Jared Sullinger insists he's healthy again after suffering through a sore back and plantar fasciitis earlier in the season.

"Sometimes you take a step back when you're trying to get healthy," Sullinger said. "With my back problems -- I had a back problem, but I don't have it [any] more. I had plantar fasciitis at the beginning of the year, but now everything is starting to disappear and I'm moving forward.

"It was bothering me, but with me getting healthier and me being able to elevate a little bit more, that's big time."

Sullinger is averaging 20 points, 9.9 rebounds and shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 83.6 percent from the foul line over his last nine games.

"At the end of the day [Thad Matta] told me this team goes as I go and just play my game," Sullinger said on Feb. 28, the day before he scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over Northwestern. "As long as I play and show emotion and play with energy, this team should be where we were when we were beating teams by 15-plus points.”