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Agent Selection Scenarios: Ohio State Basketball

We are eight days into the month of March, which means that the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner.  Before the teams are selected for the Tournament, many schools will battle to earn an automatic berth by winning their respective conference championships.  With so much focus on NCAA Basketball, we figured that we would get in on the act by looking at some of the top teams in the country, analyze where their alum who play in the NBA ended up going for professional representation, and consider where this year’s draft prospects will wind up.  We will start this new feature with The Ohio State University.

  • Mike Conley, Jr. – BDA Sports (Mike Conley, Sr.). Averaging roughly 14 points per game for the Grizzlies.
  • Othello Hunter – David Lee Services (David Lee). Hunter is currently playing in the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy for Dinamo Basket Sassari.
  • Ron Lewis – Unknown – last listed with Jason Levien. Playing in the NBL (Czech Basketball League) for CEZ Basketball Nymburk.
  • B.J. Mullens – ASM Sports (Andy Miller). Currently on the Tulsa 66ers D-League roster.
  • Greg Oden – BDA Sports (Mike Conley, Sr.). Plagued by knee injuries.
  • Michael Redd – Kevin Poston. Expected to return from injury around March 21.
  • Kosta Koufos – Mark Termini Associates (Mark Termini)
  • Daequan Cook – BDA Sports (Mike Conley, Sr.). Getting limited playing time for the Thunder.
  • Evan Turner – FAME (David Falk).

Termini has some serious Cleveland, Ohio roots, having gone to law school at Cleveland State University and worked in the Cleveland Cavaliers front office.  He also represented Jim Jackson.  But Mike Conley, Sr. is the main around campus.  However, all three of his clients listed above were a part of the same draft class.  Oden and Cook were tight with his son, who he also represents.  Will Conley, Sr. once again try to get in with the OSU draft eligible players in 2011, or will Termini, Andy Miller, or some other agent get in on the action? David Falk has been very selective in his recruiting since coming back to the business.  If he goes after anyone at OSU this year, it will be Sullinger.

Jared Sullinger will likely be a top 5 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.  The Freshman is very likely to leave after this year.  William Buford is a talented shooting guard, but he still has one year left before graduation.  Will he leave early and select an agent?  Last, David Lighty, the senior shooting guard, has a good shot of being drafted, and could be selected in the upper half of the second round.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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