bring their respective schools an NCAA Championship.

Barnes (6'8", 210 lbs) could be the most dynamic wing player in the nation.

Before he ever stepped on the court at the Smith Center at UNC, Barnes was selected as a 2010 Preseason All-American. He was the first freshman to ever receive this honor. The level of scrutiny and pressure that this decision created was unbelievable.

For his actual play during the 2010 season, Barnes was named Second Team All-ACC and the ACC Rookie of the Year.

Sullinger (6'9" 280) is one of the best bangers in the business, and was selected as the Big Ten Freshman Of the Year and the 2011 Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award winner. 

Before the 2011-12 college basketball season begins, let's go one step further: Which of these two will be the better NBA player?

Because they have completely different games and skills, it is hard to compare the two against each other...but we'll do it anyway.

Physical Tools

Both Barnes and Sullinger have great physical tools that help make them excellent players at their respective positions.

Barnes has outstanding size and length to play on the perimeter, and his agility and above-average wingspan help him guard either wing position.

While Barnes doesn't get a huge amount of steals, he is an exceptional one-on-one defender.

He has no problem shooting over practically anyone who guards him in college. The same will be true when he gets to the NBA.

Especially after shedding some pounds over the summer, Sullinger is working towards having a solid, NBA-ready body.

As funny as it sounds to say that someone who is 6'9" and weighs somewhere between 260-280 lbs is slightly undersized, this is true for Sullinger.

Projecting to the NBA, Sullinger is a little shorter than preferred.

But, he has the overall mass that will help him to bang down low.

Defensively in the NBA, Sullinger will be limited to guarding PFs. He lacks the mobility to guard an SF and gives away too many inches to consistently check centers.

Efficient Shooting

Both Barnes and Sullinger are good shooters.

Barnes has a sweet mid-range game that reminds me a lot of Paul Pierce.

He can nail pull-up jumpers off the dribble as good as anyone in the college game.

As a freshman, Barnes shot 42.3 percent from the field, including 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Sullinger, a classic back-to-the-basket post player, made 54.1 percent of his field goal attempts last season.

From the block or mid-post, Sullinger has an array of moves that help him get great looks.

From a shot efficiency standpoint, Sullinger scored 55 more points than Barnes did on 87 fewer shots.

Getting to the Line, Making Them Pay

Jared Sullinger is skilled at taking the ball to the hole with authority. He is very good when he gets the ball down low of making a drop step or spin move and getting the ball up in traffic.

Contact does not bother Sullinger at all. He draws lots of fouls, so he goes to the line frequently (about seven times per game).

When he gets to the line, he usually makes the other team pay because he hits 70.4 percent of his FTs.

Harrison Barnes shoots a slightly better percentage than Sullinger (75%), but because he mostly spots up or pulls up, doesn't go to the line very often—three times per game.

Because Barnes is so confident in his mid-range game, he seems to prefer that than to get to the rim and draw fouls. 

Consistent Scoring

Both Sullinger and Barnes were not one-man shows as freshmen. They both played on teams filled with other capable scorers, yet they both had high games of 40 points.

In terms of scoring average for their freshman seasons, Sullinger (17.2 ppg) and Barnes (15.7 ppg) were very close.

Sullinger scored in double figures in 34 of his 37 games, while Barnes put up double-digits in 30 of 37 games.

Most of the games that Barnes fell short of scoring at least 10 points were in November or December. After that, he got on track and was a consistent double-figure points guy.

Hitting the Boards

Even though their stats differ considerably, both Barnes and Sullinger are excellent rebounders for their positions.

Barnes' first year numbers were not eye-popping (5.8 rpg), but he also plays alongside John Henson and Tyler Zeller, one of the best rebounding tandems in college basketball.

There's only so many boards to go around, since Henson and Zeller pull down nearly 18 rebounds per game between the two of them.

Sullinger is very strong on the glass. He averaged 10.2 rebounds per game as a freshman, which was good enough for No. 19 among all players in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten.

Sullinger works hard to get position; he doesn't rely on his size and bulk to get boards.

Batman or Robin?

As good as both Barnes and Sullinger currently are, they each have areas of their game that need further work to round out their skills.

Barnes needs to become more aggressive about driving to the hole and finishing in traffic. When he adds more "slash" to his game, he will be even more of a dominant player.

Because Sullinger will play PF in the NBA, he will benefit greatly when he further develops a face-up game, allowing him to get off the block and force his opponents to defend against him away from the paint.

Suffice it to say...they both have huge upside.

They both play on squads that have multiple weapons, so they do not have to "do it all" on their college teams.

There is no doubt that they will be a featured player on whatever team is lucky enough to draft them.

Barnes Will Be the Better NBA Player

Jared Sullinger's college scoring and rebounding stats may be better again this season than Harrison Barnes' numbers.

Sullinger will be an excellent NBA player.

But Barnes will be the bigger Star at the next level.

His size and physical skills—especially at his position—will allow his game to translate better.

He will quickly become a featured player, a top-level scorer and tough defender on the perimeter.