C Greg Oden (All B1G, All-American, Defensive Player of the Year, Butler Assistant Coach)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCHOOLSPORT.COM

4/7/05

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Greg Oden was named Gatorade Player of the Year

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Oden Captures Gatorade National Player of the Year
By SchoolSports Staff
Date: Apr 6, 2005

Gatorade today announced Greg Oden of Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) as the 2005 Gatorade National Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year.
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In its 20th anniversary season of honoring the nation’s elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Greg Oden of Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) as the 2005 Gatorade National Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year. In earning the award, Oden joins LeBron James as only the second junior to win Gatorade National Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year honors.

Oden, a 7-foot, 245-pound junior center, led Lawrence North to a 24-2 record, the school’s second consecutive Indiana Class 4A state championship and the No. 7 spot in the final SchoolSports Top 25 national boys’ basketball rankings. For the season, he averaged 20.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. Two of his top individual performances this season came in the state tournament. Oden blocked 18 shots in Lawrence North’s 60-45 sectional semifinal win over previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Arlington. In the finals, Oden scored a championship game record 29 points and snared nine rebounds in the Wildcats’ 63-52 victory over Muncie Central.

Oden will attempt to lead Lawrence North to an unprecedented third straight Indiana 4A state championship in 2005-06 and will have the opportunity to join James as only the second player to win Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.

Away from the court, Oden has a 3.5 GPA and participates in several community efforts initiated by the Lawrence North basketball team.

“Greg is a great young man,” says Lawrence North head coach Jack Keefer. “He always puts his team and school first, and as a result his teachers, teammates and fans love him. Greg could easily score 30-35 points per game, but chooses instead to help develop our team.”

The Gatorade National Advisory Board, a group of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country, selected Oden from the nearly 545,000 male high school basketball players nationwide. Oden is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

“The honor bestowed upon Greg today is reflective of his demonstrated ability to play the game of basketball at the highest level, rising to the top of an extremely talented group of high school players across the nation,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Tom Fox. “For 20 years the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award has recognized outstanding athletes who also shine in the classroom and in their communities, so it is the whole of Greg’s accomplishments that have earned him a place among the best high school athletes of the past two decades.”

The Gatorade High School Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and awards one National Player of the Year in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ basketball, soccer, and track & field. Previous national award winners include Emmitt Smith, Lisa Leslie, Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Kerri Walsh among others. For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and a list of upcoming announcement dates, or the names of previous winners, visit www.gatorade.com.

PAST GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONOREES
Year Name High School/Hometown Status
2005 Greg Oden Lawrence North, Indianapolis, IN High School Junior
2004 Dwight Howard SW Atlanta Christian, Atlanta, GA Orlando Magic
2003 LeBron James St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, OH Cleveland Cavaliers
2002 LeBron James St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, OH Cleveland Cavaliers
2001 Kelvin Torbert Northwestern Edison, Flint, MI Michigan State Univ.
2000 Jared Jeffries North, Bloomington, IN Washington Wizards
1999 LaVell Blanchard Pioneer, Ann Arbor, MI Univ. of Michigan Grad
1998 Al Harrington St. Patrick, Elizabeth, NJ Atlanta Hawks
1997 Baron Davis Crossroads, Santa Monica, CA Golden State Warriors
1996 Kobe Bryant Lower Merion, Ardmore, PA Los Angeles Lakers
1995 Stephon Marbury Abraham Lincoln, Brooklyn, NY New York Knicks
1994 Felipe Lopez Rice, New York, NY Retired from NBA
1993 Randy Livingston Isidore Newman, New Orleans, LA Utah Jazz
1992 Corliss Williamson Russellville, Russellville, AR Sacramento Kings
1991 Chris Webber Detroit County Day, Birmingham, MI Philadelphia 76ers
1990 Damon Bailey Bedford North Lawrence, Bedford, IN Retired from NBA
1989 Kenny Anderson Archbishop Molloy, Jamaica, NY NBA Free Agent
1988 Alonzo Mourning Indian River, Chesapeake, VA Miami Heat
1987 LaBradford Smith Bay City, Bay City, TX Retired from NBA
1986 J.R. Reid Kempsville, Virginia Beach, VA Retired from NBA</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[wadc45]

I am hearing that OSU was at Oden's school to visit both him and Conley today.

that's funny...I heard the same thing...

 

[BGriffBuckeye]

Ib regard to the Cold Pizza post... I saw it and I am not conviced Indiana is on top. Jay Crawford seemed to be talking up IU a lot, for some reason, so I think Oden just said it to say it, imho.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUTHOOPS.COM

4/8/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Top 10 Preseason Traveling Team Poll

By Jeff Goodman, Dave Telep National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Apr 8, 2005

Take a look at Scout.com’s Preseason Top 10 Traveling Team Poll. We’ll wait until after Memorial Day and give you a mid-season update.



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TOP 10 TRAVELING TEAM POLL

1) Spiece Indy Heat – They were No. 2 in the land a year ago and they won’t lose a beat. Not with the top-ranked player, Greg Oden, returning along with two other elite rising seniors – point guard Mike Conley (No. 19) and shooting guard Daequan Cook (No. 8). We haven’t even talked about one of the best in 2007 – Eric Gordon (No. 6). All the pieces are in place. Now Spiece just has to get it done.

2) D.C. Assault – When you have a quartet of the elite players in the Class of 2007, you’re going to be tough to beat. Sure, these guys may not be as experienced as some of their opponents, but they have size with 6-9 Michael Beasley (No. 2) and 6-8 Herb Pope (No. 17) – as well as strong guard play in Nolan Smith (No. 7) and Austin Freeman (No. 26).

3) Boo Williams – Ridiculous depth up and down the roster. It starts with elite rising senior Vernon Macklin (No. 5), but Boo also has Maryland-bound floor leader Eric Hayes (No. 68) as well as big-time shooters Stefan Welsh (No. 83) and Scott Reynolds (No. 42) in the backcourt. Add athletic wing L.D. Williams and youngsters like Chris Wright and Kenny Belton and this group can challenge anyone.

4) EBO – It starts with the Lopez twins, Brook (No. 23) and Robin (No. 38), but it doesn’t end with the Stanford-bound big man. Derrick Jasper (No. 53) and Tre’Von Willis, along with Quincy Pondexter and rising juniors Tyrone Shelley and Darshawn McClellan, should make this group one of the most talented in the nation.

5) Playaz Basketball Club – Wayne Ellington (No. 6) and Gerald Henderson (No. 12) will team together once again to form the nucleus of the team and when you add versatile Earl Clark (No. 37) into the mix, it’s a potent threesome. Kraidon Woods (No. 99) has already committed to Villanova and the Playaz boast one of the nation’s elite guys from the Class of 2007 in Corey Stokes (No. 13).

6) Southern Cal All-Stars – James Keefe (No. 22) and Taylor King (No. 9, Class of 2007) have already committed to UCLA and athletic two-sport star Chase Budinger (No. 45) could join them in Westwood. Pat Barrett also has a young, talented point guard in Class of 2008’s Brandon Jennings. Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett will also see major time for the west coast power.

7) Team Texas – Everyone knows about the frontline of Darrell Arthur (No. 4) and Bryan Davis (No. 29), but the boys from the Lone Star State have a pretty good wings in Jermaine Beal and Donald Sloan. The key will be the point guard play with Lionel Booker expected to receive the majority of the minutes.

8) Houston Hoops – Nic Wise will run the show and the Arizona-bound floor leader in coming off a state crown. He’ll be surrounded by plenty of talent, including arguably the best player in the state – rising junior Gary Johnson (No. 18). Damion James (No. 18), Darris Santee and Isaiah Rusher (No. 37, Class of 2007) give the team size while Jai Lucas (No. 48, Class of 2007) and Mike Singletary will also contribute. 9) Athletes First – This outfit doesn’t get all the hype of some of the east and west coast teams, but they have a trio of guys who will make some noise. It starts with 6-3 guard Obi Muonelo (No. 63) and 6-8 forward Keith Clark (No. 27), but don’t be surprised if 6-8 Ekpe Udoh makes plenty of noise. 10) D.C. Blue Devils – When you’ve got one of the top frontcourt guys in the country in Kevin Durant (No. 3) and you add in arguably the best point guard in the nation in Tywon Lawson (No. 17). The Blue Devils have more talent to add to that, but Durant and Lawson could be as potent a 1-2 punch as there is in the country.



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LINK

high school notebook
'Greg Oden Day' surprises player

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By Pat McKee
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'pat.mckee'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
April 8, 2005


Greg Oden was taken aback for the second time in two days Thursday.

At a school assembly where the Lawrence North High School junior was presented the award as Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Oden was surprised by a proclamation from Mayor Bart Peterson declaring it "Greg Oden Day" in Indianapolis.

The announcement by Kelly Wood of the mayor's office brought a rousing cheer and chants of "Oden, Oden, Oden" from the crowd of Lawrence North students.

When the assembly ended, students were being directed back to class. Oden drew huge laughs when he gestured toward the exit and mouthed that it was time to "go home."

Oden learned of the national award at a surprise dinner Wednesday night. After the formal ceremony Thursday, the 7-foot center -- who averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in leading the Wildcats to a second consecutive Class 4A state championship -- spoke of his goals for next season.

"I just want to work to reach my potential," Oden said.

When someone suggested he could average 30 points next year, he said, "I'm going to try." He then quickly added, "If the team needs me to do that, I will try."

Projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft if he skips college, Oden repeated what he has said all along.

"I want to go to college," he said. "(The NBA) will be there when the time comes," nodding in agreement that "the time" would be not the year following his senior year in high school.

Earlier Thursday, in an interview on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" show, Oden raised hopes of Indiana University fans by acknowledging he could be interested in playing for the Hoosiers. But coach Jack Keefer said not to make too much of the comment,

and noted that Oden met with coaches from Ohio State later in the day.

Oden is talking regularly to various college coaches.

• Lawrence North will face Illinois champion Glenbrook North (32-2) in next season's McDonald's Showdown at Evanston, Ill., event officials announced. The game will be Feb. 11 at Northwestern University.

Thad Matta and company will not stop recruiting, I like his philosphy...go after the big boys.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

Oden was named a EA SPORTS All-American.......

<TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="90%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width="89%">Greg Oden (<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY w:st="on">Lawrence</ST1:CITY> North, <ST1:PLACE w:st="on"><ST1:CITY w:st="on">Indianapolis</ST1:CITY>, <ST1:STATE w:st="on">Ind.</ST1:STATE></ST1:PLACE>) 7-0 Jr. Center</TD><TD width="14%"> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="89%">The nation's most touted junior and overall big man led the 24-2 record Wildcats to their second straight state Class 4A championship and a No. 5 ranking in the Student Sports FAB 50. The two-time all-stater, and a national Sophomore and Junior of the Year choice by Student Sports, improved his numbers this season with averages of 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game. In the state title game vs. Muncie Central, Oden hit 14 of 19 shots and scored 29 points. For the season, he cashed in on 206 of 305 field goals and 109 of 171 free throws. If analysts are correct, he could be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft.</TD><TD width="14%">

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[Thump]

At school today we were watching Channel 1 and they had some video of this kid. All I can say is that this guy is an absolute ANIMAL!!!

He looked like Muhammed of Georgia Tech dunking the ball. Simply a man amongst boys.

They interviewed his coach and his coach was saying how mature of a young man he is by telling his coach, "Those NBA guys would eat me alive if I went into the league."

He's also an honor student with a 3.5 GPA.

If some of this has already been mentioned I apologize, I was too lazy to read the rest of this thread.

 

[aurorabuckeye13]

I definatly beleive oden is headed to the nba because he can possibly the #1 pick...

However I still hold on to that slight hope that conley commits and then him and cook talk up oden, oden decides he wants a good education and then he eventually commits to osu.

Hey what can I say, i love to dream...

 

[BGriffBuckeye]

If Oden is the #1 pick out of high school, why wouldn't he be the #1 pick later on? From everything I hear he wants to go to college. There has not been one report I have seen/read that suggsts differently. He ALWAYS states he experience the college atmosphere.

 

[charleswoodson2]

the only way he attends any college is if the age restriction is in place but if its not then he is the 1st pick. some scouts say he would be the 1st pick in this years draft.

 

[msj2487]

I've gotta believe Oden goes to college at least 1 year, from all that I've heard / read. It looks very promising to me as well with our chances of landing him now that we have Cook.

 

[BGriffBuckeye]

Again, why do you suspect that CW2?

 

[wadc45]

I think he ends up in college at least for a year, and I would not be shocked if it was at OSU. Nobody in the entire state of Indiana except for Mrs. Davis is in love with Mike Davis right now, and we all know how big of a factor location is, especially when moms are involved. I think that if we can get Oden and Conley on campus with Cook that first weekend in May, we are in great shape. Matter of fact, if Oden and Conley don't verbal to Wake on their visit, I'd say we are in hella-good shape...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I think he ends up in college at least for a year, and I would not be shocked if it was at OSU.

wadc....I think after reading some of his comments recently in a few articles he has a very good head on his shoulders and understands his talent and where he stands, he recently stated that he thought "those guys up there would eat me alive right now". I think he knows he needs improvement and I would not be shocked if he attends college for a year, but I would be shocked if it was at OSU.

also....the visit to Oden last week went very well and sources say its down to Wake Forest, Indiana and possibly OSU for him. Apparently, he is getting a lot of pressure to leave the state and not play for Mike Davis.

 

[wadc45]

wadc....I think after reading some of his comments recently in a few articles he has a very good head on his shoulders and understands his talent and where he stands, he recently stated that he thought "those guys up there would eat me alive right now". I think he knows he needs improvement and I would not be shocked if he attends college for a year, but I would be shocked if it was at OSU.

also....the visit to Oden last week went very well and sources say its down to Wake Forest, Indiana and possibly OSU for him. Apparently, he is getting a lot of pressure to leave the state and not play for Mike Davis.

that confuses me a bit...I think if he is getting pressure to leave the state, and he is likely to follow Conley, and our chances with Conley are obviously pretty good (your own prediction, not withstanding ), then we should have a decent shot at Oden. I am not saying I think he is a done deal to OSU by any means, or to college for that matter. But knowing what I know now, I would not fall out of my chair if he committed to Matta.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

would not be shocked if he attends college for a year, but I would be shocked if it was at OSU.

oops...that should read "if it wasn't at OSU. I feel the same way you do Wadc.... we have a good to great chance of landing Conley and I am hearing that if Oden plays in college he will most likely follow Conley.

I can't believe I did that major typo....loss of cool points.