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- Thread starter Yertle
- Start date
IMO Oden did just about or maybe a little better than I thought he would for his first game. I could tell it took him a while to start to get acclimated to playing as I thought it would be. This game was by no way the end of his progression, more like the first sentence in a whole novel.
I could tell he has all the talent he is purported to have. He just needs a few games to mature into a collegiate player.
Thinking about that last line made me chuckle when a man has the type of first outing Oden had and is still just a beginner at the collegiate level.
Bring on the final four.
I could tell he has all the talent he is purported to have. He just needs a few games to mature into a collegiate player.
Thinking about that last line made me chuckle when a man has the type of first outing Oden had and is still just a beginner at the collegiate level.
Bring on the final four.
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Just seeing him in that uniform, I had to pinch myself. Can this be real? Can all of this be happening this year? :osu:
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IMO, he wasn't ready to go to the NBA. He's still injured now I know but watching him move, other than getting post position or running the floor, guys like Shaq or Yao would abuse him. He's only 18 which completely blows my mind and I try to think about Shaq at LSU. Shaq's sophomore year was when you could tell "it was on". Dribbling up the court and catching alley-oop dunks and just moving people out of the way. We've only scratched the surface of Mr. Oden but I think the ruling this summer made his decision not only easier but correct. Lets get that cast off and see what kind of attitude he has with the ball in his hands down low.
Man I cant believe I'm actually picking at things with this guys game.:crazy:
Think maybe I'm trying not to have a heart attack with excitement over his dominance or something.......
Haha. Two times in a month the Gators are getting a smackin'! I love it!
Man I cant believe I'm actually picking at things with this guys game.:crazy:
Think maybe I'm trying not to have a heart attack with excitement over his dominance or something.......
Haha. Two times in a month the Gators are getting a smackin'! I love it!
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Unfortunately missing seven is not.
Gotta disagree. He is not ready to star and has a lot to learn, but as soon as he is healthy he is ready. Big and mobile is everything.
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crazybuckfan40
Head Coach
Oh8ch;678674; said:
He will be ok once he can shoot a free throw with his right hand. Too much padding at the moment. He was 80% in high school, I don't see an average around 50% in college.
I agree that he would of been ready for the NBA, but with the injury it would of set him back and not looked like he could of with out the injury.
I think the year of college and the development of his left hand with the injury is really going to help him for the pros...
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Not disagreeing that the injury set him back. But with the brace off, his rhythm back, and a bit of conditioning - nothing that will take more than a month or so - he will be playing at a level above where most big men are when they go to the NBA. No way will he be near what he will be in 2-3 years, but he will be ready to play as well as any other talented and inexperienced NBA rookie.
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BuckeyeTillIDie
The North Remembers
Making 8 of 15 with your off hand is incredible. Better % than most big men with their strong hand.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
I think some people who had not seen Oden play were a little suprised at how much of an impact he has in the paint. He is a difference maker and there is no one else like him in college at the moment, watching him run down the court is amazing. He has a ton of athletic ability.
Basically playing with one hand, he recorded a double-double. Amazing.
If I remember correctly, Oden shot in the mid 70% area from the foul line in high school, each year his % improved.
I would have to agree with you.
Basically playing with one hand, he recorded a double-double. Amazing.
If I remember correctly, Oden shot in the mid 70% area from the foul line in high school, each year his % improved.
I would have to agree with you.
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Link
1 hand or 2, hype of freshman Oden legit
by Michael Poppy
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Say you broke the wrist of your writing hand and had an essay exam the next day. No worries, right? Well, at least not for Ohio State?s Greg Oden.
Oden, the nation?s most hyped high school graduate since LeBron James, was supposed to be out until January with a broken right wrist, the wrist of his shooting hand. However, the diaper dandy made an early return this past weekend against Valparaiso, playing with a cast on his right hand and all.
Why Ohio State head coach Thad Matta would play Oden against a school only known for Bryce Drew is beyond me, but the fact of the matter is that Oden?s back, and he?s good.
Practically playing with just his off hand, Oden made a resounding statement in his first collegiate game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. He even made eight of 14 free throws shooting with his left hand.
All the doubters and naysayers? Gone. Oden is as good as advertised.
Prior to the season, Oden was named to the All-Big Ten team, a high honor for a player who had yet to play in a single game. While it may have been questionable to some, coaches across the conference didn?t think twice about it as they all knew just how good Oden would be.
?Greg Oden?s got the whole package, that?s why he was such a coveted recruit,? then-Minnesota head coach Dan Monson said at Big Ten Media Day. ?You don?t have a lot of 7-foot guys come along with the athleticism that he has, the strength, the basketball skill-package coupled with the kind of person he is.?
?[Oden?s] pretty good, because they kept asking me who was the best freshman you ever saw or had the most prolific impact, [and] I said Magic Johnson since I?ve been in the league as an assistant or a head coach,? Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. ?Can you think of anybody else??
Now if Oden is being compared to the likes of Magic by coaches such as Ryan, you know he?s going to be the real deal.
After all, if Oden was projected to be the NBA?s top pick last year before the league?s age restrictions, he should be pretty good. However, it?s always hard to make an impact at the next level right away, especially for a big man who is still growing. (Then again, is it just me or does Oden look like he?s 30-something and not 19? Just throwing it out there? )
Just ask Wisconsin?s own Brian Butch.
Butch came to Wisconsin four years ago with high expectations as a McDonald?s All-American, and while he?s found his niche as a starter, averaging 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this year, it took a great amount of work for the forward/center to adjust to the collegiate level of play.
?It?s definitely hard,? Butch said of coming in as a freshman. ?You just have to know what you got to do for yourself to get better. I took the redshirt to put the extra weight on and hopefully become a better player at the end of my career.?
But Oden?s something else; he?s one of those players who come around once in a lifetime, like the aforementioned Magic and Jordan. One game may be too early to judge the freshman and herald him as one of the best, but if all the hype is true ? and judging by Saturday?s game ? then Oden has the potential to be a very special player.
And it?s scary to think Oden?s broken wrist may actually make him better in the long run, forcing him to use his off hand for the time being.
?In the long run, it probably helps him,? Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. ?If he?s doing it right, and I?ve heard from some people he?s really working on his other hand so now you add that to the mix, it could be a benefit for him to go both ways.?
Whether it?s with one hand or two, Badger fans will have the chance to see just how good Oden is when the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes visit the Kohl Center Jan. 9, 2007.
1 hand or 2, hype of freshman Oden legit
by Michael Poppy
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Say you broke the wrist of your writing hand and had an essay exam the next day. No worries, right? Well, at least not for Ohio State?s Greg Oden.
Oden, the nation?s most hyped high school graduate since LeBron James, was supposed to be out until January with a broken right wrist, the wrist of his shooting hand. However, the diaper dandy made an early return this past weekend against Valparaiso, playing with a cast on his right hand and all.
Why Ohio State head coach Thad Matta would play Oden against a school only known for Bryce Drew is beyond me, but the fact of the matter is that Oden?s back, and he?s good.
Practically playing with just his off hand, Oden made a resounding statement in his first collegiate game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. He even made eight of 14 free throws shooting with his left hand.
All the doubters and naysayers? Gone. Oden is as good as advertised.
Prior to the season, Oden was named to the All-Big Ten team, a high honor for a player who had yet to play in a single game. While it may have been questionable to some, coaches across the conference didn?t think twice about it as they all knew just how good Oden would be.
?Greg Oden?s got the whole package, that?s why he was such a coveted recruit,? then-Minnesota head coach Dan Monson said at Big Ten Media Day. ?You don?t have a lot of 7-foot guys come along with the athleticism that he has, the strength, the basketball skill-package coupled with the kind of person he is.?
?[Oden?s] pretty good, because they kept asking me who was the best freshman you ever saw or had the most prolific impact, [and] I said Magic Johnson since I?ve been in the league as an assistant or a head coach,? Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. ?Can you think of anybody else??
Now if Oden is being compared to the likes of Magic by coaches such as Ryan, you know he?s going to be the real deal.
After all, if Oden was projected to be the NBA?s top pick last year before the league?s age restrictions, he should be pretty good. However, it?s always hard to make an impact at the next level right away, especially for a big man who is still growing. (Then again, is it just me or does Oden look like he?s 30-something and not 19? Just throwing it out there? )
Just ask Wisconsin?s own Brian Butch.
Butch came to Wisconsin four years ago with high expectations as a McDonald?s All-American, and while he?s found his niche as a starter, averaging 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this year, it took a great amount of work for the forward/center to adjust to the collegiate level of play.
?It?s definitely hard,? Butch said of coming in as a freshman. ?You just have to know what you got to do for yourself to get better. I took the redshirt to put the extra weight on and hopefully become a better player at the end of my career.?
But Oden?s something else; he?s one of those players who come around once in a lifetime, like the aforementioned Magic and Jordan. One game may be too early to judge the freshman and herald him as one of the best, but if all the hype is true ? and judging by Saturday?s game ? then Oden has the potential to be a very special player.
And it?s scary to think Oden?s broken wrist may actually make him better in the long run, forcing him to use his off hand for the time being.
?In the long run, it probably helps him,? Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. ?If he?s doing it right, and I?ve heard from some people he?s really working on his other hand so now you add that to the mix, it could be a benefit for him to go both ways.?
Whether it?s with one hand or two, Badger fans will have the chance to see just how good Oden is when the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes visit the Kohl Center Jan. 9, 2007.
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SI
Buckeye boost
Oden's early return makes OSU immediate contender
Posted: Tuesday December 5, 2006 12:39PM; Updated: Tuesday December 5, 2006 12:54PM
Sporting a soft rubber cast on his right wrist, Greg Oden scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots in his Ohio State debut.
AP
http://www.JustListed.com
When Ohio State coach Thad Matta walked into his team's locker room on Saturday before the Buckeyes' game against Valparaiso, he saw his prized 7-foot freshman center, Greg Oden,sitting by himself and intently reading the scouting report. "You're starting to pay attention, huh?" Matta said.
"Now it matters, Coach," Oden replied.
Matta knew that day would come, but he never guessed it would arrive so early. Before Saturday's game Oden, the phenom from Indianapolis who has been billed as the best pivot man to enter college basketball since Patrick Ewing, had not played any competitive basketball since undergoing surgery on June 16 to repair a severed tendon in his right wrist. Six weeks ago, the screw used to reattach the tendon was removed. His doctors had long ago scheduled a strength test for last Friday, but even the most optimistic projections had Oden returning to the lineup in mid-December. The more realistic timetable was early January.
"For a while I'd go every day to our trainer and ask, When's he coming back?" Matta told me Monday. "Our doctor finally said, 'Hey, I'll have him ready for the Big Ten season.' I said, 'That's fine. When he gets here, he gets here.'"
Yet there he was Saturday afternoon, announcing his arrival with a 14-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance in 23 minutes, all while wearing a soft rubber cast on his right (shooting) hand. The impressive showing belied the butterflies Oden felt inside.
"Earlier in the morning, when I asked Greg how he was doing, he told me, 'I'm just going to keep smiling so nobody will know that I'm nervous,'" Matta said. "I told him just be yourself."
What's truly amazing about Oden's debut is that before Saturday he had never participated in a full practice at Ohio State. Instead, he spent most of the preseason trying to maintain his conditioning and doing some isolated skill work. Since getting his hard cast removed 2 1/2 weeks ago, the coaches have been gradually working Oden back into the fold, but he still had done most of his offensive work in five-on-zero drills. When the practices would shift to full-contact and rebounding drills, Oden would be sent back to the sidelines.
"There are very few guys who could have walked out and played like he did Saturday after not having played for seven months," Ohio State assistant coach John Groce said. "He took his rehab very seriously and worked hard to bridge the conditioning gap. He's just a special, special player."
Oden did his best to use his time away from competition constructively. For one thing, the injury forced him to spend countless hours developing his left hand with assistant coach Alan Major.
"We did an Ohio high school coaches' clinic not too long ago, and at one point I looked up and all the coaches were staring at Greg as he made about 18 left-handed jump hooks in a row," Groce said. "There's no way he could have done that when he first arrived here."
Because he was wearing the rubber cast, Oden shot free throws left-handed against Valparaiso (making 8 of 15), but Matta told me he hopes Oden will be able to resume shooting right-handed on Saturday against Cleveland State.
Once Oden's tendon healed, the only remaining question was how long it would take for his bone to fill in the hole left behind when the screw was removed. An X-ray taken early last week looked promising enough that when Oden's doctors spoke by teleconference Thursday night, they decided they would clear him if he passed his strength test the next day. Acutely aware that the test was approaching, Oden, in a rare moment of bravado, told the coaching staff he planned to pass it with flying colors.
When the big day came, Oden, who on more than one occasion tried to peer at the computer monitor to check his results, demonstrated the requisite 80 percent capacity on strength, flexibility and extension. He performed so well that on one of the grip tests, his right wrist actually proved to be stronger than his left. In addition to working hard to get back, Oden is also one fast healer.
"The advantage of being 19 years old is that when you're immobilized for a while you regain your strength pretty quickly," said Dr. Grant Jones, the team doctor who performed the test at Ohio State's occupational therapy department. "Also, because he's such a well-conditioned athlete, he was able to quickly regain the neurological control of his muscles."
Dr. Jones sent the test results to Tom Fisher, the Indianapolis doctor who performed the surgery on Oden in Indianapolis. Dr. Fisher sent a text message to Oden's cell phone telling him he was good to go. (Oden was at a Target store when he got the good news.) After Fisher called Matta's cell phone, Matta dialed up Groce on a different line and said, "You're going to want to hear this." Then he put his cell phone up to the second phone and replayed the message.
You can't overstate the impact Oden's early return will have on Ohio State's national championship hopes (provided the Buckeyes don't suffer any more major injuries). A month is a huge chunk of time during a regular season that lasts just four months. Oden now has four extra weeks to improve his conditioning, familiarize himself with Matta's schemes and develop a rhythm with his teammates. Oden's teammates also have an extra month to get used to playing with him. Best of all, instead of all this adjusting taking place during the crucible of conference play, it can happen during a period of relatively few games (usually against low-grade opponents) and lots and lots of practices.
Not that Oden should be that hard to adjust to. As physically imposing as he is on the court, Oden is just as unassuming off it. Last Friday afternoon, Oden told his teammates to go ahead and shoot the ball and not worry so much about passing to him. "Greg," Matta said, "let me coach the team."
Nor should you expect Matta to slow down his high-octane system. There are three things that start a fast break: a steal, a rebound or a blocked shot. Oden can do those last two as well as any big man in America (and better than many who are currently playing in the NBA). Then there's Oden's ability to run the floor. "From the day I started recruiting Greg I loved his speed," Matta said. "I'm anxious to get him running up and down the floor. I don't expect our style to change at all."
Matta, being a coach, is not going for all the giddy talk just yet, especially in the wake of the Buckeyes' 98-89 loss at North Carolina last Thursday. "You look at the Carolina tape and my gosh did we give them some things we shouldn't have," he said.
Matta can be a worry wart all he wants, but there is no denying that things have changed dramatically in Columbus. If Oden had returned in January, it would have been difficult for the Buckeyes to win a national championship. Now it will be difficult to stop them.
2 of 2
While recovering from wrist surgery, Oden strengthened his left hand so much that he shot free throws with his off hand against Valpo.
Buckeye boost
Oden's early return makes OSU immediate contender
Posted: Tuesday December 5, 2006 12:39PM; Updated: Tuesday December 5, 2006 12:54PM
Sporting a soft rubber cast on his right wrist, Greg Oden scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots in his Ohio State debut.
AP
http://www.JustListed.com
When Ohio State coach Thad Matta walked into his team's locker room on Saturday before the Buckeyes' game against Valparaiso, he saw his prized 7-foot freshman center, Greg Oden,sitting by himself and intently reading the scouting report. "You're starting to pay attention, huh?" Matta said.
"Now it matters, Coach," Oden replied.
Matta knew that day would come, but he never guessed it would arrive so early. Before Saturday's game Oden, the phenom from Indianapolis who has been billed as the best pivot man to enter college basketball since Patrick Ewing, had not played any competitive basketball since undergoing surgery on June 16 to repair a severed tendon in his right wrist. Six weeks ago, the screw used to reattach the tendon was removed. His doctors had long ago scheduled a strength test for last Friday, but even the most optimistic projections had Oden returning to the lineup in mid-December. The more realistic timetable was early January.
"For a while I'd go every day to our trainer and ask, When's he coming back?" Matta told me Monday. "Our doctor finally said, 'Hey, I'll have him ready for the Big Ten season.' I said, 'That's fine. When he gets here, he gets here.'"
Yet there he was Saturday afternoon, announcing his arrival with a 14-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance in 23 minutes, all while wearing a soft rubber cast on his right (shooting) hand. The impressive showing belied the butterflies Oden felt inside.
"Earlier in the morning, when I asked Greg how he was doing, he told me, 'I'm just going to keep smiling so nobody will know that I'm nervous,'" Matta said. "I told him just be yourself."
What's truly amazing about Oden's debut is that before Saturday he had never participated in a full practice at Ohio State. Instead, he spent most of the preseason trying to maintain his conditioning and doing some isolated skill work. Since getting his hard cast removed 2 1/2 weeks ago, the coaches have been gradually working Oden back into the fold, but he still had done most of his offensive work in five-on-zero drills. When the practices would shift to full-contact and rebounding drills, Oden would be sent back to the sidelines.
"There are very few guys who could have walked out and played like he did Saturday after not having played for seven months," Ohio State assistant coach John Groce said. "He took his rehab very seriously and worked hard to bridge the conditioning gap. He's just a special, special player."
Oden did his best to use his time away from competition constructively. For one thing, the injury forced him to spend countless hours developing his left hand with assistant coach Alan Major.
"We did an Ohio high school coaches' clinic not too long ago, and at one point I looked up and all the coaches were staring at Greg as he made about 18 left-handed jump hooks in a row," Groce said. "There's no way he could have done that when he first arrived here."
Because he was wearing the rubber cast, Oden shot free throws left-handed against Valparaiso (making 8 of 15), but Matta told me he hopes Oden will be able to resume shooting right-handed on Saturday against Cleveland State.
Once Oden's tendon healed, the only remaining question was how long it would take for his bone to fill in the hole left behind when the screw was removed. An X-ray taken early last week looked promising enough that when Oden's doctors spoke by teleconference Thursday night, they decided they would clear him if he passed his strength test the next day. Acutely aware that the test was approaching, Oden, in a rare moment of bravado, told the coaching staff he planned to pass it with flying colors.
When the big day came, Oden, who on more than one occasion tried to peer at the computer monitor to check his results, demonstrated the requisite 80 percent capacity on strength, flexibility and extension. He performed so well that on one of the grip tests, his right wrist actually proved to be stronger than his left. In addition to working hard to get back, Oden is also one fast healer.
"The advantage of being 19 years old is that when you're immobilized for a while you regain your strength pretty quickly," said Dr. Grant Jones, the team doctor who performed the test at Ohio State's occupational therapy department. "Also, because he's such a well-conditioned athlete, he was able to quickly regain the neurological control of his muscles."
Dr. Jones sent the test results to Tom Fisher, the Indianapolis doctor who performed the surgery on Oden in Indianapolis. Dr. Fisher sent a text message to Oden's cell phone telling him he was good to go. (Oden was at a Target store when he got the good news.) After Fisher called Matta's cell phone, Matta dialed up Groce on a different line and said, "You're going to want to hear this." Then he put his cell phone up to the second phone and replayed the message.
You can't overstate the impact Oden's early return will have on Ohio State's national championship hopes (provided the Buckeyes don't suffer any more major injuries). A month is a huge chunk of time during a regular season that lasts just four months. Oden now has four extra weeks to improve his conditioning, familiarize himself with Matta's schemes and develop a rhythm with his teammates. Oden's teammates also have an extra month to get used to playing with him. Best of all, instead of all this adjusting taking place during the crucible of conference play, it can happen during a period of relatively few games (usually against low-grade opponents) and lots and lots of practices.
Not that Oden should be that hard to adjust to. As physically imposing as he is on the court, Oden is just as unassuming off it. Last Friday afternoon, Oden told his teammates to go ahead and shoot the ball and not worry so much about passing to him. "Greg," Matta said, "let me coach the team."
Nor should you expect Matta to slow down his high-octane system. There are three things that start a fast break: a steal, a rebound or a blocked shot. Oden can do those last two as well as any big man in America (and better than many who are currently playing in the NBA). Then there's Oden's ability to run the floor. "From the day I started recruiting Greg I loved his speed," Matta said. "I'm anxious to get him running up and down the floor. I don't expect our style to change at all."
Matta, being a coach, is not going for all the giddy talk just yet, especially in the wake of the Buckeyes' 98-89 loss at North Carolina last Thursday. "You look at the Carolina tape and my gosh did we give them some things we shouldn't have," he said.
Matta can be a worry wart all he wants, but there is no denying that things have changed dramatically in Columbus. If Oden had returned in January, it would have been difficult for the Buckeyes to win a national championship. Now it will be difficult to stop them.
2 of 2
While recovering from wrist surgery, Oden strengthened his left hand so much that he shot free throws with his off hand against Valpo.
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