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ViewsGreg OdenFrom BpWikiGregory Wayne Oden Jr. (born January 22, 1988, in Buffalo, New York) is an NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers and a member of the United States men's national basketball team. Oden played center on the 2006-2007 Ohio State men's basketball team, which were the Big Ten Champions and the runner-up in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. He played only one season with the Buckeyes before declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft. He was selected the #1 overall draft in the 1st round by the Trail Blazers.
[edit] Early YearsOden grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, playing football in the seventh grade at Sarah Scott Junior High School, then moved to Indianapolis in the eighth grade. As a sophomore at Lawrence North High School, Oden averaged 14 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks. He shot 71% from the field. As a junior, he averaged 19.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks, with a 65.8% field goal percentage. During his senior year (2005-06 season), Oden led Lawrence High to an undefeated record, a third straight Class 4A Indiana state championship. For the season, Oden scored 22.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 74 percent from the field. Oden dominated in the state championship game against Muncie Central, scoring a game-high 27 points and grabbing 26 rebounds. The 2006 Lawrence North squad also was the first team from the state of Indiana to be ranked No. 1 nationally by either USA Today or Sports Illustrated, both of which rated the Wildcats the top-ranked high school team in 2005-06. Away from the court, he maintained a 3.5 GPA. Oden was named the 2006 Indiana Mr. Basketball. He was also on the McDonald's All-American Team and played in the All-American game. Oden led Lawrence North to three straight state titles and 45 consecutive wins under coach Jack Keefer. Oden was named Parade Magazine's 2005 High School Co-Player of the Year and 2005 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, becoming the first high school junior since LeBron James to be named such. Oden finished his high school career with 1,873 points, 1,058 rebounds, and 341 blocked shots in high school, leading Lawrence North to three consecutive Class 4A state titles and a 103-7 overall record, including 24-1 in the postseason. Oden also played for the Spiece Indy Heat AAU Team with Mike Conley, Jr. and Daequan Cook. [edit] CollegeOn June 29, 2005, Oden and fellow Lawrence North teammate and best friend Mike Conley, Jr. announced that they would be attending The Ohio State University starting with the 2006-07 season. Following a ligament injury during his senior high school season, Oden had surgery on his right wrist on June 16, 2006, in Indianapolis. As a result, he missed the first nine games of the 2006-07 season. During the time Oden was out, the team was ranked as high as first before losing to the University of North Carolina. He made his college debut on December 2, 2006, against Valparaiso, coming off the bench. He finished the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Oden led the 2006-2007 Buckeyes in scoring (15.7 ppg), rebounding (9.6 rpg), and blocked shots (105). His resume for that season includes 14 double-doubles and 20 or more points five times. He reached double figures in rebounds 15 times and notched a career-high 19 rebounds in a win over Purdue. He blocked four or more shots 17 times, including a career-high seven blocks in a win against Michigan. He had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Iowa. Averaged 16.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in six NCAA Tournament games. Oden was the Big Ten Player of the Week, along with Wisconsin's Alando Tucker, on January 29, 2007. In the previous week he had averaged 18 points and 11.5 rebounds. On March 6, 2007, Oden was named First Team All-Big Ten as well being voted the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. In the Sweet Sixteen, Oden blocked a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds against Tennessee to preserve an 85-84 victory, and went on to lead Ohio State past Memphis and Georgetown to advance to the 2007 National Championship. In the title game, on April 2, 2007, Oden scored 25 points, 12 rebounds, and had 4 blocked shots against the Florida Gators. The Buckeyes lost 75-84. On March 26, 2007, Oden was named to the Associated Press All-American Team. He was the first Buckeye named to the first team since Jim Jackson in 1991-92. He and Kevin Durant of Texas are the first freshmen voted to the All-American First Team since 1990 and the third and fourth overall. [edit] NBA Career[edit] Pre-draft (2007)On April 20, 2007, after completing his freshman season with the Buckeyes, Oden announced that he would be entering the NBA Draft. On June 20, Oden worked out with the Portland Trail Blazers. On June 27, the Portland Trail Blazers have informed Oden that he would be the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. [edit] DraftOn June 28, 2007, Oden was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the #1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Two of his Ohio State teammates were also chosen in the first round: Mike Conley, Jr. at #4 (Memphis Grizzlies), and Daequan Cook at #21 (Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Miami Heat. The last time two or more Ohio State players were selected in the first round of the same draft was in 1962 (Jerry Lucas at #6, John Havlicek at #9). On July 1, Oden signed his NBA contract with the Trail Blazers. Oden signed a two-year deal, with team options for the third and fourth seasons. Oden will make $3.885 million as a rookie and $4.176 in Year 2. If the Blazers pick up the option in the third year, his salary will be $4.476 million. [edit] 2007 Summer LeagueAs a member of the Trailblazers, Oden chose uniform #52, a combination of digits from his numbers in high school (50) and college (20). [edit] Notable BuckeyePlanet threads
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