Pitino: Oden Will Be A Star

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> There's a natural tendency to project Ohio State center Greg Oden into the future much faster than the 19-year-old freshman would like to envision.

Even as most pundits have written him off as a one-year-and-done prospect ready to declare for the NBA draft after this season, Oden eagerly is anticipating one part of college life when the NCAA tournament concludes.

A tradition around the Ohio State campus when the weather turns warm is the girl watching around The Oval, the open grassy area that serves as the campus' focal point. Oden can hardly wait to experience that facet of college life, he says.

"The older guys always say the 'O' is great because the girls are all out sunbathing in the middle of the day," Oden said. "I'm looking forward to that."

If not for the NBA's new rules regarding high school players, Oden likely wouldn't be worried about such voyeuristic pursuits, or his upcoming exams, either. His status as a top draft pick hasn't changed this season after leading the Buckeyes into Thursday's South Regional semifinal at the Alamodome against Tennessee.

But for now, Oden deflects talk about the NBA and his future. He's more intent on helping the Buckeyes in their quest for their first NCAA basketball title in 47 seasons.

For all the talk of his NBA career, he's still a college freshman who is handling his first time away from home with as much trepidation as enjoyment.

"The thing I like is the freedom," Oden said. "I love it. I don't have to hear my mom yelling at me every day, but sometimes I miss just talking to her. But just being able to go to my own room is kind of nice."

At the dormitory suite he shares with teammate Mike Conley Jr., Oden says he retreats into a shell. He has more than 600 DVDs and sometimes escapes the notoriety of his basketball career by staying in his room and listening to music.

"I'm a quiet person," Oden said. "I'm just a laid-back, shy guy who likes to be alone."

Conley and Oden have been friends since sixth grade. They met when Mike Conley, Mike Jr.'s father and a former Olympic triple-jump champion, went to Oden's home with several members of his middle-school AAU team, hoping to persuade him to play.

Oden said he was too shy to join their games in his backyard. Instead, his younger brother played while Oden watched cartoons inside.

"I was just a little goofy sixth-grader who couldn't hit a layup and stayed in the house the whole time while they played basketball in the backyard," Oden said.

From those humble beginnings in Indianapolis, Oden has sprouted into a once-in-a-generation NBA prospect. Scouts consider the 7-foot, 270-pounder the best true center prospect since David Robinson. Some scouts have compared him to Robinson and Tim Duncan because of his unique combination of power, agility and athleticism.

Oden followed Robinson's career and said he was his favorite NBA player while growing up.

"It wasn't just that he was a great basketball player," Oden said. "I also admired his qualities as a man. It's something that I'd like to emulate some day."

Most mock drafts have projected Oden and Texas standout freshman Kevin Durant as the top players for the draft if both are to declare.

The decision between the two would depend on team needs. But it also could be as sharply divided as the 1984 draft where Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie and Michael Jordan were judged as the top picks. Jordan, one of the greatest players in NBA history, went behind the two top center prospects ? mainly because of the historic scarcity of true centers.

Pro scouts salivate when they project Oden into the NBA, playing with the kind of defensive fundamentals few young players possess. He is unquestionably the dominant defensive presence in college basketball, blocking a shot once every eight defensive possessions.

"Greg Oden is the No. 1 player in the NBA draft," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "Not to take anything away from Kevin Durant ... but Greg Oden is going to be a star in the NBA for 15 years. He could be the next great dominating defensive basketball player, and he has also improved tremendously this year." </div>

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