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

I doubt the reporter would've had an OSU slant, they seemed to be more interested in his interest in Arkansas which is what you'd expect. Which would give it more validity like you said considering he really would have no reason to try and appease any fans being that it was on a local TV station, and if he was trying to appease he would've said Arkansas led.
I never saw the CP interview, just heard about it. That's very weird that Jay Crawford would be talking up IU because I believe he's actually a Michigan fan.
 
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actually Crawford is a huge Buckeye Fan...I've watched him go at one of the crappy linemen from Michigan last year like the day before the game.....and I'm sure its not much , but I'm reading and hearing stuff that makes it seem like if he ends up in college it could be at Ohio State...
 
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Oden & Conley want to play together - WANews
REAL DEAL ON THE HILL : Play together, stay together
by BY CHRIS BAHN
Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2005
<noscript> [url="http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=16433&m=6&tp=8&d=s&c=1"]http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=16433&m=6&tp=8&d=s&c=1[/url]</noscript> <!-- J CARTER 300x250 Medium Rectangle CODE for nwanews.com -->
FAYETTEVILLE — Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. can’t remember the first time they met.

Of course they can’t recall introductions ever being necessary.

Teammates and friends since middle school, Oden and Conley entered this weekend’s Real Deal on the Hill with a chemistry as undeniable as their considerable basketball talents. "You can’t catch one of us without the other," said Conley, who teams with Oden on the Indianapolis-based Indy Spiece Heat. "We’re best friends and we’ve been together since sixth grade. We’d like to keep this going as long as we can. We have a lot of fun."

A glimpse of the two during a Friday afternoon shootaround at Bud Walton Arena affirmed that.

Oden and Conley began practice by racing to the same end of the court, following each other in a series of shooting drills. Rarely did the two pass each other without a playful punch, a clever comment or a sly grin. "We mess with each other," Oden said. "That’s just how we are when we’re together."

Keeping the duo intact beyond next year is becoming an increasingly unlikely prospect.

Both are being heavily recruited by some of the nation’s top college programs.

Oden, a 7-foot, 250-pound center with a 35-inch vertical leap, is also dealing with the lure of NBA fame and fortune, provided the league doesn’t implement a proposed age limit before his 2006 graduation.

For now, Oden says he’s committed to playing in college. He and Conley, a 6-1 point guard, are hopeful they will remain teammates after next season.

Others aren’t so sure. "In their minds, they will be going to college together," said Heat Coach Mike Conley Sr., a former Arkansas track star. "They aren’t just best friends, they are like brothers. Reality will set in at some point, though. When you are that young, you think you’ll live forever. They probably think they will be teammates forever."

Both list Wake Forest and Ohio State among their favorite schools. Beyond that, the lists vary.

Oden, who shrugs off talk of skipping college, also said he likes Indiana and Michigan State. Conley, who lived in Fayetteville until he was 11, includes Arkansas, Illinois and North Carolina among his favorites.

Anyone lucky enough to keep them together could reap the benefits.

Lawrence North Coach Jack Keefer knows first-hand how good the two are as teammates. Oden and Conley teamed up this year to bring their Indianapolis high school a second consecutive Class 4A Indiana state championship.

Oden averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks this season, while Conley added 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for 29-2 Lawrence North. "It’s really an ‘I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine’ mentality with the two of them," Keefer said. "Greg thinks Mike is the greatest player in the world. Mike thinks Greg is the greatest player in the world."

Conley isn’t the only one.

A polished defender and crisp passer out of the paint, Oden has been turning heads since his freshman season. With one year of high school remaining, Oden already has been selected as national player of the year by Gatorade and Parade magazine.

Keefer, who coached former North Carolina star Eric Montross and recently staffed the McDonald’s All-American game, said Oden is "far and away the best I’ve seen. There’s a reason he’s getting all the attention."

One college coach on hand to watch the Heat in the Real Deal tournament marveled at Oden’s maturity and grasp of the sport. "Forget next year. If he came out this year, he’d be a top 10 pick," the coach said. "He’s a pro right now. What everybody likes is his potential. He runs like a deer, reacts quickly to the ball, recovers well. He’s got considerable talent."

Coaches on hand for the weekend tournament compared Oden to a younger version of a number of accomplished big men, including Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and Patrick Ewing.

Comparisons to Duncan are the hardest to ignore. Like the San Antonio Spurs’ stoic center, Oden seems as effortless on the floor as he is uncomfortable off it. "There is not really anything too good about [the attention]," Oden said. "I just want to play basketball. I don’t really want all this."

Amid the hype, Oden is down to earth. He’d rather talk about his 5-month-old pit bull, Junior, than the recent declaration of Greg Oden Day in Indianapolis. A summer trip to Hollywood for the ESPY Awards can’t make up for the simple trips to the store he can no longer enjoy in peace. "Everywhere he goes he gets messed with," Mike Conley Jr. said. "People are constantly trying to talk with him. It hasn’t changed him, though. He’s still the same guy he’s always been."

Oden deflects much of the attention he receives to Conley. He praises his teammate for keeping him grounded, and, of course, keeping the ball in his hands. "He makes me who I am," Oden said of Conley. "I wouldn’t be me without him. People say I’m the best player in the nation, but he has a lot to do with that."
 
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scouthoops.com$

4/16/05

Spiece Indy Heat is a balanced squad. Oden scored 14 points and showed flashes of his dominance in a rout against the Mid-State Ballerz.

scouthoops.com$

4/17/05

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Greg Oden

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Real Deal: Day Two Checklist
By Dave Telep National Recruiting Director
Date: Apr 17, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Greg Oden and Co. wreaked havoc on the field all day long on Saturday. While Oden was doing his thing, guys like Lance Thomas, Earl Clark and Alex Legion were going off as well.
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Against Team Texas he went for 17 points on just 6 shots and controlled the game without scoring much, the best defensive player at the event and is scary good.​
 
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Greg Oden became only the second junior ever to be named USA TODAY National Player of the year....

2005 High school boys All-USA basketball team PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Greg Oden, 7-0, center, Lawrence North, Indianapolis

Just the stats: Averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots, helping No. 6 Lawrence North win its second consecutive Class 4A state championship. A junior, he is only the second underclassman named USA TODAY's player of the year (the first was LeBron James in 2002). Will participate in the USA Basketball Festival and was named Gatorade's player of the year.


College choices: Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wake Forest.

Favorite class and teacher? Algebra/Donna Chamberlain.

In 10 years I want to be doing what? "Successful and happy in my chosen profession (not necessarily basketball)."

Tell us about your first dunk: "I was in seventh grade and just shooting around at Sarah Scott Middle School. It drew rim, but I put it down."

Greatest fear: Car accidents. "Abrupt stops really shake me."

Food you absolutely can't stand: Onions.

NBA player who reminds you of yourself: Ben Wallace. "First and foremost, he's a rebounder and shot blocker.

Why do you wear No. 50? "The higher numbers were always assigned to the taller players."

Should there be an age limit in the NBA: "No way, because if a kid can play, why deny him his chance."

Best movie you've seen lately?Guess Who.

This summer I'm going to be: "Working on my game and playing AAU ball with Spiece Indy Heat."

inside2-2005-04-17-oden.jpg
 
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rivals.com$

4/18/05

Its a big recruiting weekend coming up for Wake Forest with the Demon Deacons hosting two of the best prospects in the country. Teammates Mike Conley, the No. 35 ranked player in the 2006 class, and Greg Oden, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2006 class, will both take their first official visit this weekend.

Conley and Oden, a 6-foot-11, 225-pound center, also said they expect to visit Ohio State some time in May but are unsure if they will take any other visits. Oden did not list any other schools, but Conley listed Ohio State, Illinois, North Carolina and Arkansas.

(after the recent rumors circulating on the boards, I would say our chances with both of these prospects are going up.)
 
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