C Greg Oden (Portland Trailblazers)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

5/5/06

High school notebook

172 teams coming to Spiece Run-N-Slam

By Greg Jones

High school sports editor

The Gymrats will be hosting the 13th annual Spiece Run-N-Slam All-Star Classic at various sites around town today through Sunday.

There will be 172 teams playing on 30 courts at high schools and colleges around the Fort Wayne area. O.J. Mayo will be playing for the D-One Greyhounds, and there might be several future McDonald’s All-Americans.

This is the largest and most competitive field in the 13-year history of the tourney.

At 7:15 p.m. today, the Wall of Fame induction will include a retired jersey ceremony for future Ohio State teammates Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook. Because of prom conflicts, they will not be there until 3:30 p.m. Sunday to receive the framed jerseys. Their McDonald’s All-American and Spiece Indy Heat jerseys will be retired.

All the championship games will be played Sunday at Spiece Fieldhouse.
Among the local players in the tournament will be Northwood eighth-grader DeShaun Thomas.

[osugrad21]

Link

5/6

2006 Courier-Journal Super Five
A boon for college basketball
These guys will have to wait to play in pros By C.L. Brown
cbrown@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal


For the college basketball purists out there, the ones who annually have cringed and shuddered in late June when the NBA draft plucked top high school players, you finally can exhale.
The Courier-Journal's Super Five -- the nation's best high school basketball prospects -- don't have that pro option this year. They all will be on a college campus near you this fall.
"College basketball will really pick up next (season) because it's getting some show stoppers back out there," said Ron Briscoe, publisher of Southeast Regional Basketball Report. "These guys are some headliners that people really want to see."
Under the NBA's new collective-bargaining agreement, a player cannot enter the draft until one year after his high school class graduates and must be at least 19 years old. That means 7-footer Greg Oden, the marquee player of the Super Five and the consensuses No. 1 player in the class of 2006, won't be the top pick in June's NBA draft. He'll be at Ohio State, despite talent that has led many pro scouts to say he could have been the top pick as a high school junior.
"He's the No. 1 pick this year, last year, next year or four years ago," said Sonny Vaccaro, director of Reebok's grassroots basketball program. "Big people with his kind of agility -- it's unbelievable."
A couple of the other Super Five selections also could have made the jump this season, but Kevin Durant (Texas), Brandan Wright (North Carolina), Spencer Hawes (Washington) and Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) will have to wait.
The C-J talked to coaches, recruiting analysts, NBA scouts and media to select the Super Five.
It marked the first time since 1999 the Super Five didn't have a member going straight to the NBA.
"Oden, Durant, they would probably be top-five picks in the draft this year," said ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale.
One thing Vitale can't guarantee is how long the giddiness will last. Super Five members could jump to the NBA after their freshman years.
"Once a kid steps on a collegiate level, sometimes they can be enticed about the excitement about what it's like to be a student," Vitale said. "Maybe their priorities are a little different … and they stay a lot longer than people think."
C.L. Brown can be reached at (812) 334-0669.

[Oh8ch]

f Matta had wanted him on campus! What convinced him to change his mind was Matta giving his OK for Greg to go.

I can't think of anything Matta could do with Greg that would better prepare him for college ball than banging heads with the players who will be in the Olympic camp. There simply is no one on the OSU roster that can approach that type of challenge in practice.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

5/7/06

Clint Keller/The Journal Gazette
Bill Hensley, middle, director of Gym Rats Basketball, greets Greg Oden after his jersey was retired Sunday at Spiece Fieldhouse.

Standouts get star treatment

Spiece frames Conley, Oden jerseys

By Greg Jones

High school sports editor


It is certainly an honor for players who are still relative infants in their basketball careers.

But then again, Mike Conley and Greg Oden are anything but typical when it comes to basketball in this state.

The Lawrence North pair delivered a state record-tying three straight Class 4A state championships to the school as well as national recognition for themselves.

And each spring and summer, the two would play AAU basketball for Indy Spiece and make frequent trips to the Spiece Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne.

For those efforts, the two had their McDonald’s All-American jerseys framed for prosperity and were presented these unique mementos of their high school careers in a ceremony Sunday.

“I never thought it would be in a glass case this early in my career,” Conley said of his No. 11 jersey. “They are recognizing us for playing for Spiece and all the stuff they did for us and what we did for them. This just goes to show you how far our relationship goes.”

The two, along with future Ohio State teammate Daequan Cook (No. 14), were honored as members of the Spiece Wall of Fame before the championship games of the Run ’N Slam Classic.

“It is pretty cool,” Oden said of seeing his No. 50 jersey in a glass case.
“I enjoyed playing in the McDonald’s game; it was a lot of fun. It is an honor.”

Both players spent most of their time before the jersey ceremony signing autographs and talking with basketball fans at one of the largest basketball tournaments Spiece Fieldhouse hosts.

“The freshman, sophomore and last year seemed like it was ‘oh my gosh, it is so long.’ But when it finally comes, you are like ‘dang, that went by so quick,’ ” Oden said of his high school career.

Oden and Conley were champions on almost every court they played on, from Conseco Fieldhouse for the state titles to Las Vegas for the Big Time Tournament for the Spiece team, where they won the open division in 2004 and 2005.

The winning won’t stop in high school, the pair said.

“We don’t have the mindset that we are freshman, and we need to adjust,” Conley said of heading to Ohio State in the fall.

“We want to be able to fit right in and have an impact from Day 1.”

That idea was echoed by Oden, who was named Indiana’s 2005 Mr. Basketball last month.

“Anybody who comes into college, their expectations are high because you always want to be that person who turns a program around and bring a championship to that program,” he said.

Oden, projected to be the top pick in the NBA draft before a rules changed meant he had to stay at least a year in college, is looking to remain at Ohio State for half of his college eligibility.

“I have to get there first,” Oden said. “I will stay longer than two years, I am pretty sure of that. I want to get my education, that’s always first.

“That’s the plan.”

In June, Oden and Conley will pair up again as Indiana All-Stars in the state’s annual two-game series against the Kentucky All-Stars on June 17 and 24.

Also part of the Indiana All-Stars are Huntington North’s Chris Kramer and Homestead’s Grant Leiendecker.

“We have a whole bunch of talent on the team,” Conley said. “They have not gotten as much recognition or TV time as the city schools

(Indianapolis), but there are a lot of players around the state who are well deserving of being in the spotlight like we are. It will be a show, and a lot of people should come out and watch.”

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

“I will stay longer than two years, I am pretty sure of that. I want to get my education, that’s always first."

Kid's surely got his head screwed on right.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

5/7/06

indianapolis star indiana boys all-stars
Squad's picks understand concept of team
Area players believe well-rounded skills are key to their selections to face Kentucky stars

Curtis White said the news climaxed years of hard work. Andrew Warren said he was on Cloud 9. Vaughn Duggins called it a dream come true.
All-Star schedule
• June 11: Report to training camp, Greencastle.
• June 14: vs. Junior All-Stars, site TBA.
• June 17: vs. Kentucky, Bowling Green, Ky.
• June 20: vs. Junior All-Stars, site TBA.
• June 22: vs. Junior All-Stars, site TBA.
• June 24: vs. Kentucky, Conseco Fieldhouse.

The three Indianapolis-area high school seniors were describing their reactions to phone calls late last week informing the respective Pike, Brebeuf Jesuit and Pendleton Heights basketball standouts of their selection to the 2006 Indianapolis Star Indiana All-Stars.
They, along with nine others, including Mike Conley of three-time Class 4A state champion Lawrence North, will join Mr. Basketball Greg Oden of Lawrence North on the roster announced Saturday by All-Star game director Patrick Aikman.
While Oden's spot on the 13-member squad had been assured by his selection as Mr. Basketball and Conley's was expected, White, Warren and Duggins didn't know they had been chosen to play in June's annual home-and-home series against Kentucky until they heard from Aikman.
"I didn't think I had the stats, but I'm glad they realized I was a team player for the state's No. 2 team," said White, who averaged just 13 points as a senior and noted that seeing jerseys of former All-Stars from Pike on a daily basis motivated him throughout his career.
"But I just wanted to win, and I didn't care about stats. I was about playing team ball, and it will be fun playing the same way with the best in the state."
Warren and Duggins are among eight selections who averaged 19 points or more as seniors, but both said they strived to display well-rounded skills in postseason events.
"I thought I did what I was supposed to during the season," said Warren, who averaged 19.4 points. "I was focused on showing other parts of my game such as defense, assists and rebounding in the Top 40 (Workout) and City-County All-Star Game."
Added Duggins, who averaged 26.7 points, best of the All-Stars: "Defense is a priority for me, and I felt that showed at the Top 40 and the North-South (All-Star) Game."
All-Star coach Chris Benedict of Columbia City said he is pleased with the unit. It also includes Jeffersonville's Antonio Ballard, Andrean's Luke Harangody, Bloomington South's Cole Holmstrom, Forest Park's Brandon Hopf, Huntington North's Chris Kramer, Homestead's Grant Leiendecker, Anderson's DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis and Gary West's Jamil Tucker.
The 7-foot Oden is the tallest player, while the 5-10 Holmstrom and 6-1 Conley are the only players shorter than 6-3. Nine of the choices are from Class 4A schools, three are from 3A schools and one (Hopf) is from a 2A school. Five players are headed to major college programs -- Oden and Conley to Ohio State, Harangody to Notre Dame, Kramer to Purdue and Tucker to Virginia.
"We've got good versatility," said Benedict, who will be assisted by New Castle's Steve Bennett and Loogootee's Steve Brett. "Some of the guys are strong in specific areas, and several are capable of multiple things."
Oden, Harangody and Hopf will be counted on to provide a strong inside presence, while Conley, Kramer, Holmstrom and Leiendecker offer an excellent perimeter threat. White, Warren, Duggins, Ballard, Sawyer-Davis and Tucker all possess a variety of inside-outside talents.
"Our first intention will be to get (the ball) to Greg and the other guys in the paint," Benedict said. "But we know Kentucky will try to limit that, so we've got to have guys who can knock down outside shots. We also want to play solid defense, run, handle the ball smoothly and score in transition."
While every All-Star team is special, there already is an added buzz about this one because of Oden and Conley.
"Those two have done such a tremendous job for Lawrence North," Benedict said. "They're team guys who adapted their game to do well in every situation. I'm sure they will be good leaders for this team."
Warren said playing with the heralded duo adds to the honor of being selected.
"This is a great opportunity," Warren said. "This team definitely will go down in history."
Meet the team
PlayerSchoolHt.PPGCollege choiceAntonio BallardJeffersonville6-416.2UndecidedMike ConleyLawrence North6-116.4Ohio StateVaughn DugginsPendleton Heights6-326.7Wright StateLuke HarangodyAndrean6-823.6Notre DameCole HolmstromBloomington South5-1014.2Indiana StateBrandon HopfForest Park6-716.9Southern IndianaChris KramerHuntington North6-319.1PurdueGrant LeiendeckerHomestead6-419.9ButlerGreg OdenLawrence North7-022.1Ohio StateDeJovaun Sawyer-DavisAnderson6-420.2UndecidedJamil TuckerGary West6-822.0VirginiaAndrew WarrenBrebeuf Jesuit6-519.4BradleyCurtis WhitePike6-413.0HowardHead coach: Chris Benedict, Columbia City.
Assistant coaches: Steve Bennett, New Castle; Steve Brett, Loogootee.
Assistant to the coaches: Alex Borst, Purdue.

[osugrad21]

Link

5/9






Sports in brief
Oden is player of the year

Greg Oden (Lawrence North High School) was named player of the year on the EA Sports All-America Boys Basketball Team after averaging 22.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. He led the Wildcats to their third straight Class 4A state title, 45 consecutive victories and a wire-to-wire run atop the Student Sports FAB 50 national rankings.

Oden's teammate Mike Conley also was named to the 20-player first team. The 6-foot-1 guard, who will play with Oden at Ohio State University next season, averaged 16.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals.
North Central's Eric Gordon was named to the 30-player second team.
The honor teams are selected by the editors of Student Sports.

[jwinslow]

Originally Posted by bucknuts44820

“I have to get there first,” Oden said. “I will stay longer than two years, I am pretty sure of that. I want to get my education, that’s always first.

“That’s the plan.”

()

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

5/12/06

Limos add to allure of prep stars

By Ryan Pearson

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO – Coach Harvey Kitani has flown his high school basketball teams to Hawaii seven times in the past decade.

It costs thousands of dollars to fly 10 to 15 lanky kids, along with accompanying water boys, to Hawaii. So Fairfax High, a Los Angeles public school, hosts a big-money annual free throw-a-thon, getting pledges for each shot hit, and charges teams from around the country hefty entry fees to fly to L.A. and enter its tournament.

If that’s all sounding pretty grown-up, consider the postseason all-star contests like the McDonald’s All-American game in March.

“We get the limousine bus taking us to practice,” said Kitani, who was coaching the West team. “Here we are the day before the game and you get guys asking questions interviewing guys. You’ve got the dunk contest that’s on ESPN.”

Prep hoops has become increasingly serious and intense among top schools, watched closely and celebrated accordingly.

In recent years, the phenomenon in hoops has become especially pronounced. Ticketmaster sells tickets for prep games, nine high schoolers were selected in the last NBA draft, and Web sites such as HoopsTV.net scout the nation for video of the latest “Baby Jordans.”

Sensing trouble, the NBA last year posted a big “Slow Down” sign: prohibiting players graduating this spring – and for at least the next six years – from going pro right away.

Problem is, they’re too late.

It’s not that the kids are already getting amply rewarded for their talents (perks, gifts) and playing before crowds of thousands – though there is that – but that they’re handling themselves like professionals even before prom rolls around.

Greg Oden is a 7-footer from Indianapolis whom Kitani called “already better than half the centers in the NBA.” He’s got huge hands, quick feet. It’s easy to see him battling Shaq for position. He was profiled in Sports Illustrated a full two years ago, in an article that featured drool-filled quotes from numerous NBA scouts.

When I sat down with Oden, the first thing out of his mouth was praise for the sponsor, recited in a deadpan, spokesmanlike way.

“This is really for a good cause. For the Ronald McDonald House. So that’s the thing to play for,” he said. “I enjoy coming here and doing it for those kids.”

I asked about the NBA’s new rule – and braced myself.

“It can go both ways. There are some high school players that are good enough to go. There are some that aren’t,” he said. “They made their decision, so there’s nothing you can do now.”

It was like chatting up a middle manager who had studied the ancient art of bore-jitsu. Or a pro basketball player simply looking to cash a paycheck and get back to the groupies at his hotel room.

Oden is neither – he’s a smart, polite kid with a 3.7 GPA who will be attending Ohio State next year to study accounting. And probably leaving a year after that bound for the league.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com$

5/12/06

New NBA Rule Makes Freshman Class A Whopper by Frank Burilson.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

5/13/06

high school notebook
Elite players chosen for 'Hoosiers' reunion

Twenty Indianapolis-area athletes, led by Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball Greg Oden of Lawrence North and Miss Basketball Amber Harris of North Central, are among those chosen to play in the "Hoosiers" Reunion All-Star Classic.

Set for June 9 at Knightstown's Historic Hoosier Gym, home of the fictional Hickory Huskers in the 1986 movie "Hoosiers," a basketball doubleheader featuring some of the state's top high school seniors will cap a weeklong celebration of the film's 20th anniversary in the Henry County community.

Among those joining Oden on the Hickory team for the boys game are Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley as well as Pendleton Heights' Vaughn Duggins, Decatur Central's Devon Dumes, Lapel's J.R. Howell, Danville's Lance Robinson, Brownsburg's Mark Titus and Pike's Curtis White.

Shelbyville's James Douglas will play for the opposing Terhune squad.
Harris headlines the Terhune team in the girls game. She's joined by Pike's Ashley Barlow, Warren Central's Tiffany Finkton, Mooresville's Heather Harper, Whiteland's Jessica Huffman and Center Grove's Molly Lauck. The Hickory squad will include Lutheran's Laura Bugher, Mooresville's Lauren Kenney, Pendleton Heights' Susan Lester, Carmel's Melanie Thornton and Hamilton Southeastern's Kylie York.

The girls game will start at 6 p.m., and the boys game will follow. A limited number of VIP tickets -- priced at $50 apiece -- remain for the event, which is being coordinated by Hoosier Basketball Magazine and the Historic Hoosier Gym Committee of Knightstown. Ticket information may be obtained by calling (317) 925-8200.

'Hoosiers' Reunion All-Star Classic rosters
Rosters for the "Hoosiers" Reunion All-Star Classic, a boy-girl basketball doubleheader featuring high school seniors June 9 at the Historic Hoosier Gym in Knightstown. The girls game is at 6 p.m.; the boys game follows.
• Hickory boys: Chris Bloom, Connersville; Mike Conley, Lawrence North; Vaughn Duggins, Pendleton Heights; Devon Dumes, Decatur Central; Ryan Fultz, Knightstown; J.R. Howell, Lapel; Greg Oden, Lawrence North; Lance Robinson, Danville; DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis, Anderson; Mark Titus, Brownsburg; Curtis White, Pike. Coach: Chad Ballenger, Knightstown.
• Terhune boys: James Douglas, Shelbyville; Grayson Flittner, Tri-Central; Cole Holmstrom, Bloomington South; Chase Haltom, Cloverdale; Brandon Hopf, Forest Park; Terry Jenkins, Muncie Central; Bobby Jolliff, Hauser; Chris Kramer, Huntington North; Shannon McCormick, Muncie Burris; Luke Smith, Rochester; Brandon Tucker, Rushville. Coach: Tom Beach, Forest Park.
• Hickory girls: Laura Bugher, Lutheran; Kyleigh Jones, Elwood; Lauren Kenney, Mooresville; Melissa Lechlitner, South Bend St. Joseph's; Susan Lester, Pendleton Heights; Audrey McDonald, Kokomo; Maria Olsthoorn, Castle; Courtney Reed, Northfield; Amanda Stull, Rushville; Melanie Thornton, Carmel; Kylie York, Hamilton Southeastern. Coach: Dawn Basicker, Knightstown.
• Terhune girls: Ashley Barlow, Pike; Mindy Cooper, Connersville; Tiffany Finkton, Warren Central; Heather Harper, Mooresville; Amber Harris, North Central; Jessica Huffman, Whiteland; Whitney Farris, Kokomo; Dee Dee Jernigan, East Chicago Central; Molly Lauck, Center Grove; FahKara Malone, Evansville Memorial; Megan Payton, Bloomington South. Coach: Wayne Allen, Castle.

[hoopsfan]

Not sure if anybody on here reads SLAM magazine (my boys get it in the mail), but the most recent edition has Greg on the cover and says (THE NEXT BIG THING" -- the article about him is one of the most accurate portrayals of Greg as I person I have read. Reading how he thinks - if somebody does something better than him i.e. dribbling, shooting, etc. -- he considers that person better than him. That is what drives his work ethic and will help him just continue to improve over the years.

Good read if you can get your hands on it.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

5/20/06

Greg Oden waves green flag to start Friday's practice

Greg Oden

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana high school Mr. Basketball Greg Oden and Lawrence North teammate Mike Conley waved green flags to start Friday's Indy 500 practice.

The seven-foot Oden led Lawrence North to three straight Indiana Class Four-A championships. He and Conley will attend Ohio State in the fall.

Oden says it's the first time he's been to the track while cars were running.

Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon has the top speed so far Friday at 225.379 mph. Vitor Meira is second at 225.269 and Scott Dixon is third at 225.039. So far 31 drivers have been on the track.

The revised schedule of qualifying will start Saturday, weather permitting.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Not sure if anybody on here reads SLAM magazine (my boys get it in the mail), but the most recent edition has Greg on the cover and says (THE NEXT BIG THING" -- the article about him is one of the most accurate portrayals of Greg as I person I have read. Reading how he thinks - if somebody does something better than him i.e. dribbling, shooting, etc. -- he considers that person better than him. That is what drives his work ethic and will help him just continue to improve over the years.

Good read if you can get your hands on it.

Finally had a chance to read the magazine article and it is just amazing how humble and mature Greg Oden is at this point. He repeatedly talks about how much he needs to improve his game. Only three weeks until he hits campus!

[IrishEnvy]

Congrats on landing Oden. Just registered today, and while I'm a Notre Dame football fan, I'll be pulling for Greg and Conley while at OSU.

I like literally 5 minutes from Lawrence North and had the chance to see Greg 20 or so times. If he holds true to his statements about wanting to play out his eligibility, he may rewrite some record books as his body continues to mature and he gets into a good weightlifting program.