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- Thread starter OSUBasketballJunkie
- Start date
sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
From all around the Buckeye Nation ..MililaniBuckeye said:
Its the sound of BOTH hands clapping -- twice over.
Conley, Oden welcome to both -- Matta deserves huge, huge thanks for his ability to recruit quality talent.
This is definitely the start of something huge and continuing in Buckeye Baseball.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com$
6/29/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Oden & Conley: Done Deal
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Mike Conley
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Jeff Goodman National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Jun 29, 2005
It's not exactly a secret, but Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. made their official announcement today - and they'll be playing together in college.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WELCOME TO THE BUCKEYE FAMILY!
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
6/29/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Oden & Conley: Done Deal
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Mike Conley
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Jeff Goodman National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Jun 29, 2005
It's not exactly a secret, but Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. made their official announcement today - and they'll be playing together in college.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WELCOME TO THE BUCKEYE FAMILY!
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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0
scout.free (premium videos at end)
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Oden, Conley Select Ohio State
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Mike Conley & Greg Oden
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Steve Helwagen Bucknuts Managing Editor
Date: Jun 29, 2005
The recruiting class that Ohio State basketball fans could only dream about a year ago is becoming a reality. After months of speculation and twists and turns, the recruiting saga of point guard Mike Conley and center Greg Oden of Indianapolis Lawrence North has come to a close as the two blue-chip prospects have announced their intentions to attend Ohio State. The Buckeyes now have commitments from four of the top 30 prospects in America, including the national No. 1 in Oden. Read on for more.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
Ohio State basketball fans will want to remember the day June 29, 2005. That is the day a dynasty, quite possibly, took shape for coach Thad Matta.
That dynasty could be built on the back of what may be the best recruiting class in the history of the storied Ohio State men’s basketball program. On Wednesday, two more pieces of this recruiting class puzzle fell into place as Indianapolis Lawrence North teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. announced their intention to play basketball at Ohio State.
Oden and Conley picked OSU over Wake Forest. Michigan State and North Carolina had also been in the running for Oden.
The 7-0, 245-pound Oden is the reigning USA Today and Gatorade national player of the year. He is also the No. 1-ranked senior-to be, according to Scout.com. He would have to be considered – perhaps in line with Middletown, Ohio, standout Jerry Lucas in 1958 – as the biggest recruit in program history – both literally and figuratively.
</B>Greg Oden His decision was hastened by the announcement last week that he would not be eligible for the 2006 NBA draft. The league and its players union had agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement that will prohibit players from entering the league until one year after their high school class graduates.
The 6-1 Conley is also an impact player as a point guard, ranking as the nation’s fourth-best point guard and No. 26 prospect overall by Scout.com.
This dynamic duo convened a press conference at their school to make their announcement, although some of the suspense had been lost when The Indianapolis Star reported last Friday that Oden intended to play at OSU. Subsequently, a number of sources close to the players were unanimous in saying they understood the players would verbal to OSU. Some other prospects said the pair had already begun recruiting players to play with them.
Oden and Conley become the third and fourth members of OSU’s 2006 recruiting class. They join two other national top-30 players in Dayton Dunbar guard Daequan Cook (ranked eighth nationally) and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph wing David Lighty (ranked 21st). Cook is a teammate of Oden and Conley on the Spiece Indy Heat AAU team.
The verbal commitments made today are non-binding. These players are expected to sign letters-of-intent for OSU in November and would enroll at OSU in the fall of 2006.
And the prospect of signing four national top-30 players is almost unprecedented. Only one class in recent memory has had as many as four players so highly rated: Duke’s 2002 class had four top-20 players in Shelden Williams (No. 5), Shavlik Randolph (9), J.J. Redick (14) and Michael Thompson (17) to go with Sean Dockery (30).
Duke’s 1997 class of William Avery, Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Chris Burgess was known as the Fab Four, although they did not have four top-30 players.
The nickname, of course, comes from Michigan’s Fab Five. That group had three top-five players in Chris Webber (No. 1), Juwan Howard (3) and Jalen Rose (4) to go with top-75 talents Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.
Oden and Conley helped Lawrence North win a second consecutive Class 4A state championship this past March.
As a junior, Oden averaged 20.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. He earned USA Today, Gatorade and Parade magazine national player of the year honors. As a sophomore, Oden averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Conley averaged 10.9 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior.
Mike Conley As sophomores, the duo helped Lawrence North go 29-2. Oden had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Conley had nine points and five assists in the team’s 50-29 state championship game win over Columbia City.
This past season, they led Lawrence North to a 24-2 mark and a No. 6 national ranking in USA Today. In the team’s 63-52 state title game win over Muncie Central, Oden hit 14 of 19 shots from the floor and finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Conley had seven points and four assists in the title game.
Oden blocked 18 shots in Lawrence North’s 60-45 sectional semifinal win over previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Arlington.
In earning the Gatorade award, Oden joins LeBron James as only the second junior to win that honor.
Oden and Conley have been busy this spring and summer, competing with the Spiece Indy Heat in AAU events, attending the USA Basketball Festival in San Diego, participating in an all-star exhibition series against Indiana’s top graduating seniors and attending team camp with Lawrence North at Purdue. They also plan to attend the Reebok ABCD Camp July 5-9 in Teaneck, N.J.
The USA Basketball Festival, held in mid-June, serves as a feeder program for USA Basketball as it prepares players for future competition in the World Championships and Olympics. Oden helped lead his team to the tournament championship, besting a field of two other U.S. teams and four squads from abroad.
In five games there, he averaged 17.0 points (fourth overall), 7.6 rebounds (fifth), 2.8 blocks (second) and shot 74.4 percent from the floor (first). He also averaged 26 minutes a game. Conley averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 assists (fifth) per game.
The players returned home and participated in a three-game exhibition series against Indiana’s graduating senior all-star team. In that series, Oden averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game. Oden had 29 points and eight rebounds in a thrilling 119-112 triple overtime loss on June 21.
Conley averaged 15 points and five assists in that series, including a 24-point, 10-assist, zero-turnover showing in the juniors’ 109-96 upset win on June 23.
Stay tuned to Bucknuts.com for more coverage of these historic commitments to the OSU men’s basketball program, including video coverage of their announcement. Bucknuts.com premium subscribers can click below for action highlights of Oden and Conley.
Each video is about four minutes in length and is just under 9 MB. To watch these videos, you will need Microsoft Media Player. Click here to download the most recent version of Media Player. Choose a link below:
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Oden, Conley Select Ohio State
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Mike Conley & Greg Oden
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Steve Helwagen Bucknuts Managing Editor
Date: Jun 29, 2005
The recruiting class that Ohio State basketball fans could only dream about a year ago is becoming a reality. After months of speculation and twists and turns, the recruiting saga of point guard Mike Conley and center Greg Oden of Indianapolis Lawrence North has come to a close as the two blue-chip prospects have announced their intentions to attend Ohio State. The Buckeyes now have commitments from four of the top 30 prospects in America, including the national No. 1 in Oden. Read on for more.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
Ohio State basketball fans will want to remember the day June 29, 2005. That is the day a dynasty, quite possibly, took shape for coach Thad Matta.
That dynasty could be built on the back of what may be the best recruiting class in the history of the storied Ohio State men’s basketball program. On Wednesday, two more pieces of this recruiting class puzzle fell into place as Indianapolis Lawrence North teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. announced their intention to play basketball at Ohio State.
Oden and Conley picked OSU over Wake Forest. Michigan State and North Carolina had also been in the running for Oden.
The 7-0, 245-pound Oden is the reigning USA Today and Gatorade national player of the year. He is also the No. 1-ranked senior-to be, according to Scout.com. He would have to be considered – perhaps in line with Middletown, Ohio, standout Jerry Lucas in 1958 – as the biggest recruit in program history – both literally and figuratively.
</B>Greg Oden His decision was hastened by the announcement last week that he would not be eligible for the 2006 NBA draft. The league and its players union had agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement that will prohibit players from entering the league until one year after their high school class graduates.
The 6-1 Conley is also an impact player as a point guard, ranking as the nation’s fourth-best point guard and No. 26 prospect overall by Scout.com.
This dynamic duo convened a press conference at their school to make their announcement, although some of the suspense had been lost when The Indianapolis Star reported last Friday that Oden intended to play at OSU. Subsequently, a number of sources close to the players were unanimous in saying they understood the players would verbal to OSU. Some other prospects said the pair had already begun recruiting players to play with them.
Oden and Conley become the third and fourth members of OSU’s 2006 recruiting class. They join two other national top-30 players in Dayton Dunbar guard Daequan Cook (ranked eighth nationally) and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph wing David Lighty (ranked 21st). Cook is a teammate of Oden and Conley on the Spiece Indy Heat AAU team.
The verbal commitments made today are non-binding. These players are expected to sign letters-of-intent for OSU in November and would enroll at OSU in the fall of 2006.
And the prospect of signing four national top-30 players is almost unprecedented. Only one class in recent memory has had as many as four players so highly rated: Duke’s 2002 class had four top-20 players in Shelden Williams (No. 5), Shavlik Randolph (9), J.J. Redick (14) and Michael Thompson (17) to go with Sean Dockery (30).
Duke’s 1997 class of William Avery, Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Chris Burgess was known as the Fab Four, although they did not have four top-30 players.
The nickname, of course, comes from Michigan’s Fab Five. That group had three top-five players in Chris Webber (No. 1), Juwan Howard (3) and Jalen Rose (4) to go with top-75 talents Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.
Oden and Conley helped Lawrence North win a second consecutive Class 4A state championship this past March.
As a junior, Oden averaged 20.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. He earned USA Today, Gatorade and Parade magazine national player of the year honors. As a sophomore, Oden averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Conley averaged 10.9 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior.
Mike Conley As sophomores, the duo helped Lawrence North go 29-2. Oden had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Conley had nine points and five assists in the team’s 50-29 state championship game win over Columbia City.
This past season, they led Lawrence North to a 24-2 mark and a No. 6 national ranking in USA Today. In the team’s 63-52 state title game win over Muncie Central, Oden hit 14 of 19 shots from the floor and finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Conley had seven points and four assists in the title game.
Oden blocked 18 shots in Lawrence North’s 60-45 sectional semifinal win over previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Arlington.
In earning the Gatorade award, Oden joins LeBron James as only the second junior to win that honor.
Oden and Conley have been busy this spring and summer, competing with the Spiece Indy Heat in AAU events, attending the USA Basketball Festival in San Diego, participating in an all-star exhibition series against Indiana’s top graduating seniors and attending team camp with Lawrence North at Purdue. They also plan to attend the Reebok ABCD Camp July 5-9 in Teaneck, N.J.
The USA Basketball Festival, held in mid-June, serves as a feeder program for USA Basketball as it prepares players for future competition in the World Championships and Olympics. Oden helped lead his team to the tournament championship, besting a field of two other U.S. teams and four squads from abroad.
In five games there, he averaged 17.0 points (fourth overall), 7.6 rebounds (fifth), 2.8 blocks (second) and shot 74.4 percent from the floor (first). He also averaged 26 minutes a game. Conley averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 assists (fifth) per game.
The players returned home and participated in a three-game exhibition series against Indiana’s graduating senior all-star team. In that series, Oden averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game. Oden had 29 points and eight rebounds in a thrilling 119-112 triple overtime loss on June 21.
Conley averaged 15 points and five assists in that series, including a 24-point, 10-assist, zero-turnover showing in the juniors’ 109-96 upset win on June 23.
Stay tuned to Bucknuts.com for more coverage of these historic commitments to the OSU men’s basketball program, including video coverage of their announcement. Bucknuts.com premium subscribers can click below for action highlights of Oden and Conley.
Each video is about four minutes in length and is just under 9 MB. To watch these videos, you will need Microsoft Media Player. Click here to download the most recent version of Media Player. Choose a link below:
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com$
6/29/05
Article discusses the impact of the verbals and includes comments from Dave Telep and Chris Johnson
rivals.com$
6/29/05
More coverage of the verbals. Basically, Matta was the key to their decision.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
6/29/05
Article discusses the impact of the verbals and includes comments from Dave Telep and Chris Johnson
rivals.com$
6/29/05
More coverage of the verbals. Basically, Matta was the key to their decision.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Last edited:
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3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
Welcome to the Buckeye Family Mr. Conley & Mr. Oden!
Here's the free stuff:
Oden decides on Ohio State - Indianapolis Star •BK
Two Indiana players coming to Ohio State - Macon Telegraph (AP) •BK
Illini lose recruit to Ohio State - Chicago Tribune (AP) •BK
Oden and Conley pick Buckeyes - WTHR Indy •BK
Oden and Conley Verbal - Scarlet & Gray News •BK
Buckeyes Land Verbal Commitments From Indiana Duo - The Ozone •BK
Oden, Conley Select Ohio State - Bucknuts •BK
Here's the free stuff:
Oden decides on Ohio State - Indianapolis Star •BK
Two Indiana players coming to Ohio State - Macon Telegraph (AP) •BK
Illini lose recruit to Ohio State - Chicago Tribune (AP) •BK
Oden and Conley pick Buckeyes - WTHR Indy •BK
Oden and Conley Verbal - Scarlet & Gray News •BK
Buckeyes Land Verbal Commitments From Indiana Duo - The Ozone •BK
Oden, Conley Select Ohio State - Bucknuts •BK
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I just got done rewatching the highlights from the Indiana Junior/Senior All-Star game. The thing that is most impressive about Conley and Oden is how methodically they play. Conley has a little shake and bake to his game, but most of what he does is dice you apart with precision and fundamentals. He does not look that quick on film but constantly beats his man using more than just speed. He uses positioning, stance, footwork, etc. to constantly get himself by his man or get an open shot. And he always seems like he is in total control. Oden on the other hand will occasionally wow you with a dunk or one of his patented blocked shots with his elbow (because that's how high off the ground he gets). But a lot of the time he is also very vanilla. He has a few things he knows will work and uses them to his advantage again and again and again. Make not mistake about it, these two can light up the scoreboard in a flash. But I think the maturity with which they play is astonishing considering they are only seniors-to-be.
Watch the films on Bucknuts if you get a chance...
Watch the films on Bucknuts if you get a chance...
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
<!--buckeyes0629-->
<!--buckeyes0629-->
There is a picture some of us knew was coming for a long time....
<!--buckeyes0629-->
There is a picture some of us knew was coming for a long time....
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com$
6/29/05
More from the historic press conference this afternoon. Conley feels like he fits in Matta's system. Oden says he trys to pattern his game after Tim Duncan. Both Oden and Conley rave about Coach Matta and the staff.
Excellent read......
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
6/29/05
More from the historic press conference this afternoon. Conley feels like he fits in Matta's system. Oden says he trys to pattern his game after Tim Duncan. Both Oden and Conley rave about Coach Matta and the staff.
Excellent read......
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Upvote
0
scout
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scenes From Conley/Oden Press Conference
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
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>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scenes From Conley/Oden Press Conference
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
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
Upvote
0
From the ozone - check out Conley's comments on Harangody near the end. Looks like a little unofficial player-to-player recruiting from the press conference.
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>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
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>
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."
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>
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]OSU verbal commit Mike Conley
[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Jim Davidson [/font]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Jim Davidson [/font]
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.
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[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."
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