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Cook, Conley, and Oden

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OSU: OCC have officially declared

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The OSU department of athletics has issued the following statement reguarding freshman basketball players Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook.

After a memorable run in this year's NCAA Tournament, The Ohio State University's freshman trio of Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook have decided to pursue their goals of playing at the professional level and are announcing that they will enter this year's NBA Draft.

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Very good read on all three pros and cons


Beginning

Conley
Conley wants another season of college basketball. He knows parts of his game need to be improved for him to become a great pro point guard. He could use a few more pounds, and he certainly needs to become a more accurate shooter with better range. He hit only 30 percent of his college-length 3-pointers, and most of those were launched from directly at the line.
The discussion of him entering the draft strictly is tied to draft position. He is being projected as a lottery level selection if he leaves college now. But this draft is certain to be one of the most loaded in recent years. With an improved jumper and a thinner crop in 2008, Conley likely will find himself in range of the top five. He's got the physical gifts and mental command of the game to approach what Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton did in going 3-4-5 in the 2005 draft.
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It's easy to forget that when Kenny Anderson left Georgia Tech, he was among the most gifted point guards ever to play college basketball. But he didn't gain the strength and jumpshot range he needed to be fully effective until his fifth year in the league. By the time his career stabilized, he was on his third team.
Cook
His own slow adaptation to the college game and the emerging leadership of senior Ron Lewis relegated Cook to a small role by the time the Buckeyes reached the NCAA Tournament. NBA teams currently aren't imagining Cook as a first-round pick, and why should they? He did not have a double-figure scoring game in the season's final month and averaged only 9.8 points for the season.
Frustrated by the year, Cook is pondering whether to simply get out and work his way up from the edge of an NBA roster. By following this course, he would cost himself millions. If Cook returns to OSU as a sophomore, he'll have plenty of opportunity to show off his offensive skills and will have the opportunity to become a mid-teens scorer -- or better.
Cook is a dynamic offensive talent with pro level skills, but sometimes such ability is muted in the transition to a new level. Charlie Villanueva played about the same role as a freshman on Connecticut's 2004 champions as Cook did with OSU this year. However, as a sophomore, Villanueva increased his output to 13.6 points per game. He left after that year to become the No. 7 overall pick and quickly established himself as an important player in the league. That's the example Cook should be following. Villanueva was thought to be a sluggish, unmotivated player before sticking it out at UConn. His perseverance paid off big.
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Good luck to all three of them. I hear that Columbus has its share of "fans" who are ruminating in their "disappointment" at their leaving. No doubt, some will find their way here.

We have all enjoyed watching these three play for Ohio State, when they chose Ohio State, they elevated our program for years to come. Ask Wake Forest:biggrin:.

It would be easy to shout out the reasons why they should return. Instead of trying to stop these kids from doing what they want to do, we should remember that they are making an informed choice and that two apparently will not hire an agent yet. Instead of criticizing Cook for his performance late in the year, we should remember that he was the one who recruited the other two. As Ron Lewis rose to claim his own place in the NBA draft, Cook sat on the bench without becoming a negative influence on this team.

Oden, in particular and the other two to a lesser extent, put Ohio State on the map again in the college basketball world. I hope that Conley and Cook come back, but if they don't, I wish them great success in whatever they choose.
 
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Slick Rick says, Slick Rick understands the Buckeye Nation has lost Oden, but what does everyone think will happen with Conley Jr. and Cook? Slick Rick says, the Buckeyes will still be a major force next season if these two guys come back for another year.
 
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Slick Rick;818073; said:
Slick Rick says, Slick Rick understands the Buckeye Nation has lost Oden, but what does everyone think will happen with Conley Jr. and Cook? Slick Rick says, the Buckeyes will still be a major force next season if these two guys come back for another year.
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Slick Rick, what if, and most likely wont IMO, Conley and Cook don't come back. Then how much of a force will OSU be next year.

If Cook does come back, it will be him and Butler leading the scoring drive. IMO
 
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Slick Rick;818108; said:
Slick Rick says, Matta is a great coach. Slick Rick's Buckeyes can lose both of them and they will still not be an easy task for anyone. Slick Rick says, when Slick Rick speaks, everyone should listen.
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Daddyphatsacs says that Slick Rick makes accurate, yet obvious points. :wink2:
 
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espn.com

nba_g_conleysr_412.jpg

Conley Sr. has high hopes for new career

The Ohio State freshmen will continue to blaze new territory when one, likely two and possibly all three of them sign with an untested, but familiar face in Mike Conley Sr. as their agent.
Conley, a former Olympic gold medal-winning track and field star in the 1992 Barcelona Games, is embarking on a new career filled with massive egos and plenty of gossip and behind-the-back sniping at a time when there is a new era of megadeals off the court.


On Sunday, Conley left for Beijing, where he will be a part of the Chicago 2016 Committee. There the goal is to help bring major sporting events to the Windy City, to build contacts and learn more about the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations, as well as corporate marketing.

When he returns, he said he's expecting to meet with Greg Oden and his family to officially sign the 7-foot-1 Ohio State freshman and likely No. 1 pick in the June NBA draft. According to a number of sources, no one associated with the draft can remember a No. 1 draft pick in the NBA going with a brand-new agent. Conley was recently certified as an agent and opened Mac Management Group, based in Chicago.
At some point in the next few months, though probably not until after the June 18 deadline to withdraw from the draft, Conley will likely sign his son. Mike Conley Jr. is projected as a top-10 pick, likely to be the first point guard taken overall thanks to his stellar play in the NCAA Tournament.

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Oden-Conley a packaged draft deal?

If whoever drafts Oden could swing this, just imagine how much that team would quickly improve:

FROM SI.COM:
One of the rumors floating around with teams is whomever gets Greg Oden will be pushed to deal a major player for a draft pick to select Mike Conley Jr. because Oden, despite his mature look, is considered more a follower and a playful kid compared with Conley.
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