Sources: Oden To Declare, Sign With Agent

[Cool]

The Ohio State trio of Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook came into Columbus together and it appears as though they will depart after just one season with the Buckeyes.

According to a pair of sources close to the situation, the three players will release a joint statement Friday morning with each declaring for the NBA Draft.
Oden will sign with an agent, most likely former track and field star Mike Conley Sr., who coached the trio in summer basketball. Conley and Cook will hold off from signing with an agent for now, but if all goes well in individual workouts for NBA teams, they will likely sign with an agent prior to the June 18 deadline to withdraw from the draft.

Conley, if he elects to keep his name in for the draft, will obviously sign with his father.

The 7-foot Oden has long been considered the No. 1 overall pick in the June 28 NBA Draft and it's no surprise that he's leaving school after just one season — although Buckeyes coach Thad Matta really did seem to believe that he might stick around for another season in Columbus.

Oden's career in Ohio State lasted 32 games after he sat out the first seven due to off-season wrist surgery. While he never quite lived up to the lofty expectations that many placed on him, Oden still averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game and helped the Buckeyes advance to the national title game.

He finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida in the championship game.

The 6-foot-1 Conley Jr., who has played in Oden's shadow in high school and in AAU ball, watched his NBA stock rise dramatically over the latter portion of his freshman campaign. Conley, according to a pair of NBA executives, could be the top point guard taken and that would likely put him somewhere among the top dozen picks.

Conley showed as much poise as any freshman in the country and was unflappable, especially in big games. He averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 assists per game and is one of the rare true floor leaders in this day and age of scoring point guards.

Cook, a talented 6-foot-5 wing, started his career out strong, but his production and playing time dwindled over the course of the season and he became disenchanted with his reduced role on the team.

While Oden and Conley were unquestionably stars for the Buckeyes, Cook was far more enigmatic. His talent has never been questioned, especially on the offensive end, but he has a tendency to disappear at times in games. Matta decreased his minutes towards the middle of the season because Cook wasn't defending as well as he wanted.

If Conley and Cook do elect to keep their names in and sign with an agent, it will be a major blow to Matta's program. Ohio State has a strong incoming class coming in this fall, highlighted by 6-foot-11 Kosta Koufus, but the Buckeyes will go from a team capable of getting back to the Final Four to a club that is isn't a lock to get back to the NCAA tournament.

Freshman David Lighty's role will increase and junior Jamar Butler would likely go back to running the team. Junior college big man Othello Hunter was solid early in the season when Oden was out and continued to play well as Oden's understudy.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6707418

[Skywalker]

couple days late cool, lol

[Cool]

couple days late cool, lol

I know that was reported and all, but then his agent and dad said he has not decided. But now there saying a press conference tomorrow will make it official. And I knew all about the other day, I just thought I should post this though.

[FireMcFailPlease]

cook leaving is a mistake.

wtf is that idiot thinking

[mlh1981]

For me personally, this makes it hard for me to follow college basketball. There seems to be a revolving door of players, and while I can't blame them for chasing NBA riches, it's hard to build any sort of loyalty or pride when the faces are always changing. Yeah, I realize that following collegiate sports is about the school as opposed to the faces, but it would be really nice to see a core group of guys stick around like the Florida guys did. Even as recently as 10 years ago, you got to see college players improve throughout their years in school. NOw, they come out as unfinished products, by in large, and their growth and development are forced to occur on the more unforgiving stage of the NBA. Another thing that I find irritating is guys who act as if they are gonna stay in school, and then the moment that the bling presents itself, they bolt. Noone is gonna suffer from a career-ending injury. Does that ever happen? Why not take advantage of a free education on a college campus where you are The Man? Ok, so some guys have families to think about and stuff. I get that. Still though.............stay in school, unless you TRULY feel as if you need the money.

[fatboy11]

Oh, they all three wanted to wait to announce at the same time.

Who would have known?

Oh wait...........

Nice damage control job, Mr. Conley.

[Jerz Netz]

Durant better go #1

[HaNdLe ThE RoCk]

Oden is going #1 to memphis. Durant will look good in a Celtic Jersey.

[Moose]

Oden is going #1 to memphis. Durant will look good in a Celtic Jersey.

I could see that happening.

[ConanRulesNBC]

Oden to the Bulls!! Thanks to New York...

[GOBB]

Durant better go #1

Be a dumb decision.

[hawkfan]

Go Hawks!

Let's get the first overall pick this year!

[GOBB]

Go Hawks!

Let's get the first overall pick this year!

So you can draft Durant. :roll:

[jweezy]

i'm going to lol if hawks get 2nd pick...They will be forced to trade or take another 6'9 forward and if they want to trade teams know they have to and the value won't be as high....

[magic chiongson]

:roll:

[disel]

Be a dumb decision.
Fool!:roll:

[Shepseskaf]

Be a dumb decision.
Wow.....

[disel]

So you can draft Durant. :roll:
man you are stupid.

[stallionaire]

Gobb :oldlol:

[tpols]

Pfft. Durant.. what did he amount to anyway?

:rolleyes: :biggums:

[AMISTILLILL]

:oldlol: :oldlol:

Colossal bump.

[talkingconch]

his decision made sense at the time, who knew Oden was gonna have glass knees?

[gtfomyface]

good call durant was a bust :lol

[RedBlackAttack]

Ha.

Easy to rag on GOBB, but his was the majority opinion at the time, both on here and with sports fans in general. Who knows what Oden could have become if not for the injuries. Obviously, there were some signs that he was injury prone prior to the draft, but nothing on the level of what he has experienced in the league.

[Shepseskaf]

Easy to rag on GOBB, but his was the majority opinion at the time, both on here and with sports fans in general.
I remember there being plenty of debate, with many people arguing against taking Oden.

Aside from the health issues, I never thought that Oden was that good. Yes, he was a true big man, but the offensive skills were severely lacking, and in my view his bb IQ wasn't very high.

On the other hand, you had Durant who absolutely killed it on the college level. His path to stardom was much easier for me to see than Oden's.

[irondarts]

I hate these types of bumps, Oden was the consensus top pick, a lot of people agreed on that, Durant was a stick and a lot of people didn't like him nearly as much as Oden coming into the draft, who could've predicted Oden would have such fragile knees?

[Stern]

Oden was being hailed as the next Bill Russel at that time.

[RedBlackAttack]

I remember there being plenty of debate, with many people arguing against taking Oden.

Aside from the health issues, I never thought that Oden was that good. Yes, he was a true big man, but the offensive skills were severely lacking, and in my view his bb IQ wasn't very high.

On the other hand, you had Durant who absolutely killed it on the college level. His path to stardom was much easier for me to see than Oden's.
I'm not saying there was no case for Durant being the No. 1 pick, but Oden was pretty widely expected to be the top pick. There were certainly those who voiced the opinion that Durant should be the No. 1 pick, but it was considered Oden's spot from around the end of his senior year in high school until the day of the draft.

Nothing said in this thread raised much of an eyebrow at the time (as you can see by the lack of responses in 2007).

It only seems totally erroneous in retrospect. Hell, just about all of the people who had Durant as the No. 1 pick would likely have Oden at 2.

As it turned out, Oden's career didn't warrant a first round pick, let alone the No. 1 overall pick. Unfortunately, no one knew that at the time.

[Trentknicks]

Durant better go #1

Be a dumb decision.
:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

[talkingconch]

Oden was being hailed as the next Bill Russel at that time.
He still is the next Bill Russell:lol :lol
http://www.totalprosports.com/resize/150x150/r/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Greg-Oden.jpg


http://www.netglimse.com/images/celebs/bio/bill_russell.jpg

[Shepseskaf]

Nothing said in this thread raised much of an eyebrow at the time (as you can see by the lack of responses in 2007).
To my recollection, there were other threads back then with more responses on the negative side for Oden. I don't know how to find them, but perhaps someone could dig out one or two that contained lots of pages.

[LBJMVP]

So you can draft Durant. :roll:

:lol

[therammingman]

Be a dumb decision.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

[disel]

Ha.

Easy to rag on GOBB, but his was the majority opinion at the time, both on here and with sports fans in general. Who knows what Oden could have become if not for the injuries. Obviously, there were some signs that he was injury prone prior to the draft, but nothing on the level of what he has experienced in the league.
Sop being a *** licka.

[Horatio33]

GOBB, always been a loser. Still living at home with your mother? :roll:

[HB40TheNextStar]

So you can draft Durant. :roll:

:applause:

Konex-esque

[brantonli]

Dayum Oden, Cook and Conley, who would've thought Conley and Cook would outlast Oden?

[mjokc]

Be a dumb decision.

Dis nikka :oldlol:

[Jimmy2k8]

Hindsight is 20/20.

[DStebb716]

I always thought Durant was the better pick, but I STILL think that Oden would be an all-star if healthy.

[Upgrayedd]

I always thought Durant was the better pick, but I STILL think that Oden would be an all-star if healthy.

At the time the Blazers didn't need Durant. They already had Brandon Roy who was becoming the third best 2 guard in the league behind Kobe and Wade. They had LaMarcus Aldridge and you pair him up with a C that had as much potential as Oden and that would have been a crazy "big 3".

[ukballer]

Dis nikka :oldlol:

And you'd have picked Durant 1st at the time. Give me a break.

[kaiteng]

Be a dumb decision.
At the time, yeah maybe. The quote looks really dumb now, of course. But back then, who don't want to take a high risk for even higher reward as a seemingly the next Bill Russell (basketball impact, not just the looks)? Well, Blazers lost the huge gamble, moving on.....

[DukeDelonte13]

At the time, yeah maybe. The quote looks really dumb now, of course. But back then, who don't want to take a high risk for even higher reward as a seemingly the next Bill Russell (basketball impact, not just the looks)? Well, Blazers lost the huge gamble, moving on.....


i don't think choosing Oden of Durant is that big a deal but calling somebody dumb for wanting Durant at #1 is pretty funny :oldlol:

[kaiteng]

i don't think choosing Oden of Durant is that big a deal but calling somebody dumb for wanting Durant at #1 is pretty funny :oldlol:
It was technically dumb, so GOBB had a point there. :D

[GOBB]

Where did I call anyone dumb? I said it would be a dumb decision. Its pretty funny you fail at reading and comprehension there Duke. :rolleyes:


Weak bump. Oden is a big man, Durant was a swingman. Bigs generally go over swingmen. Oden was hyped up before Durant played 1 game in college. Granted Durant had a great freshman season, it didnt trump the consensus #1 pick being Greg Oden. Who cares if an isolated group of fanny pack wearing fans liked Durant over Oden. You're not the majority. You're not what sports reporters, analysts were screaming nor GMs.

How about we bump the time period where you were asked "Where do you see yourself 5yrs from now"?

GOD "Now that is funny :roll: "

[DStebb716]

At the time the Blazers didn't need Durant. They already had Brandon Roy who was becoming the third best 2 guard in the league behind Kobe and Wade. They had LaMarcus Aldridge and you pair him up with a C that had as much potential as Oden and that would have been a crazy "big 3".

Yea. I'm not saying Durant should have been the pick for Portland, but I always thought Durant would be the better pro.

[CavaliersFTW]

He still is the next Bill Russell:lol :lol
http://www.totalprosports.com/resize/150x150/r/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Greg-Oden.jpg


http://www.netglimse.com/images/celebs/bio/bill_russell.jpg
:no:

Russell is still much healthier than Oden