C Greg Oden (Portland Trailblazers)

[gost8]

Check out the looks of Lighty and the players on the bench. Same look I had on my face when he went up with the GORILLA DUNK. NBA JAM style. "Is it the shoes?!?!?!"

[Best Buckeye]

What a monster player he will be after he gets more game experience. Some guys you just have to admire his athletic talents. A lot like what I had in my youth.


In My dreams!

[great1]

too bad that picture doesnt have matta's face in it...

[Bestbuck36]

That is hilarious!!

You just know Green is saying to himself "God, PLEASE, don't let him make this!". "I'm going to be on "Da Da Da, Da Da Da" forever!"

[ScarletBlood31]

Man, I wish he would have made that dunk.

It would have easily went down as one of the best dunks in tournament history, considering who (would have) done it.

[hoopsfan]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

Chad Ford Blog 3-27-07 (ESPN Insider)

An agent has claimed that both Oden and Conley will leave if tOSU wins the Championship. There may be a small window for them to stay if either or both struggle in the Final Four.

I can tell you for certain that whatever the agent said is total bull. Greg has truly not made a decision what to do and will spend time with those close to him over the next couple of weeks to decide. He is receiving NO pressure from family and CLOSE friends -- they have all told him to follow his heart. He has had more to deal with emotionally the past two months than he has let on and needs the "down time" to really decide what is best. When he says he has not sat down and thought about what he is going to do, he is being very honest.

[hutch]

Thanks for the info hoopsfan. What you say there makes me very happy. I'm glad he's going to sit down and think about it one way or another. Seems right along the lines of what Mike Conley Sr. said last week.

I'd love to see him back but he seems like such a good kid I just hope he does what he thinks is best for him.

If he stays we will be a juggernaut. If he goes, it's not the end of the world, we will still be a very, very good team next year.

[jwinslow]

Originally Posted by hoopsfan

I can tell you for certain that whatever the agent said is total bull. Greg has truly not made a decision what to do and will spend time with those close to him over the next couple of weeks to decide. He is receiving NO pressure from family and CLOSE friends -- they have all told him to follow his heart. He has had more to deal with emotionally the past two months than he has let on and needs the "down time" to really decide what is best. When he says he has not sat down and thought about what he is going to do, he is being very honest.

Solid info, as always hf. Glad to hear both sides (greg & his people) are approaching this calmly/intelligently; I wish them well either way.

Time for him to dominate tonight, so that if he chooses to come back, it is merely a bonus

[BB73]

Congrats to Greg on being named the Defensive Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He also received the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award.

official.site

Oden Voted Nation's Top Big Man, Defender

NABC Announces honors at annual awards show



Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden accepts the 2007 NABC Defensive Player of the Year Award Sunday in Atlanta.


ATLANTA - Ohio State's Greg Oden earned a pair of awards Sunday on the off day before the Buckeyes take on Florida for the 2007 National Championship in men's basketball. Ohio State defeated Georgetown Saturday in the national semifinals to earn its first trip to the national title game since 1962.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches selected Oden as the nation's defensive player of the year in 2007 as well as the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year. The awards were presented at the Sidney J. Marcus Auditorium during the NABC Awards Show. The nation's college basketball coaches are taking part in their 80th annual convention this weekend at the Final Four.

Cont'd ...

Note to Greg - A second one of those, and you'll have a great set of bookends.

[BB73]

official.site

Center Of Attention, Oden Can't Escape Notice From The Referees, Either

ATLANTA (AP) -It's hard to escape attention when you're the center of attention.

On campus, Greg Oden literally sticks out in a room of 600 freshmen attending a biology lecture. At the Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, people chuckle as they watch him try to scrunch his lanky frame into a go-cart.

On Sunday, it was Oden chuckling as he talked about the time he boogied to the dancing machine at the GameWorks in the mall.

"It was a hilarious sight," Oden said. "I built up a crowd."

The center of attention is used to attention by now. People have been watching ever since he started growing quickly and picked up a basketball in Indianapolis.

Cont'd ...

[BB73]

Part of the Q&A with Thad Matta, from yesterday's press conference.

official.site

Q. You look at Greg, he's big, dominant. People think it's easy for him. He's still a kid growing into his body. Can you talk about the challenges of coaching a kid like that who is maturing, if that's contributing to the foul trouble perhaps?

COACH MATTA: Number one, I've never looked at it as a challenge, coaching Greg Oden. I've looked at it more as a privilege of coaching Greg. I think you're exactly right. As people look at Greg, he's cast into this spotlight. Greg is a kid. He's 19 years old. Tremendous character and values.


Tell you a great story about Greg Oden. Last night we get into the locker room, and the first thing he asked me, he said, Coach, can you get Kyle down here? Kyle Madsen is a transfer who had to sit this season out. The NCAA doesn't allow him to travel with us. He wanted Kyle, who he goes against every day in practice, to be in the locker room, be a part of it.
When I told him the NCAA doesn't allow Kyle to come back here, you have to have this little pin. He was like, Man, that's not right. I think that says who Greg Oden is.

You know, I think with the foul trouble, I don't think it's a maturity issue. I think it's more Greg just having an understanding. The thing that we've said all year long, he's played now in 30 games. He's fouled out of one. I think just the timing. We need him to be around more.
But, you know, we've got to continue to play through that.

[BuckWrestler141]

Conley Accidentally Reveals Oden's Plans? 2nd April, 2007 - 11:08 am Indianapolis Star -

indystar

Mike Conley, Jr. may have accidentally given people the secret to Greg Oden's plans on Sunday.

"It will be very hard when Greg's not here next year,'' Conley said. Then he quickly amended the statement. "If he's not here next year.''

Greg Oden, to his credit, has deflected the question throughout the year, doing so again on Sunday.

"That's not something I'm thinking about,'' he said Sunday

Cont'd ...

[smith288]

Originally Posted by BuckWrestler141

Conley Accidentally Reveals Oden's Plans? 2nd April, 2007 - 11:08 am Indianapolis Star -
Mike Conley, Jr. may have accidentally given people the secret to Greg Oden's plans on Sunday.

"It will be very hard when Greg's not here next year,'' Conley said. Then he quickly amended the statement. "If he's not here next year.''

Greg Oden, to his credit, has deflected the question throughout the year, doing so again on Sunday.

"That's not something I'm thinking about,'' he said Sunday

I think im going to go cry now. LOL

[hutch]

If that's a true Freudian slip, that's too bad. But no matter what, THANK YOU GREG and GOOD LUCK!

[hoopsfan]

Originally Posted by BuckWrestler141

Conley Accidentally Reveals Oden's Plans? 2nd April, 2007 - 11:08 am Indianapolis Star -

indystar

Mike Conley, Jr. may have accidentally given people the secret to Greg Oden's plans on Sunday.

"It will be very hard when Greg's not here next year,'' Conley said. Then he quickly amended the statement. "If he's not here next year.''

Greg Oden, to his credit, has deflected the question throughout the year, doing so again on Sunday.

"That's not something I'm thinking about,'' he said Sunday

Cont'd ...

I think Mike and most people ASSUME that Greg is going to the NBA, but he honestly has not made that decision. I don't think it is as much a slip as just the assumption that he will be gone.