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C Greg Oden (All B1G, All-American, Defensive Player of the Year, Butler Assistant Coach)

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Indy Star on Oden & Conley

Found this today in the local paper. IBF



Gibbons: College talk by Oden 'innocence'
7-footer should go pro, talent scout says.
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<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><!-- STORY TEXT --> <!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT--> By Jeff Rabjohns
<script language="JavaScript"> <!-- document.write( ''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+''); //--> </script>[email protected]

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It's now a routine.

Greg Oden plays in a major summer basketball event, and the media in that locale take the opportunity to do its version of the story: Seven-foot high school star projected as No. 1 NBA draft pick says he wants to play in college.

This weekend, it was the media around North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State, the three campuses on which the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions was played.

Some of the reporters work for legitimate media outlets, such as the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer. Others are stringers with dubious interests, working for a particular college's fan Web site, trying to get players to comment on that school.

No matter the audience, Oden, the top-ranked player in the 2006 class, takes the opportunity to reiterate his plans to go to college, regardless of whether the NBA changes its draft eligibility to age 20.

Those who have been around the recruiting game for several decades don't buy the idea that Oden will play in college, even though he's narrowed his choices to Ohio State, Wake Forest, Indiana and Michigan State.

"I don't think anyone is taking it seriously," Gibbons, a longtime talent scout, said. "The only way he won't go to the NBA is if they pass the age limit. Otherwise, he will be the No. 1 player drafted. How can you turn that down?

"I don't see that he would (go to college), even though I really believe he would like to. It's more comfortable for him to think about going to college, which is the normal progression.

"Maybe in his youthful heart, that makes him feel good. I think it's frightening and awesome for him to think about going straight to the NBA. He's such an introverted kid. It's refreshing, the innocence he has about him."

Spiece upset

The title game of the Gibbons tournament was set to tip off Sunday afternoon, but Mike Conley and his Spiece Indy Heat teammates were at their hotel. Conley relaxed on the coach while Oden napped in the next room.

Spiece, the defending tournament champion, was upset in Sunday morning's quarterfinal at North Carolina's Dean Smith Center, falling 72-68 to the H-Squad, a team of players from the Los Angeles area.

"It's disappointing," said Conley, who scored a team-high 20 points. "Since we don't lose that much, you learn you've got to play every game hard, like you're playing the best team in the tournament."

It's only the second loss of the summer for Spiece, which fell to Memphis Pump 'N Run 76-62 in the final of the Real Deal on the Hill in Arkansas in April. Spiece won the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Run 'N Slam in early May and the Adidas May Classic in Bloomington, Ind., two weeks ago, despite playing without Oden, who was attending a relative's college graduation.

A loss in the quarterfinals was a surprise. H-Squad dared Spiece to shoot from the outside in the game that started at 9 a.m., and it did, rarely getting the ball to Oden, who scored just six points.

For the tournament, Oden finished with 32 points in five games. He wasn't needed offensively in the first four.

Spiece won its first four games by a combined 84 points, with three being called due to the 20-point-lead rule.

Spiece was a heavy favorite after Saturday night's demolition of Blessed IJN of Fort Wayne in the round of 16. Despite facing a talented front line -- 7-foot Louisville signee Clarence Holloway; 7-foot Kyle Luckett, who flirted with entering this year's NBA draft; and 6-11 Phillip Jones of Philadelphia -- Oden dominated as Spiece won 73-49.

In the semifinals, H-Squad scored an 85-81 upset of The Playaz, a team from New Jersey led by Duke recruit Gerald Henderson and North Carolina-bound Wayne Ellington.
 
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Scout recently updated Oden's profile, and it lists Ohio State and Wake Forest both as 'High', and 4 other schools (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina) as low. On Scout, schools are always shown alphabetically within each level of interest.
 
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Does anyone else find it hilarious that the Rivals database lists Michigan State and Indiana as HIGH and Ohio State, Arkansas, North Carolina, Purdue and Wake Forest as MEDIUM?

From all the recent updates I think we all know that Oden is down to OSU and Wake with OSU out in front...somebody over at Rivals missed the boat.
 
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Ran across this today:


http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/060805aab.html

The Real Deals
*
CSTV.com's Jason Owens eyeballs top recruits at the ISI *

June 8, 2005
By Jason Owens
CSTV.com

SAN DIEGO -- Greg Oden looks like the real deal. The most hyped high school player since Lebron James helped lead USA's White team to a 112-59 win over China at Tuesday's opening round of the International Sports Invitational, a showcase of some of the nation's best high school players and most coveted college recruits in international competition.

In 26 minutes, the 6-11 center from Ohio logged 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and six blocks -- not to mention that he altered every inside shot that came his way. But if ever a performance like that could ever be overlooked, it was on Tuesday. That's because the eyes in San Diego State's Peterson Gym were all focused on Bill Walker, a sophomore forward out of Cincinnati.

The 6-6 swingman first drew oohhs and aahhs with a thundering slam to put Team USA up 4-0. Eight dunks, 21 points and six rebounds later, he had caught everyone's attention, including the NBA scouts sitting in the stands. And these weren't rinky-dink easy fast-break dunks. Walker went through, over and by defenders on his way to shooting 10-of-12 from the field, including a 3-pointer that found nothing but net. And he didn't shy away from playing a little defense either.

So where does this sophomore phenom plan to take his talents after high school? It's anyone's guess right now, as he has a long list of major programs in mind. And he says the powder blue shorts he wears underneath his game shorts for every game are no indication of his intentions.

"When I was younger, I used to read up on Michael Jordan," Walker said. "He always had a pair of baby-blue shorts before he played in his NBA games. Everybody wants to be like Mike."

While North Carolina*is on his list, that list is a long one that also includes Cincinnati, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Louisville, Texas and UConn. And of course, there's always the possibility of jumping directly to the NBA, as his ISI teammate Oden is expected to do.
*
But Oden and Walker weren't the only players to shine on Tuesday.

Kyle Singler, a 6-8 sophomore out of Oregon, was the sharp-shooter of the night, scoring 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. He displayed a combination of size and soft touch that translates well in the college game. Think Mike Dunleavy and Kyle Korver.

Like Walker, Singler has a long list of potential suitors that includes Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Stanford, UCLA and Washington.

Darrell Arthur, a junior out of Texas, also had an impressive showing with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. The 6-9 power forward has a much shorter list than his sophomore teammates, saying Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas all stand on equal footing.

"I'm wide open right now," he said. "I'm going to narrow it down in the fall. I'll probably make my decision late."

The Blue team, the second of three USA teams competing this week, had a little more trouble disposing of a tough Canada team than the White team did with China. They had trouble finding good shots and posted a 37.3 percent clip from the field, but held Canada at bay for an 82-64 win.

To the certain excitement of Duke fans, 2006 Blue Devil commitment Gerald Henderson, Jr. led the way. The 6-5 guard spent most of the first half on the free throw line, where he shot 7-for-7. He got a little more daylight from the field in the second half and finished with a team-high 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting.

Unlike many of his class of '06 counterparts, Henderson can rest easy in the fall knowing that his decision is already made.

"It's great," Henderson said. "I get the whole process out of the way. I don't have to worry about letters or phone calls any more. This year I can really just focus on academics and having fun out on the court."

That's a peace of mind that Oden won't know any time soon, as he and the rest of the basketball world wait to see if the NBA passes a 20-year-old age minimum that would keep him out of the professional ranks a little while longer. If it does pass, either Ohio State, Michigan State or Wake Forest will be the benefit of the nation's prize recruit.

Jason Owens is an editor for CSTV.com and lucky enough to get to watch basketball all week.
 
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In 26 minutes, the 6-11 center from Ohio logged 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and six blocks -- not to mention that he altered every inside shot that came his way. But if ever a performance like that could ever be overlooked, it was on Tuesday. That's because the eyes in San Diego State's Peterson Gym were all focused on Bill Walker, a sophomore forward out of Cincinnati.
Click to expand...

Interesting.
 
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