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

[IndyBucksFan]

From today's IndyStar

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/SPORTS/507240509/1004/SPORTS

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

7/24/05

Here is the link............

Summer basketball
Fab Fiver eager to see Thad's stars

<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><!-- STORY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->
By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]


A member of the original Fab Five will get his first look at the Thad Five this week.

Ray Jackson, one of the players on Michigan's recruiting class of 1991, coaches a basketball team that will be playing in Fort Wayne, Ind., Thursday through July 31 in the United States Specialty Sports Association Nationals.

The tournament also includes Spiece Indy Heat, led by Lawrence North High School teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley and Dayton, Ohio's Daequan Cook. All three are headed to Ohio State, along with Cleveland's David Lighty, in 2006. They are being called the Thad Five after coach Thad Matta, though OSU has used only four of seven available scholarships.

"I haven't seen any of them play. I've just heard a lot about them," said Jackson, coach of the Pflugerville (Texas) Titans.

Jackson said he likes it that another recruiting class is being compared to his, which also included Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Jimmy King. That group reached the NCAA title game in 1992 and '93.

"Doing what we did as teenagers, a lot of kids are going to try to emulate that. I feel like it keeps the name Fab Five going, especially since they've taken our banners down," Jackson said, referring to sanctions following NCAA rules violations associated with a former booster. ". . . A lot of people think of us and think black socks or the baggy shorts. But I see five guys who humbled themselves for the better of the team."

The Notre Dame decision

Now that Luke Harangody has made his decision to attend Notre Dame, questions have arisen regarding why he passed on other schools.

Harangody, who made his oral commitment Wednesday, has strong ties to Indiana University. His father, Dave, played football there and his older brother, Ty, will be on the Hoosiers football team starting this fall.

The 6-7 power forward from Andrean also was recruited by Ohio State and Purdue, where he likely would have been able to play a major role immediately under coach Matt Painter.

"This is probably one of the hardest decisions I've encountered so far," said Harangody, who listed Notre Dame and Purdue as his final two schools. "I looked at all the pros and cons of all the schools, and Notre Dame came out on top."

For openers

The opening round of the Reebok Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas on Friday featured a matchup of the top-ranked players in the next two classes, and again Oden's team won.

Oden, No. 1 in the Class of 2006, and his Spiece teammates scored a 69-67 victory over the D-1 Greyhounds, headed by 2007's No. 1 player, shooting guard O.J. Mayo of Cincinnati. Oden had 10 points and 12 rebounds, while North Central's Eric Gordon led Spiece with 16 points. Mayo had 22 points but on 9-of-24 shooting.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported a standing-room only crowd of 4,000 attended the game. According to the Review Journal, the Greyhounds "hacked" Oden the entire game before Oden retaliated with an intentional foul against Bill Walker. The two exchanged words and Oden received a technical.

"It's always like that," Oden told the paper. "But I'm not going to back down from anybody."

In open pool play, Spiece Indy Heat defeated New York Panthers, 77-63 and Spiece also defeated So Calif All Stars, 81-57.

Oden and Co......start Bracket play today at 1:00pm against Eastern Wash Elite Red.....

 

[wadc45]

Scout $

7/24/05

By Frank Burlison...Burlison says Oden is obviously the most dominant high school center since Shaq.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

At the Big Time tourney on Sunday....

Spiece Indy Heat defeated Eastern Wash Elite Red 87-59 and in the evening Spiece defeated Philadelphia Crusaders, 69-56. Spiece Indy Heat will play Spiece Gym Rats Cent at 11:40pm on Monday in the #6 Bracket.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

So here's a weird tidbit...

I was in Circuit City this weekend looking at TVs that I won't be able to afford for a long time, and they have Greg Oden dunking on people as their video clips that show off HDTV. He's a star!

 

[OHSportsFan]

At the Big Time tourney on Sunday....

Spiece Indy Heat defeated Eastern Wash Elite Red 87-59 and in the evening Spiece defeated Philadelphia Crusaders, 69-56. Spiece Indy Heat will play Spiece Gym Rats Cent at 11:40pm on Monday in the #6 Bracket.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

interesting, I have a friend plays/played on Spiece Gym Rats, but he was a graduating senior this year so doubt thats the same team or if he's even playing on it this summer because I don't know of any plans for him to continue basketball into college. Not sure how the age system, etc. works. I think the Gym Rats are like the level below the Heat (like an A team and a B team), but it might also just be the name of the A team for older guys, and if thats so then he probably does/did play.

Not that any of that really matters, except I could have asked him what it's like to play against Oden (although my friend is only a PG).

 

[hoopsfan]

interesting, I have a friend plays/played on Spiece Gym Rats, but he was a graduating senior this year so doubt thats the same team or if he's even playing on it this summer because I don't know of any plans for him to continue basketball into college. Not sure how the age system, etc. works. I think the Gym Rats are like the level below the Heat (like an A team and a B team), but it might also just be the name of the A team for older guys, and if thats so then he probably does/did play.

Not that any of that really matters, except I could have asked him what it's like to play against Oden (although my friend is only a PG).

I am very familiar with Spiece and the Gym Rats program - Spiece has (usually) more than one team in each age division (soph, jr, sr-to-be) and in general each team is primarily from one area of the state (there are exceptions). The team names really don't have any significance - not sure whether they are given or picked by the coaches.

This year, for example, there are 5 Spiece Sr-to-be teams --- Indy Heat (Oden and Co.), NW Alliance (NW IN), Indy Red (central IN), and ECI Elite (NE of Indianapolis) as well as a team from Dayton, OH (Dayton Airmen). Not sure how that happened. Anyway, one team usually emerges as the best of that class over the HS years and players sometimes go from one team to another but there is no "system" in place to steer players to one team vs. another.

As an FYI - the Spiece team that Oden and Co. play today is a Jr-to-be team so there won't be any trouble for them there. Hope this info helps a little.

 

[jwinslow]

So here's a weird tidbit...

I was in Circuit City this weekend looking at TVs that I won't be able to afford for a long time, and they have Greg Oden dunking on people as their video clips that show off HDTV. He's a star!

Incredible... this was in PA right? That makes it even more notable, as Ohio could be explained away as a future buckeye star...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

7/25/05

Spiece Indy Heat defeated Spiece Central 63-53 in a hard fought, physical game. Oden was in foul trouble most of the game, only scoring 9 points in the win.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

7/26/05

NBA took pressure off Oden, Mayo

By Nick Christensen <[email protected]>
[size=-2]LAS VEGAS SUN[/size]


This time last year, Greg Oden, who had just finished his sophomore year of high school, was still fielding questions about the NBA, listening to offers from colleges and showing off why both were interested.

Then last month, his decision on what to do next year got a lot easier.

The NBA and its players association approved a new collective bargaining agreement in June that, among other things, set a minimum age for the NBA at 19.

That means high schoolers like Oden, no matter how much talent they have, will spend a year in college unless they're a year older than the rest of their graduating class.

And so far for Oden and rising junior O.J. Mayo, that's just fine.

"I really didn't worry about the (pros) because I was only a junior," Oden said. "I was just worried about my senior year of high school, finishing school and getting good grades."

Oden averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in three pool play games at the Big Time basketball tournament. His Spiece Indy Heat team handily defeated teams from Washington and Philadelphia, and are likely to play at 7:40 tonight at Basic.

Spiece coach Michael Conley said he thinks Oden's decision to play college basketball was made long ago.

"In Greg's mind he was going to college," Conley said. "He told everybody that. People probably still don't believe it. The NBA thing, it took a little pressure off him. You've got people saying it's not very smart to pass up that much money and go to college. He had to deal with people saying that. Now he doesn't have to worry about that."

Conley said Oden was keenly aware that the competition he so dominates at tournaments like the Big Time is no indication of what he'd face if he went straight to the pros.

"He's not ready go to the next level at the way he wants to play at," Conley said. "He made a quote that I think said it all. He said, 'Number 1, when I go to the league I want everybody to know why that guy was drafted high. And Number 2, I want to try and be the rookie of the year,' and he feels he still needs to improve his game to do that."

Oden said the closure of the NBA option hasn't had any impact on his game.

"You come out and play every game and try not to bring stuff off the court onto the court," he said.

Mayo, who has drawn comparisons to LeBron James, said the CBA rules on players' minimum ages is nothing but a positive.

"Before the decision, there were a lot of questions of what my decision was going to be," Mayo said. "Right now I just want to go - I have to go to college. It's totally made it easier."

Mayo continues to attract the interest of the biggest names in college basketball, and justifiably so. His 25.3 points per game is tops in the Big Time's Elite Eight, and he's 10th in rebounding at 7.33. He also had eight steals in the Greyhounds' three pool play games.

The Greyhounds are probable to play at 5 p.m. today at Basic.

While coaches still salivate over the prospect of Mayo attending their school for a year, Oden's decision is made.

He, along with teammates Daequan Cook and Conley's son, also named Michael, have all committed to Ohio State. "When you know the guys you're going to play (in) college with, that's a great bonus," Oden said. "Usually guys going in, they only know the players from their visits. I've known these guys since eighth grade, I've known Mike longer. Knowing I'm going to be playing with them, chilling with them, rooming with them and becoming a young man with them is a great feeling."

 

[scooter1369]

Good read. Thanks for keeping us up to date on these guys.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

7/26/05

big time tournament notebook
Young team makes impression
Central Indiana-based 16-and-under squad has competed well against older foes this summer.

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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]


LAS VEGAS -- The Spiece Indy Heat are considered the best summer team in the nation.

They're the main attraction wherever they play, particularly 7-foot center Greg Oden. A feature story, column and large photo of the nation's top-ranked prep player dominated the front page of Saturday's sports section in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

But there is another Indiana-based team opening eyes.

The Spiece Central Stars, a 16-and-under team, played in the open bracket of the Las Vegas Big Time Tournament, reaching the round of 32 before losing 63-53 Monday to their big brothers, the Indy Heat.

It was the second-closest any team has come to the Indy Heat, behind only a two-point win over O.J. Mayo and the D-I Greyhounds

"You guys made a statement," Central Stars coach Pat Mullin told his players in the hallway after the game. "You made the state of Indiana proud."

Comprised of players from the Indianapolis area, New Castle, Muncie, Terre Haute and Connersville, the Central Stars have won three national age-group titles. They're 55-9 this summer, with seven of those losses coming when they've "played up" against older competition, Mullin said.

All part of the Class of 2007, none of the players is listed in national rankings, but Mullin said several are getting major-college interest.

He said Matt Howard, a 6-8 forward from Connersville, and JuJuan Johnson, a 6-10 center from Franklin Central, are drawing interest from Purdue and Marquette, among others.

A dominant win

Indy Heat's first three games drew standing-room only crowds at the 4,000-seat gymnasium at Foothill High School, and their third game was eye-opening for the partisan West Coast crowd.

Indy Heat recorded an 81-57 blowout of the So-Cal All-Stars, which includes 6-7 Chase Budinger, a top-10 player in the 2006 class, and 6-9 Kevin Love, considered the No. 1 center in the Class of 2007.

Love previously played for a Nike team out of Portland, Ore., the Legends, but was dropped after he played in the Reebok ABCD camp earlier this month instead of the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis. The Legends were ranked No. 2 in the nation behind the Indy Heat.

Indy Heat defeated Texas Bluechips 71-42 late Monday, advancing to today's quarterfinals. The champion will be crowned tonight.

Indy Heat defeated Texas Bluechips 71-42 late Monday, advancing to today's quarterfinals. The champion will be crowned tonight. Indy Heat will play the Michigan Hurricanes at 11:40am today.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

7/26/05

Today: July 26, 2005 at 11:5:48 PDT



Big Time champs get big assist

Oden is the star, but point guard's game sparkles



By Steve Guiremand <[email protected]>
[size=-2]LAS VEGAS SUN[/size]

Defending Reebok Big Time tournament champion Spiece Indy Heat team took the floor at Foothill High School for a key matchup against the Southern California All-Stars and all eyes were focused on 7-foot center Greg Oden.

There's a good reason for that. Oden is probably the best prep center to come along since some fellow named Shaquille O'Neal and would have been the No. 1 pick of next June's NBA draft if not for the league's recent rule change requiring players to be at least 19 years old to be eligible.

But the Spiece Indy Heat is hardly a one-man team.

Although he doesn't get the national attention that Oden does, electrifying 6-foot-1 point guard Michael Conley also will probably merit McDonald's All-America status next spring. Like Oden, Conley has already verbally committed to play his college basketball at Ohio State.

"I think he's one of the best true point guards in the nation in making great decisions," said respected recruiting guru Bob Gibbons (bobgibbons.net) of Lenoir, N.C. "He's also an accurate 3-point shooter. He knows how to get the ball in to Oden when he has to. I'd rate him one of the top three point guard prospects in the nation."

Oden and Conley have led Lawrence North High School to back-to-back Indiana state titles. They've played together since sixth grade.

"He's the leader out there," Oden said. "He might be quiet but he knows what he's doing. We look to him. When he's having a good game, there's nothing you can do about it. Just sit back and let him do his thing."

Conley's "thing" is breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and dishing off to Oden, who usually finishes with a dunk. He is also an outstanding defender who roams the backcourt like a free safety, frequently intercepting a pass to foil an opposing fastbreak.

Playing in the giant shadow of player like Oden doesn't bother Conley -- and for good reason.

He's used to it.

Conley is the son of U.S. Track and Field Hall of Famer Mike Conley, a three-time Olympic triple-jumper who won the gold in 1992 with a leap of 59-feet, 7 1/2 inches. He also won a silver at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

"There really wasn't any extra pressure," Conley said of being the son of a star athlete. "The main thing was people were expecting me to run track. But I didn't have any extra pressure other than that because I played basketball, which is my own sport. In fact, it was kind of cool because a lot of people knew him."

Conley did give track a shot as a freshman in high school and had a best in the long jump of 22 feet, 3 inches. He never competed in his dad's specialty, the triple jump.

"But it got in the way of my playing AAU (basketball) so I gave it up," he said. "My father let me do whatever I wanted to do. And I'm glad I picked basketball."

Conley's father is the coach of Spiece Indy Heat squad that includes another future Buckeye in 6-foot-5 forward Daequan Cook, as well as standout junior guard Eric Gordon. But most of the attention centers around Oden, who very well could have been the No. 1 pick of last June's NBA Draft if he could have come out following his junior year.

That's just fine with the younger Conley.

"People might think playing with him might hurt me and I might get overlooked or something," Conley said. "But I think it's perfect for me because I don't have any pressure on me. I don't know how Greg handles all the pressure and attention he gets."

On this night, the Heat dispose easily of the Southern California All-Stars, 81-57. Oden finishes with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in his showdown with 6-foot-9 junior Kevin Love, the son of former Laker Stan Love and the nephew of Beach Boys singer Mike Love. But it's also a big night for Conley, who has seven points, eight assists, three steals and zero turnovers in his battle against Brandon Jennings (11 points, two assists, five turnovers), a sophomore from Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., who is being hailed by some scouts as potentially the best point guard prospect to ever come out of Southern California.

"It was a good game for us but our goal is to win the tournament again," Conley said.

With a dynamic one-two punch like Oden and Conley, it will be a major surprise if they don't. The Heat played the Michigan Hurricanes in this morning's quarterfinals at Foothill High School with a rematch against the Southern California All-Stars likley in the semifinals at 3:20 p.m.. The championship game is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

7/27/05

big time tournament
Indy Heat win championship
Oden named tournament MVP; Gordon, Conley provide key baskets in event's final.

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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]


LAS VEGAS -- Led by the nation's top high school player, the Spiece Indy Heat put an exclamation point on a dominating summer basketball season by winning the Reebok Big Time Tournament.

In a heated final featuring seven of the nation's most highly regarded high school players, Spiece beat O.J. Mayo and the D-I Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday night in front of a standing-room-only crowd that included hundreds of college coaches at Foothill High School's 4,000-seat gymnasium.

Indy Heat leaned on 7-foot center Greg Oden early and clutch plays from their guards late to finish with a 10-0 record. Their average margin of victory was 18.9 points.

Indy Heat became the first repeat champion in the tournament's 11-year history and Oden became the first two-time Most Valuable Player.

Even before the championship game, talk among college coaches and talent scouts was that Spiece Indy Heat is the best summer team ever.

"Now that this is over with, I think we are," coach Mike Conley said. "Not because I think our kids are better and more talented than (other) kids, but it's their history.

"They lost only one game in AAU nationals since sixth grade. They stopped playing AAU nationals and won two of these nationals. Bring out somebody else's record and compare."

Indy Heat also won tournaments in Miami, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Bloomington, Ind. They were second at the Real Deal on the Hill in Fayetteville, Ark. They lost two games all summer.

Indy Heat went 3-0 against the Greyhounds, led by Mayo, considered the No. 1 player in the 2007 class, and highly regarded Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis.

Oden finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. He blocked three dunk attempts, one by the 6-11 Ellis and two by 6-8 Alex Tyus.

Shooting guard Eric Gordon had 18 points, point guard Mike Conley had 15 points and three assists, and shooting guard Daequan Cook had 14 points.

Conley tied the score at 60 with two driving layups in traffic, then Cook followed with an old-fashioned three-point play and Gordon hit a 3-pointer for a 66-60 Spiece lead.

Oden shot 68 percent from the field and averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while playing 19 minutes per game.

link

7/27/05

The game of his life
Oden stays grounded as summer flies by
In his final season on the travel circuit, basketball star has logged more than 15,000 miles and lots of memories.

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• Indy Heat win championship

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• Global reach: It's common for Greg Oden to be highlighted in this nation's newspapers, but Taiwan's? Sure enough, earlier this month the English-language Taipei Times, which says it's devoted to covering Taiwan-oriented news, picked up a feature-length story on Oden by The New York Times. The headline was: "Ohio State out to boost their level in men's basketball." As of Tuesday, the story had been visited 361 times on the Internet.

• Staying humble: Never one to toot his horn, Oden took humility to the next level during the U.S. Basketball Development Festival last month in San Diego. In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, the leader of two-time defending state champ Lawrence North High School said: "My high school career hasn't been that great. Any 7-footer can average 20 points a game. . . . I'm just hoping I'm good enough for a Division I college."

• Good grief, mate: A story in The Star's Oden series featured Indianapolis' Kevin Ferrell, whom Hoopscoop Magazine, a national recruiting service, listed as the No. 1 fourth-grader in the nation. Apparently, that story had some reach. On an Australian Internet site, under the headline, "Beyond a Joke . . . Only in America," an Aussie opined, "Browsing the U.S. papers and came across this article. I can only hope that rubbish like this doesn't occur in Australia."


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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]


LAS VEGAS -- After the ESPYs earlier this month in Los Angeles, Greg Oden stepped out of the Kodak Theatre and decided to check out Hollywood.

He was walking alone when a voice boomed out from the barricaded area where VIPs were being picked up by limousines. It was NBA star Baron Davis.

"He was like, 'Big G, what up? Who you walking with?' " Oden recalled. "I said, 'Nobody. I'm just sightseeing.' He was like, 'Get in.' He was going to a party, so I rode with him, then he had his driver drop me off."

Just another day in the long ride Oden has enjoyed as one of the nation's most touted amateur basketball players in recent years. Since the sixth grade, he's traveled thousands of miles every summer -- more than 15,000 this year -- to individual showcase events and tournaments with his summer team, the Spiece Indy Heat.

Basketball prowess has afforded the 17-year-old travel experiences some don't get in a lifetime. As his fame has grown, so has the list of celebrities who've sought him out. At the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year banquet that preceded the ESPYs, Oden had lunch with Peyton Manning and Kevin Garnett.

Every place he goes, a major newspaper features Oden in a big story and kids and adults alike line up for autographs.

But it's not all like that. Mostly it's planes, hotels, fights over the TV and sleep. And basketball.

The Reebok Big Time Tournament this week in Las Vegas marks the final major trip for Oden and his best friend, Mike Conley, who have played on the same team since that sixth-grade summer. Indy Heat beat O.J. Mayo and the D-I Greyhounds 73-67 in the final as Oden was named tournament MVP.

The two are heading into their senior seasons at Lawrence North High School, and players rarely go on the summer circuit after graduating; summer ball is for players trying to impress college scouts. Oden and Conley, who have orally committed to Ohio State, likely will spend part of next summer in Columbus working out with their future Buckeyes teammates.

In the meantime, Spiece will go to Fort Wayne, Ind., for the United States Specialty Sports Association nationals beginning Thursday, and then that's likely it for organized team basketball until Lawrence North starts practicing in November, its sights set on a third straight Class 4A state title.

During breaks in action in Las Vegas this week, Oden looked back on the past six travel summers. He said there was no remorse for regular-life opportunities missed -- in fact, just the opposite.

"It's great," Oden said. "You get to see different places, different things, different cities. And you have fun."

His highlight came earlier this month at the ESPYs, walking the red carpet with stars of sports and entertainment. The first person he saw was golfer Annika Sorenstam, who wore a stunning silver dress and drew plenty of attention.

"When I saw her, I was like, 'I know who these people are. I don't belong on the red carpet,' " Oden said.

Prodded into playing

Early on, it could have been too much.

Naturally shy, and at the time still uncomfortable with his rapid growth, Oden had to be talked into playing in the Nike Jamboree in St. Louis prior to his eighth-grade year.

"He was like, 'Mrs. Conley, I can't go. I'm not any good. I can't dribble. I can't pass. I can't shoot,' " said Regina Conley, mother of Mike Jr. and wife of Spiece coach Mike Conley Sr.

"I went to Zoe (Oden's mother) and said, 'He needs to go to this. He needs the exposure.' "

He went and he got it. Oden dominated the camp, after which talent scout Dave Telep proclaimed Oden would be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft when he graduated from high school in 2006.

"George Raveling (Nike's tournament director then) walked up to me and said he didn't think Greg would play a day of college basketball," Regina Conley said. Many agreed, until this summer when the NBA barred players who had just graduated from high school from the draft.

That same eighth-grade summer, Oden saw the ocean for the first time. His team was in the AAU nationals in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and he walked the beach. Now it's part of his routine whenever the team is on a coast.

Oden and Conley have been roommates every stop of the way, except this week in Las Vegas when Oden got his own room. The only argument they have is about television.

"I want to play video games, and he'll shut the curtains, turn on a movie and go to sleep," Conley said. "He'll make me watch it with him. When he wakes up and it's off, he gets mad."

Oden cherishes his collection of movies. As a present last Christmas, he received a portable DVD player that he takes with him on the road. It came in handy at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival when the players stayed in dorm rooms at San Diego State and had no TV.

His other love on the road is sleep. He's a notorious napper, even when visiting friends.

"I tell Zoe he's a big bear, always hibernating," Regina Conley said. "I wouldn't even notice when he was in the house."

On the court, he's been impossible to miss.

Winning teams

With the 7-foot Oden in the paint and Conley at point guard, their summer teams have been arguably more dominant than their high school team, even when facing the best competition in the country. They've lost only one game together in AAU national age-group tournaments, and Spiece has won nearly every major tournament it has entered.

Such success hasn't always been appreciated. At a tournament in Dallas when most of the players were in junior high, a vanquished foe claimed the victors were too old.

"The team had to immediately leave the hotel and rush to the tournament headquarters with birth certificates in hand," assistant coach Eric Cheatham said. "The players they were accusing of being too old were actually the youngest players on the team."

That had a happy ending, Cheatham said, when the team enjoyed a pizza dinner courtesy of the proceeds forfeited by the protesting team.

The travel has provided first-time experiences for Zoe Oden as well. She was with Greg in Las Vegas this week, and she also went to the Youth Development Festival in San Diego and on an earlier trip this summer to North Carolina, where she played cards with coaches and other parents during breaks.

On the way to the Gatorade Athlete of the Year ceremony, Greg was provided with a first-class ticket, his mom one in the back. But with an empty seat next to him, Greg was able to bring his mom up. It was her first time flying first class.

Like her son, Zoe has no worries about Greg missing out on a traditional teenage summer.

"They still have fun and do things they'd do if they're at home -- play cards, hang out, go to movies, lay around, eat, sleep," she said. "It's just a different place."

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7/27/05

[font=Verdana, Arial]PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Heat pulls off title repeat[/font]

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[font=Verdana, Arial]Star Oden leads squad's 10-0 run through Big Time[/font]

<!-- TEXT of COL1 --><!--plsfield:BYLINE-->[font=Verdana, Arial]By STEVE CARP
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Players on the Spiece Indy Heat bench cheer as their team takes the lead late in Tuesday's 73-67 victory over the D1 Greyhounds in the Big Time Tournament's Open Division title game. Spiece Indy Heat became the first team to win back-to-back Big Time titles.
Photo by John Locher.



Aaron Pogue of Spiece Indy Heat drives to the basket against D1 Greyhounds' Alexander Tyus in the Big Time title game.
Photo by John Locher.
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</B>Defending champion Spiece Indy Heat entered the Big Time Tournament with much of last year's lineup intact, including star 7-foot center Greg Oden, and a big question:

Could the team do something that hadn't been accomplished in the basketball tourney's previous 10 years, repeat as champion?

The Heat was tested on occasion, but Oden and his teammates capped a 10-0 run in the Open Division by defeating the O.J. Mayo-led D-1 Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday at Foothill High School to retain the Big Time title.

"It's a great honor. We played together, all five guys working as one," said Oden, who had 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks and was named Outstanding Player.

The Greyhounds were looking to avenge Friday's 69-67 loss in the first round of pool play.

Led by Mayo's 18 points, the Greyhounds stayed close throughout the title game, which was tied at 60 with three minutes left. But Daequan Cook converted a three-point play and Eric Gordon followed with a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 66-60 lead, and the Greyhounds were unable to answer.

"It's very hard to go undefeated," said Cook, who had 14 points. "But we had a lot of determination. We wanted to be the first to repeat."

Coach Michael Conley said: "This team had a lot of pressure on it, but they're mature kids. They never took anyone for granted, and to go undefeated is a tremendous accomplishment."

The Greyhounds reached the final by defeating the Oakland Soldiers 79-63 and Team Danny Williams, 87-76.

In the win over Team Danny Williams, Billy Walker of Greyhounds had a team-high 27 points, including two dynamic dunks in the second half. <!-- TEXT of COL2 -->

On the first dunk, Walker left the player guarding him, Davon Jefferson, with a crossover dribble, accelerated through the lane and finished with a tomahawk slam.

On his second dunk, Walker beat a double-team, sliced through the lane and finished with another one-handed slam.

Jefferson had signed with UNLV but failed to qualify academically and will attend prep school in Texas this fall. He had 26 points in the loss.

Spiece Indy Heat had little trouble in its first two games Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures in its 85-46 quarterfinal win over the Michigan Hurricanes. Oden then dominated in the semifinals against the Southern California All-Stars, scoring 18 points in a 71-47 win.

After helping his team successfully defend its title, Oden said he was ready to celebrate.

"I want to ride the roller coaster at New York-New York," he said. "I just hope he (Conley) will let us."

• NOTES -- There were four other division title games Tuesday. In the High School bracket, Spirit Got Game defeated the Panthers of Fort Wayne, Ind., 74-73 to finish 8-0, the only team other than Spiece Indy Heat to finish undefeated. The NW Ohio Basketball Club beat the Idaho Hoosiers 56-45 to win the C Division title, and AFE Wizards Detroit defeated the Houston Jr. Hardballers 79-64 in the B Division. Spiece Indy Red beat the Indy Stars 61-51 for the A Division championship. ... The Las Vegas Dynasty, which enjoyed the longest run among the eight local teams, fell to the Indy Stars 80-62 in the A Division quarterfinals.


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rivals.com$

7/27/05

More coverage of Indy Heat's win over D-1 Greyhounds......

 

[wadc45]

The top center prospect in the class of 2007 will probably come down to guys like Keenan Ellis, Kevin Love, Martell Jackson and Isaih Rusher. Oden's biggest competition has always been Mayo and Walker and the Hack-a-Greg Greyhounds. That being said, my favorite thing to read about during the summer circuit has been the way Oden has just quietly dominated people, especially Love at the ABCD camp.