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Lawrence Central's Hollowell gets recruiting tips from Oden
At coach's request, Oden calls Lawrence Central's Hollowell with tips on dealing with recruiting crush
By Kyle Neddenriep
Posted: September 4, 2009.

Lawrence Central High School basketball coach J.R. Shelt hoped a phone call from an NBA player would lend a little perspective to one of his prized players, sophomore Jeremy Hollowell. Though the two had never before spoken, Hollowell said his conversation with former Lawrence North standout and current Portland Trail Blazer Greg Oden was productive.

"He talked about how crazy the recruiting process can be and how you can't stress out about it," Hollowell said. "He said I'm so young that I need to take it slow. It means a lot. He really gave me some helpful advice."

Shelt was an assistant coach at Lawrence North when Oden led the Wildcats to three straight Class 4A championships from 2004-06. He said he reached out to Oden because he saw how well he handled the recruiting crush in high school and felt Hollowell might be feeling some pressure.

A 6-6 forward, Hollowell said he picked up several offers this summer, including Cincinnati, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Tennessee and Xavier, and is being recruited by Indiana and Purdue, among a number of other schools.
"I'm worried a little bit because Jeremy is 15 years old and everybody is putting him on a pedestal right now," Shelt said. "I think he's struggling a bit with the pressure and ego and overconfidence. It's just a lot to deal with and you're expected to act like an adult when you're not."

Shelt said the objective of reaching out to Oden was to stress the importance of "staying above" some of the things that can happen to top prospects.

"It can be overwhelming," Shelt said. "Greg and (high school teammate and fellow NBA player) Mike Conley did a great job of circling the wagons and not letting just anyone into their life. Not everybody is out for your best interests. I just want to make sure Jeremy stays on track in this process."

Lawrence Central's Hollowell gets recruiting tips from Oden | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star