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12/16/05

More to these showdowns than Oden vs. Carlwell



December 16, 2005 BY MICHAEL O'BRIEN Staff Reporter


It's pretty difficult to overshadow Greg Oden.

For the last two seasons, Oden, Indianapolis Lawrence North's 7-foot center, has been the consensus "best amateur player in America.''

Most scouts believe he would have been the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft when he was a junior in high school.

Oden will battle Proviso East and 6-10 Illinois-bound center Brian Carlwell on Saturday night in the Circle City Classic at Indianapolis Southport.
Lawrence North (6-0) is the top-ranked team in Indiana and No. 4 ranked team in the nation.

Oden vs. Carlwell should be interesting, but it is not the reason there will be so many Illinois residents at Southport. The matchup that has fans buzzing centers on two of the top guards in the junior class.

No. 2 Simeon and Derrick Rose, the top recruiting target of Illinois coach Bruce Weber, will face Indianapolis North Central's Eric Gordon, Bruce Weber's top recruit and possibly the Illini's best recruit in 20 years.

"On a national level, Gordon is ranked higher than Dee Brown was,'' Roy Schmidt of Illinois Prep Bulls-Eye Report said. "You have to go back to either Jamie Brandon or Marcus Liberty to find an Illinois recruit with this national reputation.

"This is reaping the benefit of the Final Four. I would say it's a bigger get than anyone Bill Self brought in.''

Rose and Gordon are friends. After committing to Illinois, Gordon said convincing Rose to join him at Illinois was his "No. 1 priority.''
North Central (3-1) is ranked fifth in Indiana.

"We'll be going in blind, just like we did against Oak Hill,'' Simeon coach Robert Smith said. "The difference is that we've played three games now. [Gordon] can play from what I hear, and I know they lost to Indianapolis Pike.''

The Proviso East-Lawrence North matchup also will feature a guard showdown.

Lawrence North guard Mike Conley, an Ohio State recruit, is one of the top guards in the senior class and an excellent defender. He will have his hands full with the Pirates' Jacob Pullen, who seems to play well in Proviso's most important games and will be looking to prove himself on the national stage. mobrien@suntimes.com