C Greg Oden (Portland Trailblazers)

[korchiki]

I think my favorite was the "He will be first team all america the second he steps onto the floor" comment

[Oh8ch]

I am still seeing posts on occasion arguing that Dials is a better player right now than Oden will be coming in. If you are in that camp you have no idea what we are in for.

I love TD and think he did as much with his ability as any player you can mention. But he averaaged 1 block and 8 rebounds as a fifth year senior.

I have seen Oden play a half dozen times now. He is a defensive juggernaut. He will dominate the middle like no one who has ever worn S&G.

I am a huge Jerry Lucas fan. He was the best we ever had. Oden will have a tough road to become a better rebounder (Lucas AVERAGED 17 per game during his career). But Lucas couldn't clog up the middle they way Oden will.

There are also those who argue Oden will struggle on offense when he goes up against better Defenders. The opposite will be true. We'll see defenders dropping back to double him, but you wont see three jerseys chasing him everywhere he goes. It is the defenders from other teams who will be struggling to make adjustments.

I loved to watch how hard TD worked to get open in the middle and how hard OSU worked to get him the ball. It simply is not that tough to get the ball to a kid 7' 1" who can jump (anyone remember Karem Adbul Jabbar?). And he can move like Dials never dreamed. Oden doesn't need to get you on his hip to make his move. He just needs the ball.

And let's not forget he has a supporting cast that has to be respected.

If you can point to a weakness it is his lack of aggressiveness. But what is great is that HE points there too. He knows it. But give the kid a bread. He does what he wants and his team wins every game. Just how badly does he need to beat up on people? How much would he be booed if he took that frame crashing through the lane against kids half his size? It is a problem Matta will fix.

I am usually the one arguing for folks to temper their expectations. But this is going to be special. Very, very special.

[Taterbuck]

I was completely stoked watching last nights game. We who love the Buckeyes are definiatly in for some special times ahead. Go Bucks!!!!

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I am still seeing posts on occasion arguing that Dials is a better player right now than Oden will be coming in. If you are in that camp you have no idea what we are in for.

Listen, I loved Dials and the way he played but if anyone in the Buckeye Nation doesn't believe that Oden is a better player right now either has not seen Greg play or just can't believe what they have seen of Oden.

I have seen Oden play a half dozen times now. He is a defensive juggernaut. He will dominate the middle like no one who has ever worn S&G.

Oden is simply the best center prospect to come out of high school since Lew Alcindor. He can dominate a game on the defensive end because of his great ability to block shots and the intimidation factor of him being in the lane. Most teams against him in high school did not even attempt to take shots in the lane. If you watched last night's McDonald's All-Star game, in the first quarter the West challenged him and he blocked 4 shots, from that point on, while he was on the floor, they rarely challenged him at all. I agree he will dominate the middle in college.

I am a huge Jerry Lucas fan. He was the best we ever had. Oden will have a tough road to become a better rebounder (Lucas AVERAGED 17 per game during his career). But Lucas couldn't clog up the middle they way Oden will.

Oden is a good rebounder and will improve as he gets more physical in college. I agree it will be hard to equal Lucas in this category.

There are also those who argue Oden will struggle on offense when he goes up against better Defenders. The opposite will be true. We'll see defenders dropping back to double him, but you wont see three jerseys chasing him everywhere he goes. It is the defenders from other teams who will be struggling to make adjustments.

For those of you who feel he will struggle on offense......Oden averaged around 22 points and 13 rebounds a game while the majority of the time, not playing the whole game. He is unselfish to a fault, in the past he has been pushed to take more shots, he did most of his damage on offensive rebounds and dunks near the basket in HS. This will change, trust me....Oden could have averaged over 30 points a game if he wanted just stats, but he is the ultimate team player and just wanted to win every game. Once he gets on campus he will not face double and triple teams like he has for 4 years. His offensive game is there, your not considered the #1 pick in the NBA draft without offense. He gets great position and uses his body to stay low and back people down, he has a nice mid-range jumper and is improving everyday.

I loved to watch how hard TD worked to get open in the middle and how hard OSU worked to get him the ball. It simply is not that tough to get the ball to a kid 7' 1" who can jump (anyone remember Karem Adbul Jabbar?). And he can move like Dials never dreamed. Oden doesn't need to get you on his hip to make his move. He just needs the ball.

Excellent point....Dials really worked hard to get the ball in great position, but Oden is so long and big that he simply over powers people inside. If you thought the kid from Georgetown moved well for a 7-footer, well just wait until you see Oden run the floor, he is a very athletic 7-footer. He is special. He dominates the best in his class and does it with class and humility. He is being compared to Jabbar, Russell and Chamberlain at this point and he is only getting better.

If you can point to a weakness it is his lack of aggressiveness. But what is great is that HE points there too. He knows it. But give the kid a bread. He does what he wants and his team wins every game. Just how badly does he need to beat up on people? How much would he be booed if he took that frame crashing through the lane against kids half his size? It is a problem Matta will fix.

Oden is aggressive, but in high school he had to worry about picking up cheap fouls against smaller players who simply would flop on him. He will develop that aggressive nature under Matta, the college game will let him be more aggressive and I think we saw some of that last night. He understands he needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end and I think it will come in time.

I am usually the one arguing for folks to temper their expectations. But this is going to be special. Very, very special.

Oden is simply special. He is a mature young man who realizes his potential and is a hard worker. He holds a 3.6 GPA and every morning is in the gym working on his game at 6:00am. He is dedicated and by all accounts has only touched the tip of his potential. It will be very fun to watch the next few years.....enjoy it....

[daddyphatsacs]

Were blessed to have this kid on board, plain and simple.

[crazybuckfan40]

I think you guys hit all the points right on the head. He is a game changer the second he steps on the floor and we will create matchup problems just by him being on the floor. Remember last year we were only 6'9'' 6'7''. Next year we can put 7'1'' and 6'9'' on the court at the same time. THere arent a whole lot of teams that can match up with that.

I am so excited for him to step on the court.

Does anyone know if the roundball classic that the 3 are in is going to be televised??

[BB73]

Originally Posted by buckalum01

Last nights game was a Greg Oden/ Ohio State love fest. Bout Frickin Time!!

Watching the game last night, I was unable to do much of anything except smile. Every time- and I mean EVERY time- Oden's name was mentioned, or his picture was on the TV screen, Ohio State was getting huge props. It was unbelievable. More important, though, was the great PR we got from the game. No mention of any negative BS. No reminding people of O'Brien. No accusations. No innuendo. Just positive statements. Greg Oden signing with O-State will do more to promote our great university than any negative press did to bring it down. Not only that, this kid just made our program elite again. Every kid in America will know where Greg Oden plays.

And did you hear those announcers heap praise on Oden? Talk about hype-- but I loved to hear it. They were saying things like: 'he's the greatest player to ever play in Indiana', 'will be a definite NBA hall of famer', 'best prospect since.... (insert an NBA Great name here), He is supposedly going to flip the world upside down. And all the while... "Oden, who has signed with Ohio State"... insert hyperbole here. I love it!!

Thank you Thad Matta (and the circumstances that got him here ). Thank you Greg Oden. Thank you Ohio State. Great to be a Buckeye- every day in every way! GO BUCKS!

My favorite quotes from last night were:

"He would have been the #1 pick in LAST year's NBA Draft."

"If he were in the NBA right now, he'd be starting for every team except Detroit."

[akronbuck]

thats funny comparing him to Dials. 7 ' 1 against 6 ' 9

I wish Dials was a junior because, he could play his true pf position next to ODEN which, we be so funny to watch.

[bucknut11]

Originally Posted by bucknuts44820

He is unselfish to a fault, in the past he has been pushed to take more shots...Oden could have averaged over 30 points a game if he wanted just stats, but he is the ultimate team player and just wanted to win every game.

During the game last night they interviewed him after he got subbed out the first time. He said that since his team was full of shooters, he wouldn't need to (and wouldn't) take many shots, because he wasn't needed for offense. He made his mark on the defensive end instead, where the team (and any all-star team) needed more work. He said it himself - he could've scored more, but that wasn't required from him in that particular game.

[OSUScoonie12]

This kid is going to dominate everyone in his path. If he doesnt win PoY next year i dont know what is wrong. There is no one that can match up against him. Even if Oden has an off night, we still tons of other talent that can make up for it.

Good blog about Oden last night:
http://www.criticalfanatic.com/2006/...en-basketball/

Attn: Big Ten Basketball …

Published by Jason Kent March 30th, 2006 in General, NCAA Hoops
… you’re about to get DOMINATED for at least the next year.
This is old news to many, but Ohio State bound Greg Oden is a fairly decent basketball player. I’ve watched a couple of Oden’s televised high school games the past two years and came away a little less than inspired for some reason.
Last night was a different story.
I know it was just an exhibition game, and Oden didn’t even play all that much with a bum wrist, but you could just tell he’s in a different class than anyone entering college this fall. Oden had a handful of blocks and forced several other misses quite easily. In a conference that will be void of a talented big men with Augustine, Davis and Killingsworth all moving on … Oden is going to absolutely dominate the conference — Patrick Ewing-style as a freshman. Who is going to guard him? Pruitt from Illinois? No. Butch at Wisconsin? Nodda. Suton from Michigan State? haha. Best chance is for Oden to be contained? DJ White returning to Indiana. Regardless, you can go ahead and chalk him up for 20, 10, and 5 blocks every night. And even better, he’s a likeable guy … even for a Buckeye.
Another player that I wasn’t aware of that might join Oden as an elite freshman is Kevin Durant, a 6-foot-10 stud headed to Texas. Whereas Oden will be relegated strictly to the post, this kid had a dependable jumper from 22-feet as well as the ability to run the floor and finish with the best. Should LaMarcus Aldridge head to the next level which I suspect he might, Longhorn fans have nothing to worry about.
Other guys that stood out for me:
- Chase Budinger, headed to Arizona
- Sherron Collins, headed to Kansas
- Gerald Henerson, headed to Duke
Such a fun game to watch, one I look forward to every year.

[smitty03]

This kid is going to dominate everyone in his path. If he doesnt win PoY next year i dont know what is wrong.

Pretty lofty expectations to put on a kid who hasn't even set foot on campus yet. Oden is going to be very good, and should dominate the Big 10, but there are many very good basketball players to be naming him POY as a freshmen. He has a chance to do it, but there is nothing wrong with All-American honors and All-Big 10 honors.

[Thump]

Originally Posted by bucknuts44820

Oden is simply the best center prospect to come out of high school since Lew Alcindor.

You could put Shaquille O'Neal in this discussion as well.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

You could put Shaquille O'Neal in this discussion as well.

Your probably right, but I will maintain he is the best center prospect since Alcindor. Shaq was a great player in college, but my opinion is that Oden will be better.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

3/31/06

mcdonald's all-american game

Oden takes break from basketball

Top high school player takes trip to Florida with Conley


SAN DIEGO -- Greg Oden isn't playing basketball right now. He isn't practicing, isn't even trying to think about the game.



For the first time, his schedule following the high school season doesn't include immediately diving into practice for a highly competitive summer schedule.

Oden and Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley flew from here to Florida on Thursday morning to spend three days relaxing with Jimmy Smith, Oden's first coach with the Terre Haute Boys and Girls Club, and Smith's son, Travis, one of Oden's good friends.

"I never had a spring break before," the national high school Player of the Year said. "A lot of high school kids go to Florida for spring break, but I never went.

"Usually after the state championship, we'd go to Fort Wayne for a boot camp to get ready."

He'll get a chance to rest the sore right wrist he aggravated when he hit it on the rim on an alley-oop dunk in Wednesday's McDonald's All-American Game at San Diego State University.

Oden initially hurt the wrist against Arlington in the sectional and aggravated in when he fell on it during Lawrence North's 80-56 Class 4A state championship victory against Muncie Central on Saturday.

"It's just tender," Oden said after the game, an ice bag taped to it.

Oden had 10 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots Wednesday for the East in a 112-94 West victory, with all four blocks coming in the first seven minutes.

Oden's first block was the opening highlight of the night. He took one step from the low block and blocked a jumper from just inside the foul line by Stanford-bound 7-footer Robin Lopez. Oden also blocked Washington-bound 7-footer Spencer Hawes.

Conley went 0-for-3 from the floor and had an assist and a turnover.

Oden and Conley return to the court for the Roundball Classic in Chicago on April 9.

The players were still laughing Wednesday about Oden's videotaped comments played at Tuesday night's banquet where he received the Morgan Wootten Award as the Player of the Year. The segment was replayed on the video screen at Cox Arena before the game and at halftime of the ESPN broadcast.

"The hardest thing for me to get good at was hitting a layup," Oden said in the segment. "I think it took me two years before I could hit a layup. . . . When you're tall, you're just goofy.

"Unfortunately, when I hit my first shot, it was for the other team," Oden continued with a smile. "But I was wide open."

The comments drew a laugh from the entire audience at Tuesday's banquet, including emcee Dick Enberg and speaker John Wooden.

Parade honors Oden

Oden was named the Parade Magazine Player of the Year on Thursday for the second consecutive season. Conley was named to the third team and North Central junior guard Eric Gordon to the fourth team.

Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.

Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

3/31/06

The most down-to-earth giant



March 31, 2006

BY TAYLOR BELL






Jack Keefer, who has coached high school basketball for 34 years and Greg Oden for four, has accumulated some keen observations of the 7-foot, 260-pound giant who seems destined for stardom in college and the NBA.

"Most people think Greg will go directly to the NBA after his freshman year at Ohio State,'' said Keefer, Oden's coach at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. "But I wouldn't be at all surprised if he chose to stay at Ohio State for three or four years.

"Education is very important to him. He wants to go to college because only one member of his family graduated from college. He isn't like a lot of kids who think only about the NBA. The dollar may turn his head, but he wants to go to college. He wants to win a national championship.''

Wow, wouldn't that knock the socks off every NBA executive and coach hoping to sign the league's next superstar? And can you imagine the reaction of other Big Ten coaches? Even Coach K? No wonder Thad Matta doesn't want to leave Ohio State.

It's too early to chart Oden's future, of course. One thing is for certain, however. He will headline a roster of 21 high school seniors in the 42nd annual Roundball Classic at 3 p.m. April 9 at the United Center. The game will be televised nationally on CSTV.

The toughest thing about being Greg Oden is his enormous size.

"I'm kind of insecure about it sometimes,'' he said.

He can't ride in roller coasters or small cars or get lost in crowds. He is the world's biggest grass trimmer, mowing lawns during the summer to earn spending money.

How about that for a teenager who will become a business tycoon when he becomes a professional basketball player? It should give you an insight into what Oden is all about. Believe it or not, he isn't about numbers, dollars or points. He isn't about ego, either. As a junior, he was nominated for homecoming king but had to be talked into accepting the honor.

"I want to feel the experience of college like a regular kid,'' Oden said. "I'm looking forward to experiencing the freedom of going to college and furthering my education. Yes, there is more than a chance of me spending more than one year in college. I want to get close to getting my degree [in accounting or financial planning].

"I don't feel I'm ready for the NBA. I'm looking forward to college.

Sometimes I get pushed around by 6-3 kids. I need to get quicker and stronger and gain more weight. I relate to Dwight Howard's game. He is a great rebounder, but he does things I want to do. My game is early in development, and he is young, too, but he is way more advanced than me.''

Thinking beyond his numbers



Until then, Oden will concentrate on being the best player he can be, accepting the challenge of every wannabe who hopes to make a reputation by competing against him and dealing with the pressure of being described as "the best amateur basketball player in the world.''

Some critics argue Oden should be even more dominant than he is. After all, he averaged "only'' 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and three blocks while converting 73 percent of his shots this season. But his team won by an average of 21 points per game, and only Indianapolis Pike, the state's second-ranked team, twice came closer than 13.

"He is learning as a dominant center that he doesn't have to have all the skills that Oscar Robertson had,'' said Keefer, who also coached Eric Montross to a state title in 1989. "He is willing to do whatever it takes to win. What amazes me is he gets even more focused and plays with more intensity in big games, the ones that count the most.''

Jeff Rabjohns of the Indianapolis Star, who has been assigned to cover Oden the last two years and plans to follow him to Ohio State and beyond, said what makes the 18-year-old special is "he has an almost Damon Bailey-like understanding of what needs to be done at any point in a game. He isn't looking to get big numbers, and that is extremely rare in kids who are so talented.''

For figure filberts, here are more numbers:

*Oden will become the fourth two-time National Player of the Year since 1955, matching LeBron James in 2002-03, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1964-65 and Jerry Lucas in 1957-58.

*He will become the fourth Indiana high school product to be named the National Player of the Year, following Damon Bailey (1990), George McGinnis (1969) and Oscar Robertson (1956).

*His team has won three state titles in a row, matching Franklin in the 1920s and Marion in the 1980s.

*His team has won 45 games in a row, tying a state record set by Robertson's Indianapolis Crispus Attucks teams in 1954-56.

*And it is the first Indiana team to win a national championship. Even the legendary Big O couldn't do that.

Oden is all about team and defense. While in Chicago for a game against Jon Scheyer and Glenbrook North, he bought a floppy hat, hoping to camouflage his identity in the big city. "I asked him: 'Don't you think people will still recognize you?' People would be surprised how humble and unassuming he is,'' Keefer said.

'I don't want it to end'



"I play team ball,'' Oden said. "My game is to run, play hard, rebound, block shots, play defense and get my teammates involved. Our team motto is: play defense and run. My teammates and coaches want me to shoot more. But I like to break down a defense and get shots for my teammates -- and do everything possible to win.''

Dave Krider of LaPorte, Ind., a former sportswriter who has covered Indiana high school basketball since 1961 and is writing a book on Oden and his Lawrence North team, said he once saw Oden block 18 shots in a sectional tournament game and alter 11 other shots.

"He is an awesome defensive player who can block a shot without fouling,'' Krider said. "I always thought Oscar Robertson was the best player in state history. I didn't have a clue that Oden would be the greatest player in the country when I started my book three years ago. But now ...''

Said Oden: "I don't listen to the hype, and I don't think about the expectations that people have for me. Every game is a challenge to me, the pressure of winning all the time, being the defending state champion, knowing every team is coming at us with nothing to lose, that it can end right there. Everything you worked for. And I don't want it to end.''
Tickets to the Roundball Classic can be purchased at the United Center, through Ticketmaster at (312) 559-1212 or at the Web site www.RoundballClassic.net.