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

[strohs]

Is that Cook at the press conference?

Yes Cook made the trip to Indy for the presser.

 

[bucknut11]

More from SI on Oden...

No surprises
Oden was forced into college, away from Indiana
by Tim Layden

1) You wrote about Greg Oden last fall. Are you shocked that he's going to Ohio State?

I did write about Oden last fall, in a feature piece in Sports Illustrated. And I think this is actually a two-part question.

a) Am I surprised that Greg Oden is going to college at all?

b) Am I surprised that he chose Ohio State?

The first answer is technically, Oden going to college became a moot point with the NBA's adoption of a 19-year-old, one-year-out-of-high school minimum for draftees. That rule, approved by the NBA Players Association last week, rendered the 7-0, 245-pound Oden ineligible for the 2006 NBA Draft, in which he would have been the first overall pick.

He could have been the first overall pick this year, no offense to Andrew Bogut.

Let me answer the question anyway: I would have been shocked if Oden actually went to college. I sat and talked with him, and found him delightfully self-effacing, funny and mature. I have a daughter Oden's age and she has friends, so I know something about that age group's ability to converse with adults, never mind adults with digital recorders and notebooks. Oden was terrific. He insisted that he was going to college and I think he believed it. I think his mother, Zoe (a hardworking mom who was so nervous being interviewed in person she kept covering her face in embarrassment), believed otherwise. I think his AAU coach, the former Olympian Mike Conley Sr., believed otherwise. Not to impugn Big Greg's intentions, but I just think the money -- from endorsements as well as his contract -- would have been too much to ignore. I don't think Oden is as greedy and hurried as many high school stars, but in the end, I think Oden is going to college because the NBA is forcing him to. This doesn't make him evil. It makes him sensible.

On the second point, there's no overstating the power in a young man's life of staying with his friends. Something else about Oden: In the hallways of Lawrence North High School, he was one of the guys. He was a bigger, more talented guy, but he was still one of the guys. You ask him about his game and he'll tell you it's 6-foot-2 point guard Mike Conley Jr. who's really got some game. To hear Oden talk, you'd think he was lucky Conley Sr. gave him a uniform to play AAU ball in the summer, with all the talent on the team. I'm not shocked he wanted to keep playing with friends and peers and feel like it was just another year of high school, only with easier classes.

2) But what about Indiana?

Hoosiers' coach Mike Davis is a big boy, but today cannot be one of his all-time top-10 days. He's seen nearly every game Oden has played since his freshman year in high school. In season, out of season, anywhere in the country. Davis just kept showing up. For the same reasons cited above, I'm not stunned that Oden -- and Conley, for that matter -- might want to get out of Indiana. Who needs that baggage?

It's not Oden's -- or Conley's -- job to keep Davis happy. They are given the chance to choose a college once in their lives, and even they have no intention of staying longer than April 1 of their "freshman'' year. (Conley will stay longer). If every kid tried to satisfy every coach who recruited him intensely, they would all be in therapy. Quick aside: I was once writing a story on a college football star. He was telling me recruiting stories. There was this one phone call from a recruiter that came late at night in his senior year. The coach, his voice trembling, said to the player, "I really need a hug tonight. I need to hear that you love me. You love me, don't you?'' Blue-chip recruits aren't heartless, but they put the emotions aside. They have to.

On the other hand, poor Davis. First Pat Ewing Jr. transfers. Then Bracey Wright leaves early. Now this. Davis is as good a guy as you'll meet in a tough business. He's being tested now.

3) One and done for Oden?

Probably. But that's an educated guess based on the money available. Maybe he won't look so great playing against college centers. Maybe he'll really like Columbus. And like I said earlier, Oden is not in a rush. If people -- his mother, other advisors -- tell him the money is impossible to refuse, he'll leave. Otherwise, he might not. Two years wouldn't surprise me.


4) What's the right number? One year? Two years? Four years?

Three years ago I went to Syracuse in early December to write a piece on Carmelo Anthony's one season in the Coldest City in America. It was a shock back then he came to Syracuse at all. But he was having a riot, going to parties, dating college girls who fell at his feet and, not least of all, winning a national championship.

Back then I sat in Jim Boeheim's office and talked about renting a 19-year-old to win a national title. Boeheim was aware of the perception and vaguely uncomfortable with it. "I wish he would stay two years,'' Boeheim said. "Two years is a good number.'' Two years and a kid is halfway to a degree he might or might not ever need. Two years and maybe he's grown a little from the experience of attending a diverse university. (If, in fact, he gets out of the dorm and off the Xbox enough to meet people other than basketball players and groupies.)

In a perfect world, college athletes would play four years, leave with diplomas and move on to the real world. Check that. That's a fantasy world, not a perfect world. Lebron and Kobe didn't need college. Although I'd entertain the argument that Kobe might be less petulant and immature if he'd spent a few semesters at Duke, but we'll never know.

In the end, I agree with Boeheim. Two years is a good number. Two years is too long to attend prep school. Two years is a long time in Europe, eating strange food. Two years in college and we can all feel a little better about the system.


5) So by dictating one year, did the NBA enact a purely cosmetic change?

Not at all. The NBA addressed the problem and legislated a solution into law. It's not the perfect solution, but critics are being way too hard on the NBA in accusing it of doing too little. One year's waiting period isn't enough to keep agents off The Next Lebron, and it's not enough for The Next Carmelo to really figure out if he wants to major in molecular genetics or art history. It's not going to do anything to dispel the notion that college basketball is nothing more than a de facto professional minor league that has little in common with the institutions whose names appear on the front of the uniform. I'm not sure anything would do that, short of a no-tolerance rule on 100 percent graduation rates. And that's not anywhere in sight.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

i gotta get me one of those hats. you cant believe how hard it is to get a good OSU hat out here.

 

[BB73]

scout

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scenes From Conley/Oden Press Conference

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Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, Greg Oden

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Bucknuts.com Staff
Date: Jun 29, 2005

Today was a happy day for Mike Conley and Greg Oden of Indianapolis Lawrence North high school, and happy for OSU fans as well. We have some photos for you from Terry Gilliam of today's event, before, during and after the press conference.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>

Oden (left) and Conley make their way through the school's hallway to the gym
​

The two went over what they were going to say beforehand
​

Parents and school administration were present
​

Conley and Oden announced their decision in unison and then put on OSU hats
​

The two fielded around 12 minutes of questions
​

Conley answers a question
​

A good-sized crowd of media and onlookers attended
​

Conley and Oden share a laugh
​

After Conley and Oden were finished answering questions, their good friend and future teammate Daequan Cook of Dayton Dunbar gave them a greeting
​

Conley and Oden answer questions for Columbus media
​

Conley chats with reporters
​

A relaxed Oden talks with members of the media
​

Oden was all smiles
​

Oden, Conley and Cook get set for a TV interview
​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Yertle]

Malik who?

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Malik who?

 

[BB73]

ozone

Matta Making His List, Checking it Twice, and Getting What He Wants
By John Porentas
It wasn't quite Christmas in July for Thad Matta, but it was close.

It was late June, the 29th to be exact, and Matta got a big present in the way of verbal commitments from two of the nation's top prep prospects, center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley, both from Lawrence North High School in Indiana. The news, according to Oden, probably put Matta right into a festive holiday mood. Oden asked Matta what he thought about the idea of he and Conley publicly announcing for Ohio State.

"His response was 'I don't drink, but when you guys do it, I'm popping a bottle of champaign,'" said Oden.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]OSU verbal commit Mike Conley
[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Jim Davidson [/font]​

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There was reason for celebrating in the Buckeye State with the announcement, but according to Conley, it was more of a sense of relief to be out in the open with the decision. The two had been guarding the secret to avoid comments from locals not happy with their choice to leave the Hoosier state, to the extent that neither would show any leaning toward Ohio State despite their desire to attend OSU since their official visit. That included avoiding wearing anything OSU related until the announcement. That has now changed.

"I tried to hide them and just wear them to bed so that nobody would really know that I liked them that much and keep it a secret," said Conley of his OSU wardrobe, "but I felt a lot at ease with the decision we made today and that I can go along with my life now. "

"It's definitely a big relief. I was holding my breath almost for the past couple of weeks trying to figure out when to make a decision. Now I can just chill out, take deep breaths and relax and have a fun summer.

The two claimed to have decided to attend OSU independently, but admitted to conferring on the prospect.

"It wasn't really a package deal. We made our own individual decisions but we talked about it a lot. We both had our choices of different schools. We told each other what we liked about each one and what we didn't like. It wasn't really Ohio State all along. It bounced around and we liked different schools more at certain times than others," said Oden.

"My choices were Ohio State and Wake Forest. He had two other schools as well," said Oden.

Conley was also considering Indiana and Michigan State, but when he made his official visit to Columbus, the Buckeyes became his immediate leader, and he let Oden know about that as soon as he could.

"When we visited the school it just blew me away. I just pulled him (Oden) over to the side and I told him this was a place that I could see myself playing at. He said the same thing but he still had his other colleges that he wanted to look at," said Conley.

The two did more looking, but OSU Head Coach Thad Matta and his staff did all the right things to land the prized pair.

"He did a lot of creative things," said Conley.

"One of them was he expressed to us his vision of us going to that school and his vision to win a national championship and all the goals he's had that he thought we could make possible if we went there. Basically we believed everything he had to say. The whole vision part, we bought into it and believed it. He expressed that the most while we were there," Conley said.

Matta also employed a little high-tech methodology.

"He text-messages me and I'll call him as much as I can," said Conley.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=100 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD>

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]OSU verbal commit Greg Oden
[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Jim Davidson [/font]​

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According to Oden, Matta's game-day strategy also had something to do with the decision.

"The style of play, I like the way that I fit it. It's a good style for certain people and I feel like I fit in," said Oden.

Oden said that he did not consider Indiana simply because he wanted to get away from home for his college career.

"There are a lot of guys who go to I. U. from Lawrence, North. Sometimes you want to get away and meet new people," said Oden.

Both Conley and Oden have a vision for Ohio State basketball that is shared by Matta, and that made their decision easy.

"I don't think Ohio State will be just a football school now," said Conley.

"Basketball is about to become a big thing there. I think that even after we've gone and left, just having us come there will bring more attention to the school for basketball as well. They're already on the map for football."

Oden and Conley Notebook:

* Not to Worry: Oden and Conley decided to attend OSU despite the recent scandal surrounding the OSU basketball program. They did, however, gather the facts before making a decision.

"We looked at it and we're pretty confident that it won't effect our post-season when we get there," said Oden.

* Hauling in the Talent: The two now comprise one half of an outstanding recruiting class being assembled by Matta and his staff. Both Oden and Conley are well-aware of what is going on in OSU basketball recruiting and like what they see.

"I have very high expectations for all of us that are going there. I hope our freshman year is a great year and we go really far. I just feel really good about the situation," said Oden.

"I'm looking at all the recruits that he's recruiting and talking to them and letting them know what his vision is like," added Conley.

"I'm very excited about this class. I've seen David Lighty play before but I've never had a chance to play with him. I've played with Greg and Daequan (Cook) for a long time. Having those great players going to the same school is just awesome. I can't wait to see what happens," Conley said.

The class is already being compared to the Fab Five at Michigan.

"Being compared to that class is great, but we know we're not there yet at their skill level," said Conley.

"We hope that by the time we get to college we'll have the mind set and physical ability to be able to be compared to them in a real sense."

* Gotta Be Cool: Both Oden and Conley said that one of the barometers they used to evaluate schools was the outlook and attitude of the players already there. They liked what they saw at Ohio State.

"When we went on our visit and met the players. I said on every visit that I wanted to make sure that the players are really cool," said Oden.

"The players, the people around the city, the students, everybody treated us well while we were there," said Conley.

"Just being around the players, they're good kids and I noticed that he recruits good kids as well as good players. I'd rather be around good people. I like that a lot," Conley added.

* One More?: With four players in the fold already, there is still room for one more player in this class. Matta would probably like to land a power forward, and according to Conley, he has his eye on one that he likes. He even asked Conley to take a look at him.

"I'd like to see Luke Harangody from Adrian in this class," said Conley.

"He played on the junior all-star team, the one he (Matta) told me to look at. He was very good. I liked the way he played. He was physical and tough and would do all the dirty work. I said we need somebody like that. We don't need all super-super stars that can jump out of the gym. We need a big man who can do the little things as well."

 

[Thump]

Glad to see in the first paragraph that the Ozone had a misspelling. They spelled the drink "champagne" like the town "Champaign."

 

[BB73]

Glad to see in the first paragraph that the Ozone had a misspelling. They spelled the drink "champagne" like the town "Champaign."

I think they've spent too much time covering Big-10 road games.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Glad to see in the first paragraph that the Ozone had a misspelling. They spelled the drink "champagne" like the town "Champaign."

How dew ewe no that's knot watt hee said?

 

[HabaneroBuck]

Some more fun stuff

Oden, the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2006, and Conley, considered one of the top point guards in the nation, were already captivated by Matta's personable style before they visited OSU last month. And they were drawn to him even more after getting a sample of his wicked sense of humor.

Matta's impersonation of Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer — an Indiana icon — left Oden and Conley in stitches.

"When he did a coach Keefer impression, that was the funniest thing in the world," Oden said. "I was literally crying in the back of the car."

Conley also was taken aback by Matta's flair for putting players at ease.

"He's got a great ability to get along with teenagers and kids like us," Conley said. "When I'm around him, it feels like I'm talking to one of my friends. Yet, he's a coach, too. Having that bond, I feel, will get me to where I want to go."

The players can't sign binding letters-of-intent until Nov. 9. Matta can't comment on recruits until then.

Oden, who had a 4.0 grade-point average as a junior, is thought to be a No. 1 pick in the NBA

when he decides to leave. But he doesn't sound as if he's in a hurry.

Asked how long he expects to stay at OSU, he replied: "It depends on how long it takes me to feel I've developed enough to be an NBA player."

He added: "I was watching the draft (Tuesday) night, and I was thinking, why are they drafting him? It seems like they're just drafting off potential. If I'm good enough to go one day, I want people to know why I was drafted.

"I don't want to come into the league until I'm ready to compete for rookie of the year."

 

[jwinslow]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050629/SPORTS02/50629008/1057
<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#cccccc"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#eeeeee"> Multimedia

Video: Oden, Conley announce their decision

Video: Oden, Conley explain why they chose Ohio State

Video: Oden's opinion of the recent NBA rule forbidding high school players entering the draft

Video: LN Coach Jack Keefer shares the advice he gave Oden, Conley

Video: Oden on his college future and the NBA

Video: Oden, Conley on why they didn't choose Indiana </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Someone needs to fark this into an Ohio State jersey, it would be a far better picture to look forward to seeing... as well as to post over on a WF board :)

 

[Steve19]

Wow. Just wow. No, really, wow. What a recruiting class and in the face of all of those who tried to really tear down tOSU. There really is justice. Wow!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

6/30/05

June 30, 2005



Oden: a basketball star heading to football school

<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=210 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>

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• Oden sold on Ohio State
• Conley brings his own talent

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By Matt Glenesk
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'matt.glenesk'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]



COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Lawrence North senior Greg Oden is a household name in his home state. In Columbus, where football is king, the Gatorade National Player of the Year remains anonymous among many.

That soon might change.

Oden and high school teammate Mike Conley announced they will attend Ohio State in 2006-07, but it might take more than their oral commitments to steal some of the region's lust for football.

"It's football, football, football," Tyree Morgan of Columbus said. "Football is always going to run Ohio State, I mean Columbus period. The kid will have to win a national title for people to take notice."

Not every fan is so pessimistic. Ohio State sophomore Michael French said there is room for both sports to thrive.

"Of course, we've got great football, but having a great basketball team helps because we just don't want to be a football school," French said. "Why can't we be a basketball school, too?"

Evan Miller, an Ohio State alumnus and Columbus resident, said bringing Oden into the fold will help ease some of the fans' apprehension toward the Buckeyes' basketball team.

"Last year, we had a decent team here and they couldn't play in the NCAA Tournament because they were on probation," Miller said. "I mean finally, when we actually play well, we can't advance. Bringing in the No. 1 player in the country will definitely pique people's interest in this town."

Herbert Richardson, a junior at Ohio State, has kept a close eye on Oden and said the recruiting class coach Thad Matta has assembled will breathe life into the program.

Value City Arena, the university's on-campus facility, seats 19,200, but last year the average attendance was 13,715.

"I think it's going to bring basketball to the front more," Richardson said. ". . . (Oden) will draw people to the stands like LeBron James did when he played some high school games here. I wasn't the biggest Ohio State basketball fan, but then I heard he was coming and I told my buddies I'm going to buy season tickets."

Call Star reporter Matt Glenesk at (317) 444-6492.

link

6/30/05

Oden sold on Ohio State
LN stars make it official

<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=210 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=10>

</TD><TD><!--MAIN PHOTO--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD>They're Buckeyes: Lawrence North's Greg Oden (right) and Mike Conley sport their new Ohio State caps during the news conference in which they made oral commitments to the school. -- Robert Scheer / The Star
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--RELATED ARTICLES--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Related articles
• Oden: a basketball star heading to football school
• Conley brings his own talent
• Teenager's approach refreshing

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Video: Oden, Conley announce their decision

Video: Oden, Conley explain why they chose Ohio State

Video: Oden's opinion of the recent NBA rule forbidding high school players entering the draft

Video: LN Coach Jack Keefer shares the advice he gave Oden, Conley

Video: Oden on his college future and the NBA

Video: Oden, Conley on why they didn't choose Indiana

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<!--MAIN FACTS BOX--><!--ADDITIONAL FACTS --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- STORY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->
By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]


The headlines will read that Greg Oden and Mike Conley picked Ohio State.

The truth goes much deeper.

As the two Lawrence North High School stars weighed their college options over the past several weeks, after listening to pitches from some of the top programs in the nation, they were swayed by factors unrelated to the name of the school.

They liked the exuberance of second-year coach Thad Matta. They also relished the chance to play together, and with other prep stars they know.

"I felt that it's the best decision for me," Oden, a 7-foot center ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2006, said during Wednesday's formal announcement of his decision. "I just feel I'm going to be comfortable there and I can develop there."

Oden, who joined NBA star LeBron James as the only juniors ever named National High School Player of the Year, and Conley, one of the top-ranked point guards in the country, made their announcements in front of dozens of media members and nearly 100 Ohio State fans who cheered from the bleachers at the Lawrence North gymnasium.

Ohio television stations cut into midday programming for live interviews with possibly the most heralded prep star to pick the Buckeyes.

Oden and the 6-1 Conley join Dayton, Ohio, shooting guard Daequan Cook and Cleveland shooting guard David Lighty in Ohio State's Class of 2006. All four are ranked in the top 40 in the country, and another player could make this class arguably better than Michigan's heralded "Fab Five" of 1991.

"It's going to be a great situation," Oden said. "I know Mike and Daequan and David, and they're all very good players. I know all of us will sacrifice ourselves for the team to win."

Oden picked Ohio State over Wake Forest, Indiana and Michigan State, while Conley was down to Ohio State and Wake Forest.

Oden and Conley are the latest Indiana prep stars to choose a college outside the state, but Oden said his decision not to attend Indiana University wasn't because he didn't like coach Mike Davis, who is under pressure after missing the NCAA Tournament the past two years.

"It's just that I felt more comfortable at Ohio State," Oden said. "I love both coaches. I just had to make a decision, and the place I felt best was at Ohio State."

He was projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft prior to rule changes that require a player to be a year removed from high school to be eligible. Oden said people shouldn't assume he'll leave college after one year.

"I know when I go out, I want to be good enough that people know why they're drafting me," he said.

Oden and Conley both said their goal is to win a national championship.

The key moment in the recruitment of the two who have been AAU teammates since sixth grade came in April when several high-profile coaches came to Lawrence North for a visit. The coaches spoke to the two players and their parents, Mike and Regina Conley and Zoe Oden.

At the time, Conley was leaning toward Wake Forest, and Oden was uncertain. Matta changed that.

"I think things changed because of his personality and just the way he handles himself on the court," Conley said. "I watched him in practice and with his players.

"He actually gets down there and lifts weights with them. He'll be in his work clothes and he'll go down and bench-press just to be involved with the players. I love that about him."

Said Mike Conley Sr., who coaches the duo's AAU team: "We feel we're sending our kids off to people, not to an institution."

Ohio State began to get serious attention from Oden and Conley when Cook, an AAU teammate, made an oral commitment in March.

Oden and Conley realized Cook's commitment eliminated the chance of all three playing at Wake Forest, so their attention began to shift. Then came the coaches' visits in April, which included Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Tom Izzo (Michigan State) and Bruce Weber (Illinois).

"I've been here 30 years, and I've heard them all," Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said. "I've heard (Rick) Pitino, (Mike) Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, and that day (Matta) was here, I'm telling you he did a sales job.

"He and his assistant sold (Zoe Oden) and those two guys because Ohio State is not a basketball school."

Zoe Oden, a single mom who has raised Greg and his younger brother, Anthony, said Matta made an impression on her.

"I felt real comfortable with him, and I know when Greg is there, he's going to be looked after properly," she said. "He was easy to talk to, relaxing, very funny actually. It was just easy to talk to him. I didn't feel like I was on pins and needles. And when I asked questions, he always had an answer."

Matta, who coached at Butler prior to three years at Xavier, has known Mike Conley Sr. for several years, but it wasn't until the visit at Lawrence North that Matta met Regina Conley. Prior to that, Regina was so certain her son was headed to Wake Forest that she didn't plan to attend.

"Coach Matta was just so exuberant and had so much energy, and was someone I felt was a good guy, somebody I could see myself sending my son to for four years," Regina Conley said. "That made a huge impression on me and changed my outlook."

Oden averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks, and had one game this season of 18 blocked shots. Conley added 10.7 points and five assists.

The two said pending NCAA penalties for violations under previous coach Jim O'Brien are not a major concern. Ohio State kept itself out of the NCAA Tournament last year.

"We're pretty confident it won't affect our postseason when we get there," Oden said.

link

June 30, 2005


Teenager's approach refreshing

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Doesn't Greg Oden get it? Today's high school basketball superstar is supposed to talk about NBA contracts, not grade-point averages. He talks about buying lots of new toys, not how he was impressed by a certain college's accounting program. He talks about being the NBA Rookie of the Year, not how much he and his game need developing, even when the world is calling him the best amateur in the world.

Suffice to say, Oden is different. Very different. Different in a Tim Duncan kind of way. Different in a way that makes you feel good again about basketball and the young men who play it.

"I was looking at the (NBA) draft (Tuesday) night, and they're drafting guys, (and) I'm like, 'Why are they drafting him; they're just drafting potential?' " Oden said Wednesday after he and Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley orally committed to Ohio State. "I know that when I go (into the draft) one day, I want to be good enough so that when they draft me, people will understand why they drafted me."

It's odd and refreshing at the same time: With so many misguided souls convinced they're ready well before their time, here's Oden, who might be the only person on the planet who isn't convinced he's ready to compete in the NBA.

"It's my overall game," Oden said when asked where he needs improvement. "My body; I'm really not that strong. My shooting, dribbling, defense, footwork, just everything."

The smart money says Oden will stay a year in Columbus, Ohio, then become eligible and be the first pick in the NBA draft. But with this kid, who really knows? Did anybody believe him the past two years when he continually said he was going to college?

Understand, he's not going to college to become draft eligible -- and no, the new NBA draft rules didn't have any impact on his decision. He's going to college to grow up as a player and as a young man, to go to classes and enjoy the campus experience.

"I mean, there's a shoe company contract floating out there that's more money than we can ever think about," said Jack Keefer, Oden's coach at Lawrence North. "There's the signing bonus. But Greg has never thought about how much money that is, or that he's worth as much now as he'll ever be. I don't think he'll become more valuable. He may maintain or he may go backward. You never know. But that's not how he looks at it."

No. Oden looks at it as a chance to obtain something that's priceless. Time is something you can't buy. And they don't hand out bachelor's degrees for playing in the NBA.

"I'll definitely get it (the diploma)," Oden said. He smiled. "I didn't exactly make a promise to my mom (Zoe). More like a threat."

So why Ohio State?

There are a lot of good reasons, the biggest being coach Thad Matta, who cut his teeth at Butler. Matta, understand, is one of those guys who not only gets excited about flossing his teeth, but inspires everybody else in the room to start flossing, too.

"And he does the best coach Keefer imitation I've ever heard," Oden said. "We were driving, I'm in the back seat laughing so hard, I'm crying. He has him down perfect."

(Note to future recruiters: Learn how to do impressions.)

Matta said Wednesday that NCAA rules don't allow him to comment on players until they've signed a national letter of intent. (At Ohio State these days, they do everything by the book -- the NCAA rulebook.) But it's fair to assume, the Dom Perignon was flowing.

"I don't drink," Matta told Oden recently, "but if you guys tell me you're coming, I'm popping open a bottle of champagne."

There were some other good reasons Oden chose to go beyond the Indiana state borders.

For one, Ohio State is just far enough away from home to ensure that Mom won't be around every day, but it's close enough, just in case.

And then there was Conley's influence. All throughout this process, Conley has whispered in Oden's ear -- mostly because he's looking at a four-year commitment, rather than one or two.

Oden said IU was in his Final Four, but Bloomington never completely appealed to Conley. First, Conley said Wednesday he wasn't enamored with the Hoosiers' style of play, an assessment shared by a whole lot of folks. Second, Keefer felt Conley was put off by the number of guards Mike Davis recruited.

"Hey, I'm an Indiana coach, and I even made the point of taking Greg back down to IU a couple of weeks ago to give him one last look," Keefer said. "Nothing against Ohio State, but I wanted Mike (Davis) to understand I wasn't the one making the decision. But, you look at a lot of the other kids who've left the state, they've gone elsewhere and done very well for themselves."

Was it IU's coaching instability? That might have factored into Conley's decision, but it had no resonance with Oden, who doesn't figure to be a college lifer.

Whatever the reasons, it's still a terrible punch to the gut for Davis, who needs to have an absolutely magical year to keep his job.

He needed to get Oden.

And he lost him to a coach who would have taken the IU or Purdue jobs in a heartbeat had those schools made him an offer before last season.

So it was another in a long line of lousy days for college basketball in Indiana. The good news is that an accomplished young man made a sage decision, and did it for all the right reasons. He may wear scarlet and gray down the road, but in the end, he's still one of ours.

ScoutHoops.com$

6/30/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scout.com Video: Greg Oden

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Greg Oden (J.Hawkinis)

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Dave Telep National Recruiting Director
Date: Jun 30, 2005

Want to see the primary cog in Ohio State’s ridiculous recruiting class? Scout.com has video of the nation’s No. 1 player, Greg Oden.
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Excellent video of what makes Oden a great player....sick dunks and countless blocks.....well put together video.

 

[hoopsfan]

Folks, as good a player as Greg Oden is he is an even better person and teammate.

It is rare you will meet a kid with the humility and genuine kindness of Greg given all the attention he has gotten. I have known him for about 8 years and he is the same person now as he was in 4th grade. I took my boys to see him play not long ago, and he was truly surprised that we would drive just to watch him play. He has always been (and still is) all about the team - he honestly does not care about his stats and would prefer to see his teammates excel as much as himself. Even if he wasn't 7' and didn't play ball, you could not find a better kid to represent OSU.

Greg is a pleasure to watch -- I hope some of you are able to get to know the real Greg Oden and see first hand what I am saying.

Congrats to Coach Matta and to the entire OSU campus for landing such a great player, role model, and person.