Oden aims for title at Ohio State
By Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY
Center Greg Oden of Lawrence North High in Indianapolis, USA TODAY's reigning player of the year, says he'll sign with Ohio State when the NCAA's early, one-week signing period begins Wednesday.
Ohio State is expected to officially learn Wednesday that Indiana prep basketball star Greg Oden — shown at a hoops camp last summer — will play for the Buckeyes.
By Todd Plitt for USA TODAY
"I'm 100% sure that I'm signing with Ohio State," Oden said.
Oden's teammate, 6-1 guard Mike Conley Jr., also will go with the Buckeyes, giving them the No. 2 class behind North Carolina, according to analysts.
A new NBA rule mandates players be at least one year removed from high school and 19 years old before they can be eligible for the league's draft. That means high school players from this year's class won't be eligible for the NBA until the 2007-08 season.
Oden's options included playing professionally overseas or signing a contract with a major shoe company and waiting until 2007.
"Those sound crazy," Oden said. "I'm going to Ohio State to win a national championship."
Players such as the 7-0 Oden, 6-10 Spencer Hawes of Seattle (Wash.) Prep and 6-10 Kevin Durant of Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) likely would have been taken high in the 2006 draft.
"This year's class ... is going to help college basketball tremendously," says analyst Dave Telep of scout.com.
Oden's decision also means he wasn't affected by the possibility of harsh penalties against Ohio State stemming from multiple violations. The full scope of penalties won't be known until an NCAA infractions committee meets Dec. 9-10.
The Indianapolis Star had reported Oden and Conley were considering waiting until the spring to sign because of possible penalties.
• North Carolina's signing class will be boosted by three top-10 players, according to Bob Gibbons, who compiles the
All-Star Sports Report - Brandan Wright, 6-9 forward, Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy; Wayne Ellington, 6-4 guard, Episcopal Academy (Merion, Pa.); and Tywon Lawson, 6-0 point guard, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). The Tar Heels lost seven players from their national championship squad.
• On the women's side, Connecticut and Southern California have secured the top classes, analysts say. Jacki Gemelos, who originally said she'd attend Connecticut, is expected to sign with USC.
On hold
Lance Thomas, a 6-9 forward-center from St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., will make his college decision after he visits Duke this weekend. Thomas, the No. 15 player in the senior class, according to Gibbons, also has visited Arizona, Rutgers and Florida. ... Darrell Arthur of South Oak Cliff in Dallas won't sign during the early period. Arthur, a 6-9, 215-pound power forward, is considering Baylor, Indiana, Kansas and Southern Methodist. "Darrell will wait until the spring," says his high school coach, James Mays. Arthur is the No. 12 prospect, according to Telep.
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