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Buckeyes hoping to have Oden for UNC game
By Andrew Skwara, Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer
Note to North Carolina fans: Don't stop dreaming up ways to rattle
Greg Oden just yet.
The
Indianapolis Star reported that the 7-foot prep phenom, who signed with Ohio State in the fall, is expected to be out for six months after surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right wrist last week. That would put him back around mid-December, after the highly anticipated meeting between Ohio State and North Carolina on Nov. 29 in Chapel Hill – the marquee event of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Tar Heels and Buckeyes reeled in Rivals.com's No. 1 and No. 2-ranked recruiting classes this year and are expected to be ranked in the preseason top 10.
Oden hasn't spoken publicly since the surgery, but one of the people who knows him best said it's possible he could be playing against the Tar Heels.
"The six months is a rough guess," said longtime Lawrence North High assistant coach Ralph Scott, who worked with Oden for the last four years. "It really depends on how (the wrist) heals and progresses. Greg is such a strong kid and this is the first time he has ever been injured seriously. His spirits are still very high and if his rehab goes well he may very well be back in time for the UNC game."
The surgery came as a surprise to many. Oden played in the McDonald's All-American game on Mar. 29 without showing any sign of pain or discomfort.
Oden first injured the wrist during the early stages of the state tournament this past season as Lawrence North was making its march to a second consecutive state title. He began putting a wrap around the wrist but aggravated the injury in the title game.
"Greg landed on the wrist the first time and he began having an aching pain. Then he landed it on badly again," Scott said. "After that, we took a wait-and-see approach. They didn't exactly know what was wrong with it and he kept it in a stretch wrap. Once it became obvious that it wasn't healing properly, he decided to have surgery."
Scott said Oden isn't particularly concerned with the injury and he won't begin the physical part of his rehab for a "few more weeks." Right now, the big man is busy soaking up the life of a college freshman. He and former Lawrence North point guard and fellow five-star prospect
Mike Conley both began summer classes at
OSU on Monday.
"I saw Greg last week and he was very upbeat," Scott said. "He was very positive about everything and really excited about school. He couldn't wait to get on campus and start being a college student."