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12/6/05

Dunbar ready for national spotlight

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | — Daequan Cook will probably smile, say hello and shake hands with Greg Oden and Mike Conley. The AAU and future Ohio State basketball teammates may share a laugh and look around Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday night.

After that, it's game on.

"Once it's between the lines, you really don't have any friends if you take the game seriously," Cook said. "That's how I feel about it. You're friends off the court, but when you're between the lines, it's a different story."

The high school basketball story plays out at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2 when Cook and Dunbar battle Oden, Conley and Lawrence North.

At 7 feet tall and 245 pounds, Oden has been called basketball's next great big man. Before the NBA adopted a rule that its players must be 19 and at least a year out of high school to be draft-eligible, Oden was projected as a possible No. 1 pick.

Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said Oden wanted to go to college anyway, but that the big guy could play in the NBA now.

"He could," Keefer said. "So could Cook. Cook could play in the NBA right now. Have you seen that guy play? I've got (Indiana) Pacers down here that can't play like that.

"There's kids out there that just have it. I coached a McDonald's All-American game (in 2005). Greg and Cook both are better than some of those kids. Some got drafted 18th and 17th and they're just better. They're unbelievably talented kids."

For the record, the Boston Celtics took 6-8 Gerald Green of Gulfshores Academy in Houston with the 18th pick. Green, on Keefer's McDonald's East squad, hasn't yet played one NBA minute.

Dunbar coach Peter Pullen admits neither the 6-5 Cook nor any one Dunbar player can stop Oden. He said 6-9 junior center Aaron Pogue and 6-8 senior forward Mark Anderson will help double-team Oden. Dunbar will try to limit Conley and Oden and make someone else beat them.

"You can't be intimidated," junior Norris Cole said. "You've got to respect his skills. You know he's going to be good and dominant, but at the same time, you've got to play your A game so you can come out on top."

Nationally ranked Lawrence North (4-0) has won the past two Indiana 4A state titles, but graduated three starters.

"We're in a transition period," Keefer said, sounding serious. "We're just trying to build up a team. But we've got two good bookends to do it with."
Dunbar (1-0 before playing at Jefferson tonight) was a Division II state semifinalist last season.

Pullen believes Cook and Anderson will be tough matchups for Lawrence North. Keefer agrees.

"I just saw a tape of them and saw them get five dunks in a row," Keefer said. "That wasn't much fun for the other team."

Lawrence North played on ESPN2 last season and will be featured again later this season. Dunbar is the team that must travel and get used to the cameras.

"Everybody's so worried about not being scared because we're on TV," Darran Powell said. "We just have to go out there and play and handle our business."