Report: Greg Oden to OSU

Discussion in 'College Recruiting and Prospects' started by Shapecity, Jun 12, 2005.

  1. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Greg Oden Superior, Peers Concede

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SAN DIEGO -- After six days of scrimmages and games at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival, three truths emerged as clear as the sun on a Southern California summer day:

    ? America has the best teams.

    ? Greg Oden is the best player, so much so that the player considered second-best, Cincinnati's O.J. Mayo, called him "the most dominant player in amateur basketball right now."

    ? And foreign countries, while athletically inferior, have teenagers who are learning to play fundamentally correct basketball.

    The Americans swept the medals, with Oden's USA White squad winning the gold with a 107-85 victory late Saturday over USA Blue and Mayo. Oden had 21 points -- on 9-of-9 shooting from the field -- 11 rebounds and two blocked shots, while Mayo had 31 points. USA Red beat Russia 92-77 for the bronze behind 28 points from Ohio State-bound Daequan Cook.

    "At this stage, 17 and 18 years old, we are superior physically as basketball players, and there are some skills we are better at than the foreign teams," said North Central High School coach Doug Mitchell, an assistant on the USA White squad. "We handle the ball better, and we understand a fast-breaking style of basketball better.

    "But eventually, these guys from other countries will catch up enough physically that we have to go back and continue to coach individual skills."

    The three U.S. teams were 8-0 against foreign competition, winning by an average of 33.4 points.

    Oden's team, which included Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley, won by at least 19 points each game.

    Canada, China and New Zealand aren't international powers, but Russia has one of the most established national programs. Oden and company beat them 105-86 in the semifinals.

    It's a good sign for American basketball, which lost three times at the 2004 Olympics on the way to a bronze medal and was sixth at the 2002 World Championships, both times with NBA players.

    USA Basketball wants the players in this year's festival and in the future to be a part of the national program, with the idea of returning American dominance in international competition.

    "I'm proud," said Oden, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2006. "It's exciting that we can come out here, and with all that happened with the Olympics, us as young guys can prove ourselves so everybody's not bagging on U.S. basketball."

    Oden's play had opponents, teammates and coaches confirming why the 7-footer joined LeBron James as the only juniors to be named national high school Player of the Year.

    "He's most definitely the most dominating player in the country," said Cincinnati shooting guard O.J. Mayo, the top-ranked player in the Class of 2007. "All you can do is try to contain him, help on defense, talk. . . .

    "He rebounds. He blocks shots, everything. He's like the next Bill Russell."</div>

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  2. MiamiBalla12

    MiamiBalla12 JBB Light-Skinned Assassin

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    I hope Oden dosen't go from HS to the pros. I want to see him play college ball.
     
  3. HASAN33

    HASAN33 JBB JustBBall Member

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    There is a report out of the Indy Star newspaper that Greg Oden may have chosen to attend Ohio State in 2006.
     
  4. MiamiBalla12

    MiamiBalla12 JBB Light-Skinned Assassin

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    If he does they are going be GOOD next year.
     
  5. bbwTwinTowers

    bbwTwinTowers BBW Member

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    Bad choice for Oden, he should of gone to a bigger school than OSU. I hope he does good I really like him.
     
  6. The Big Ticket

    The Big Ticket JBB JustBBall Member

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    He should have gone to Wake Forest.
     
  7. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Greg Oden Has Improved, Eric Gordon is Great

    Watched most of the game last night featuring Greg Oden and Air Gordon. I saw a different player from the last time ESPN showed him on TV. I criticized Oden for not demanding the ball more and getting nasty on the inside. Last night he did both, and completely intimidated his opponent. He was flushing on people and then showing some emotion afterwards. He added a nice one dribble move to the middle of the lane and then elevated up for an easy dunk. In the last game he had problems creating his own shot and fighting off double teams.

    Another player who was very impressive was Eric "Air" Gordon from North Central. He's an amazing athlete and "knows" he's good. He took the ball right at Oden and was the only player on his team not memorized by the 7 footer. He's been touted as the #1 Shooting Guard in high school, and last night he showed why. He takes it to the rim hard, has a sweet tear drop shot (he got one over an outstretched Oden), and has serious vertical.

    I'd love to see him and Daequan Cook go at it.
     
  8. SP23

    SP23 DA BEARS!

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    I watched all of the 2nd half, because I was at practice for the first. But, I saw Gordon only had about 6 or so in the first half. I've never seen him play, but only knew that Illinois was getting him. And because I'm an Illini fan, I watched the game. He did really well, had some nice shots and drives over Oden. Did you see that one block he had?

    I saw that Oden had a great first half and I didn't get to see the first half. His teamates barley gave him the ball in the 2nd half. He usually got it of a rebound or something.
     
  9. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Oden Not Obsessing Over Future

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">A year from now, Greg Oden will be confronted with a life-changing decision ? join the NBA by accepting what probably will be a $15 million deal or return to Ohio State University.

    To the surprise of absolutely no one who knows him, the 7-foot-1 senior, who on Saturday led Indianapolis Lawrence North High to its third consecutive state 4A championship, isn't obsessing over the future.

    ?I don't think about it a whole lot,? said the soft-spoken Oden, who will play for the East in tomorrow's McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games at Cox Arena.

    ?I want to be there one day and I'm grateful that people think I could play in the NBA, but it's not that big of a deal now.?

    Oden is the kind of player NBA teams covet, but a new rule that goes into effect this year prohibits clubs from drafting players until one year after their high school class graduates and they turn 19.

    He certainly has NBA size ? 260 pounds ? and after watching him glide up and down the court, racing the 6-5 players to the ball, it's easy to see he's something special.

    If Oden were eligible for this year's draft ? where he is still rated No. 1 on Internet sites over Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge and Connecticut's Rudy Gay ? he would certainly get more than the $13.5 million top pick Andrew Bogut signed for last year with Milwaukee. Bogut was a college player.

    When the Orlando Magic drafted Dwight Howard out of high school (Atlanta Christian Academy) in 2004, Howard signed for $11.2 million.

    Of course, there is always the possibility a shoe company might be interested, and then whatever pro basketball pays Oden will jingle in the pocket by comparison.

    Remember LeBron James' $90 million contract with Nike?

    So who could turn down that kind of money? Those who know Oden say nothing would surprise them.

    ?If he, in his own mind, feels he's learned enough to go to the NBA, then it's dollars and cents and he isn't stupid,? said Jack Keefer, his high school coach. ?Education is his No. 1 goal, and he doesn't want to learn in the NBA.

    ?If he was eligible for the draft, he'd probably be the No. 1 choice, but he's the kind of kid who doesn't want to rush into anything. I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed more than one year at Ohio State, but he'll make the right choice when the time comes.?

    Keefer has been at Lawrence North for 30 years and has had three 7-footers. He doesn't hesitate to say Oden is the best he's coached, if for no other reason than despite all of the attention and accolades, Oden remains humble and unselfish.

    Almost to a fault.

    ?You almost have to push him to shoot sometimes,? said Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley Jr., son of Olympic gold medal triple-jumper Mike Conley, who not only will be playing in the McDonald's game but will be going to Ohio State with Oden.

    ?But when it comes to what he'll do next year, he'll make whatever the best decision is for him. I don't know how I'd react if I was in his position.?

    Oden has big enough numbers. His 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks a game are stellar, but Keefer, who noted that one night his star center had 16 blocks in a game, prefers to point out that this year's opponents shot a paltry 32 percent from the field because they were forced to take long-range attempts rather than challenge Oden inside.

    He has almost as many awards as points, too.

    Oden won the 2006 Morgan Wootten Award for the national All American Player of the Year by McDonald's after being selected Parade magazine's Player of the Year as a junior.

    In four years his teams have lost just four games ? two to an unbeaten Pike team as a freshman and one each his sophomore and junior years when Conley was unable to play.

    This year's team went 29-0 and was ranked No. 1 wire-to-wire by virtually every service.

    All of which Oden takes in his giant stride, displaying little brashness.

    ?You immediately see the difference here,? said Oden, who joined his McDonald's teammates late after taking an early-morning flight Sunday to San Diego and then trying to get caught up.

    ?In high school I was just about the only one who could dunk. All of these guys can play, so my goal will be to get a rebound and make a pass or two and try to play as hard as I can against the best high school players in the country.? </div>

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  10. The Prophecy

    The Prophecy JBB JustBBall Member

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    I think he will return to school. He can be the greatest center of all time and make an immediate impact if he just be patient and wait a couple of years gaining experience at the college level.
     
  11. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Oden's Big Man of Classic

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">First we had the LeBron game. Now we have the Oden game. The Greg Oden-Mike Conley show in February packed a record crowd of close to 9,000 into Welsh-Ryan Arena.

    They're back.

    Oden and Conley are among the headliners for the 42nd Roundball Classic, which will be played Sunday at the United Center.

    "Greg is easily the most dominant big man since Shaquille O'Neal,'' Roundball founder and game director Sonny Vaccaro said. "And I go all the way back to Moses Malone.''

    There will be some Chicago flavor with Proviso East's 6-11 Illinois recruit Brian Carlwell, Bolingbrook's DePaul-bound guard Will Walker and Marshall's Patrick Beverley, who has emerged as one of the hottest recruits in the nation. Two others are Scottie Reynolds of Virginia, who grew up in the northwest suburbs, and Chris Singletary, who attended Farragut before enrolling in a Florida prep school in the fall.

    "Beverley was not even on the top 100 list for McDonald's,'' Vaccaro said. "He was one of those non-entity guys who didn't get a big-time name in the summer. He was good last year, and his high school was good. But the kid was still a mystery. This is a kid from Chicago, not from rural Tennessee or Mississippi. The only one I can think of to compare him to is Dwyane Wade.

    "Beverley is the best-kept secret in the country. All over America, he is the singular guy who has put himself in an all-star game. All these guys that people recruit and he was going to [Toledo], and now he has a list of major schools after him.''

    Glenbrook North's Jon Scheyer and Crane's Sherron Collins were invited, but both elected to play in the Jordan game in New York.

    "I have no problem with that,'' Vaccaro said. "We have very good players, and they have very good players. The difference is Oden. Greg has been the most unassuming superstar athlete I've been around. At camps, in summer tournaments and in high school, Greg has deferred to teammates and always takes away from himself.

    "When he's on the court, he doesn't back down. He's crazed and plays with intensity like Alonzo Mourning. I have no doubt he's the best amateur player in the world, including all the Euros and Asians.''

    Vaccaro started the event as the Dapper Dan in 1965 in Pittsburgh. Later, Magic Johnson was involved before it moved to Chicago.

    "This city is one of the hotbeds for high school talent in the country,'' Vaccaro said. "It looks like we've found a permanent home.''

    For an All-American game that brought LeBron James to town in 2003, Oden creates a similar buzz. And the 7-footer is just one of those players you want to see.

    "He's somebody you want to say you saw play at all levels,'' Vaccaro said. "LeBron was electric. Greg is dominating. They're different people. Greg has the demeanor of Bill Russell. The man never talked -- he just won. Greg just wins. too. He is a quiet, beautiful child.''

    Many people have not heard much about Damion James, a 6-8 forward from Nacogdoches, Texas. Vaccaro called the Oklahoma recruit, who averages 25.2 points and 15.1 rebounds, "the most electrifying player in the Class of 2006.'' James was an MVP at Vaccaro's ABCD Camp in Teaneck, N.J. "He's Josh Smith with more personality,'' Vaccaro said.

    Another player to watch is 6-5 David Lighty of Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cleveland. He was hurt and didn't play last summer but will be joining Oden, Conley and Daequan Cook of Dunbar in Dayton, Ohio, to give Ohio State a class that many believe rivals Michigan's "Fab Five'' in 1991.

    "I love this game and having it at the United Center,'' Vaccaro said. "Jerry Reinsdorf treats us better than anyone, and it is one of the best arenas in the world.''</div>

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  12. SP23

    SP23 DA BEARS!

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    Who hosts the Classic? And does that mean Oden won't be playing the the New York in the Jordan game.
     
  13. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">Who hosts the Classic? And does that mean Oden won't be playing the the New York in the Jordan game.</div>

    42nd Roundball Classic, which will be played Sunday at the United Center.

    I think this is just a 1 day event, so Oden will likely play in NY as well.
     
  14. SP23

    SP23 DA BEARS!

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    Oden Invited to USA Camp

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Oden Invited To Team USA Camp
    27th April, 2006 - 2:58 am
    Sports Illustrated - According to Sports Illustrated, Greg Oden has been added to the list of players who will participate in this summer's Team USA tryout camp.

    Oden, the 7-foot Ohio State-bound center considered the best high school player in the country, has agreed to join 23 NBA players in the camp to be held July 19-25 in Las Vegas, USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo confirmed Wednesday.

    The tryout camp will be used to select 15 players that will compete in this summer's World Championship in Japan.

    Colangelo said Oden's pending college enrollment would likely prevent him from competing in those games, but he could be part of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

    "The purpose in having him there this summer is to expose him to USA Basketball, give him a chance to compete with [international-level players] and get a feel for what he needs to do," Colangelo said.

    "This is really for a couple years from now. Let's see how far he progresses. Maybe he's ready for '08." [READ]
    </div>
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  15. handles25

    handles25 JBB JustBBall Member

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    wow, go Oden!
     
  16. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Hoops stars Oden, Named Prep Athlete of Year

    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LOS ANGELES -- Basketball players Greg Oden of Indianapolis and Tina Charles of New York City were named High School Athletes of the Year on Wednesday.

    Oden and Charles received their awards at a luncheon attended by Miami Heat stars Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning and Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals. Later, Oden and Charles were to attend the ESPY Awards in Hollywood.

    Oden averaged 22 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks and shot 74 percent from the field last season in leading Lawrence North High to its third consecutive Indiana Class 4A state championship. He will play at Ohio State next season.

    "It's great," said Oden, who was a nominee last year when he lost to football player Greg Paulus. "My one goal was to come back here and I feel honored to have won this award."</div>

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  17. Flashback

    Flashback JBB JustBBall Member

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    heh, big shock here.
     

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