Oden shoots a left-handed free throw.
College basketball hasn't seen a dominant center in nearly 20 years (think Dikembe Mutumbo, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'neal). Well, it's time for another and this one might be better than all of them. Ohio State's freshman Greg Oden made his debut on Saturday vs Valparaiso. He broke his hand in the summer and has been on the shelf ever since.
But Oden, from Indianapolis, didn't stop working. Thad Motta, OSU's head coach, has been working on Oden with his footwork, defense and free throws. Last week before the Buckeye's, ranked No. 1 for the moment (a 98-89 loss to North Carolina on Wednesday will probably knock them down a couple pegs), Oden made 17 free throws in a row with his left hand. Roy Williams, the Tarheels coach, came up to Motta and said 'Wow, I didn't know he's left-handed!' The thing is...he's not. Oden has been working so hard in the last few months with his left hand, he's become almost as good with his left hand as he is with his dominant right hand.
Do you really think Oden is 18? He looks 36 to me.
Saturday's win over Valpo, 78-58, solidifies the Buckeye's spot as one of the top couple teams in the country. "It felt really good. I had fun out there with my teammates," Oden said after getting 14 points and 10 rebounds "I didn't get a chance to dunk. You could tell I was anxious. I traveled, like, eight times."
With the best recruiting class in the country (Oden, Mike Conley, Jr., Daequan Cook) and a good returning squad, the Big 10 has been forewarned. Oden, who has been called the next Bill Russell because of his defensive ability, has it all and the help to go far in March. Greg Oden and Ohio State will be ready for anybody this year.
15 comments:
Is Oden Lebron's long lost brother... err ahh sibling? Their faces are similar.
rwta - i think ur comment about there not being a dominant center in 20 years is a stretch, even though everyone says it. somehow everyone has already forgotten a little guy i call emeka okafor. he was about as dominant as the come when he was at uconn. so lets throw out a little love to the big man from uconn
Mike, Mike, Mike. You just answered your own question. You sent me a message on here which said '6'9, 250 lbs.' Exactly. Emeka Okafor is not a center. That's a power forward my friend. He might have had to play center for the Huskies. Being a senior in high school, you were what....4 when Shaq was in college? You haven't seen a center in college until you have seen Patrick Ewing. Now that's a center. And now we have Greg Oden. I still love you Mike. You're the man....er...boy. -- Ryan Wilmot Tennis Academy out.
rwta - you missed the point here. wheter he's a natural power forward or not, he played center at uconn, and he was dominant. most outstanding player in the ncaa tournament the year uconn won. he also led the ncaa in blocks and was named defensive player of the year. yes he plays power forward in the nba, but in college he wa a center, and he dominated.
mike,
there is no way Okafor was a dominant center. like Ryan said, there hasnt been a dominant center in 20 years. and now we have Oden. i mean 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks? with his left hand? thats insane wait till he gets his right one back.
Greg Oden will be one the most dominant centers of all time. Emeka Okafor was great, but first of all, he is a Power Forward, and second of all, he deffinitily was not THAT great, he was great, but Greg Oden will blow him away.
6'9'' is the deffinition of a Power Forward, a Center at 6'9''? Maybe in high school... A center is 6'10'' at the SHORTEST, but should be 6'11'' or preferably 7'. So basically, Emeka Okafor was not a center, and was not that dominant.
Thank you Little B. Somebody else is smart in this world. Okafor was not a center. End of conversation. -- RWTA.
its ironic that rwta keeps deleting my comments, only because he knows im right. he has to erase my brilliance because he cant make a point to prove im wrong.
i win rwta, even if u keep erasing my comments
Um...I watch maybe a 20 hoops games a season with a dozen during March Madness...I know less about basketball than the average hoops fan...I couldn't tell you the difference between a dude playing "the 2" as opposed to being better suited for "a 4"...and yet even I know that Okafor is not and was never a center.
Can someone tell this Mike character to start paying attention...please?
Hey, just stumbled upon your journal while searching Greg Oden sites. Please explain to me while this Mike guy thinks Emeka Okafor was a center. I went to UCONN in the late 90's. He was not a center. This dude writing the journal knows what he is talking about.
Great journal by the way.
Okafor was not a center, is not a center and never will be a center.
this mike guy has no idea wha hes talking about. Okafor was never a center and wont ever be one
Last night, Friday, the 8th of December, 2006, Mike Bush (aka Mr. I'm Never Wrong) admiited to me, Ryan Alexander Wilmot, that he was wrong. I sent Mike my journal so he could see all the comments left saying he was wrong and he finally admitted what we all knew....he was wrong and had no idea what he was talking about. Here is what he said after seeing the comments:
Soccermike182 [11:51 P.M.]: damn
Soccermike182 [11:52 P.M.]: looks like i got served
Soccermike182 [12:22 A.M.]: u win ryan
So, for everybody who left comments saying Emeka Okafor was not, is not and will not ever be a dominate center in college basketball, I thank you.
-- RWTA
All I want for Christmas is Oden in Celtic green next fall.
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