Greg Oden, 70, Freshman, Center, Ohio State
24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 9-13 FG, 6-6 FT
Rodger Bohn
Greg Oden wrote yet another chapter in what will surely go down as a memorable freshman season, putting on an absolutely marvelous performance in the Buckeyes narrow win over Tennessee this past Saturday. His performance gave draft fans and scouts alike plenty to get excited about, as the gentle giant was finally able to gain some use of his right hand on the offensive end, which not coincidentally resulted in his career high in points.
Against the Volunteers, Oden was downright dominant from the tip, gaining incredible post position down on the low blocks that allowed him to simply turn and dunk the ball. His ability to gain such position in the paint is unmatched at the college level, and is comparable to that of maybe only Shaquille ONeal and Yao Ming in the NBA. He used his abnormal lower body strength to muscle helpless defenders under the rim, resulting in a plethora of easy finishes. When forced farther out on the blocks, Greg showed off a quick jump hook with his right hand for the first time this season, which prior to this game had been non-existent due to his still recovering wrist not being up to par. He attempted unsuccessfully to make a few moves going towards his left hand, but it was pleasing to see a player with such brute force at least attempt to use his opposite hand. The Indianapolis native was still relegated to shooting free throws with his left however, as his right wrist has not gained enough strength at the moment to handle the follow through motion on free throws.
Also noteworthy was the passing ability that Oden showed out of the post. He routinely had no problem finding cutters out of the post, resulting in his 4 assists for the game. More importantly however was the big mans ability to identify a double team coming, and make the proper pass before being trapped. NBA teams surely must have salivated when he constantly made the proper skip passes to his wide open Buckeye teammates on the perimeter, as it showed how he will react to the double teams that he will face regularly in the not-so-distant future.
Defensively, the freshman dominated the game, just has he has every single time he has taken the floor this season. He did an excellent job boxing out and controlling the glass, often allowing teammates to corral his missed rebounds by boxing out two opposing offensive rebounders. Oden did a great job not giving up position down low, and as usual, completely changed the game with his shot blocking prowess. While only blocking 3 shots, he altered dozens more and more impressively was able to remain out of foul trouble throughout.
While Odens upside is certainly something to marvel at, he is still far from a finished product. His post moves surely could use some refinement, as he is getting by almost solely on power and athleticism at the moment. Greg also disappeared a bit on the offensive end against Tennessee as the game went on, going scoreless for the games final 9 minutes, although that was partially due to his lack of touches on the offensive end.
The glimpses of dominance that we saw on Saturday are a small fraction of how incredible Oden has the potential to become. As the season goes on and his right wrist continues to heal, performances like this will be a norm, erasing doubts of Kevin Durant possibly overthrowing him for the top pick in the draft. Gregs combination of size, skill, character, and strength have made him the obvious pick for top pick in the draft for years now, and his memorable performance vs. the Vols did nothing but solidify that even more.
Against the Volunteers, Oden was downright dominant from the tip, gaining incredible post position down on the low blocks that allowed him to simply turn and dunk the ball. His ability to gain such position in the paint is unmatched at the college level, and is comparable to that of maybe only Shaquille ONeal and Yao Ming in the NBA. He used his abnormal lower body strength to muscle helpless defenders under the rim, resulting in a plethora of easy finishes. When forced farther out on the blocks, Greg showed off a quick jump hook with his right hand for the first time this season, which prior to this game had been non-existent due to his still recovering wrist not being up to par. He attempted unsuccessfully to make a few moves going towards his left hand, but it was pleasing to see a player with such brute force at least attempt to use his opposite hand. The Indianapolis native was still relegated to shooting free throws with his left however, as his right wrist has not gained enough strength at the moment to handle the follow through motion on free throws.
Also noteworthy was the passing ability that Oden showed out of the post. He routinely had no problem finding cutters out of the post, resulting in his 4 assists for the game. More importantly however was the big mans ability to identify a double team coming, and make the proper pass before being trapped. NBA teams surely must have salivated when he constantly made the proper skip passes to his wide open Buckeye teammates on the perimeter, as it showed how he will react to the double teams that he will face regularly in the not-so-distant future.
Defensively, the freshman dominated the game, just has he has every single time he has taken the floor this season. He did an excellent job boxing out and controlling the glass, often allowing teammates to corral his missed rebounds by boxing out two opposing offensive rebounders. Oden did a great job not giving up position down low, and as usual, completely changed the game with his shot blocking prowess. While only blocking 3 shots, he altered dozens more and more impressively was able to remain out of foul trouble throughout.
While Odens upside is certainly something to marvel at, he is still far from a finished product. His post moves surely could use some refinement, as he is getting by almost solely on power and athleticism at the moment. Greg also disappeared a bit on the offensive end against Tennessee as the game went on, going scoreless for the games final 9 minutes, although that was partially due to his lack of touches on the offensive end.
The glimpses of dominance that we saw on Saturday are a small fraction of how incredible Oden has the potential to become. As the season goes on and his right wrist continues to heal, performances like this will be a norm, erasing doubts of Kevin Durant possibly overthrowing him for the top pick in the draft. Gregs combination of size, skill, character, and strength have made him the obvious pick for top pick in the draft for years now, and his memorable performance vs. the Vols did nothing but solidify that even more.