NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Mike Conley, Jr.'s Important NBA Milestone

Bethlehem Shoals — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:51:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Eastern, Western, NBA Draft, NBA Gossip, Ohio State

Mike Conley, Jr. should be the first point guard taken next week, and scouts are saying he could be the next Chris Paul. Very, very soon, his life be changed forever, and he'll start down a path most athletes only dream of.

On his Yardbarker blog, Conley tells us that one of those life-changing moments has happened already:

I was listening to this song called "Joke's on You" which is on the new cd by "Fabolous," when out of no where it sounded like he said my name. I sat there for a minute and thought to myself that i didn't just hear what I thought I heard. . . I never thought that my name would ever be used in a song, especially not one by Fabolous.

He then promptly called Oden to brag--since presumably, this is the one honor that hasn't already been handed to Big Greg. Henry at True Hoop was kind of enough to track down audio of "Joke's on You", which is definitely NSFW. Oh, and if anyone cares, that's Pusha T of Clipse with the putative Conley namedrop.

Correction: Conley needs to calm down a little. "Joke's on You" is a comedy-themed track, and so Conley's actually mis-hearing the name of BET Comic View's Michael Collier.

Mike Conley, Jr.'s Important NBA Milestone originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Starbury, Kevin Durant Wants to Endorse Affordable Shoes

Nate Jones — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Rumors, NBA Prospects

Kevin Durant has been in the news a lot this year because of his unbelievable basketball talents. As a freshman at Texas, Durant practically took over the college basketball world, winning every possible individual award out there last season. Due to his accomplishments, he's expected to be drafted as either the first or second pick in this year's draft. As well, top sneaker companies are now clamoring to sign him, as they feel his on court abilities will allow him to become a great endorser of basketball sneakers.

The two companies vying for Durant to endorse their products are Nike and Adidas. Traditionally, players of Durant's caliber that sign with Nike or Adidas usually have shoes that sell in the $100-$150 range. The irony of this is that most NBA players come from backgrounds where they couldn't really afford to purchase shoes at that price point, yet they continually don't use their influence to push shoe prices down to a more affordable level.

Currently, Stephon Marbury is the only prominent NBA player to step up and make something happen, marketing a $15 basketball shoe made by Steve and Berrys (Ben Wallace has also signed on to endorse Starbury's $15 shoes). The reaction to Steph's shoe revolution has been tremendous. However, he's not selling shoes with the brand equity and consumer loyalty that Nike and Adidas currently have. As well, he's not as big of a name as guy like Kevin Durant is (at least not currently).

Today on his Oregon Live blog, John Canzano reported that one of the sticking points for Durant in his negotiations with Nike and Adidas is a commitment to make a shoe that is at a price point that most individuals could afford. That price point is rumored to be between $39 and $69. If Kevin Durant (a player that is going to be on the marketing level of a Dwyane Wade or a LeBron James) can get Nike or Adidas (the two most powerful sneaker companies in the world) to brand a Kevin Durant signature shoe for $39, he'll have done more toward making sneakers more affordable than anyone before him. I mean, if Nike or Adidas start making affordable shoes with Durant's name on them, it automatically becomes that much more acceptable for kids to purchase cheaper shoes.

Obviously, Durant hasn't forgotten where he comes from. The kid hasn't even been drafted yet, and he's already using his influence to implement positive change. See LeBron, you can influence positive change while still making a lot of money. Maybe you should call up KD and Steph and ask them how it's done.

Previously at Fanhouse:
LeBron James vs. Stephon Marbury: The $150 Shoe vs. the $15 Shoe
Ben Wallace Joins the Starbury Revolution

Like Starbury, Kevin Durant Wants to Endorse Affordable Shoes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nick Young Documentary Trailer

Nate Jones — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video, NBA Draft, NBA Videos, USC Basketball

Earlier today, I posted an interview future NBA lottery pick, Nick Young. The thing I enjoyed about Nick the most was the fact that he was a very positive person. While interviewing him, I thought to myself: Why can't more athlete's be as positive and happy as this guy?

Yesterday, my colleague sent me this trailer for a Nick Young documentary. After watching it, I've become even more impressed with Young, as it is obvious that he's had some adversity to overcome. It would have been easy for him to fall off and not achieve his goals. As well, it would be easy for him not to be the positive person that he currently is. In this new media world, where an athlete's every move is often over scrutinized in a negative light, I'm proud to shed a positive light on a guy that has overcome tragedy and adversity and is on his way to achieving all of his goals. Anyhow, here's the trailer:

Nick Young Documentary Trailer originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An Interview With NBA Draft Prospect Nick Young

Nate Jones — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, USC Basketball

Recently I had the opportunity to attend an NBA pre-draft workout and watch a few top prospects prepare for their upcoming team workouts. Following the workout I conducted interviews with a couple of the prospects. I've already posted an interview with former Cal-State Fullerton stud Bobby Brown (be sure to check that out and spread love for Bobby around the blogosphere). The next player I had the opportunity to interview was none other than former USC star Nick Young.

When I think about Nick Young, one word comes to mind: smooth. Nick Young's game is so smooth that even when he dunks with aggression it looks effortless. Corey Brewer is touted as the best swing man in the draft (and I can see why). But if Nick isn't the best, he certainly has to be the second best.

On the offensive side of the ball, Nick's game is completely flawless. He has a mid-range jump shot, a back to the basket fall away, a long range jumper, and the ability to penetrate and finish with the best of them. With his athletic 6'7" body and positive attitude (the guy is always smiling...why can't more ball players be like that?), it's easy to see why his stock is steadily rising. In my eyes there is no way he's not a lottery pick.

Anyhow, without any further delay, here's the interview I conducted with Nick just before he left L.A. for the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando:

Nate Jones: It's funny that we're sitting down and talking now, because I met you in passing once at a Taft basketball game when you were a senior at Cleveland High School. I came there to see my family friend Jordan Farmar play, but when I got there I found out he had been suspended for hanging on the rim after a dunk in a game from earlier that week. Who knew Jordan had ups like that?

Nick Young: (Laughs)

NJ: Anyhow, I know you guys are friends. Has he given you any advice on transitioning from college to pro ball?

NY: Yeah, he has. He talked to me and told me to go in there motivated and not let anyone bully me around. He said that it's a grown man's game out there...Much different from College and high school.

NJ: What was it like getting a chance to play against your old high school friend/opponent on the college level? Would you guys talk a lot of trash to each other when you were matched up against each other?

NY: It was a lot of fun. We carried it on from high school on to college. We had some battles. At least I got one against him.

NJ: Tim Floyd came into USC and completely turned that program around. Outside of having talented players like you, Taj Gibson , and Gabe Pruitt, why do you think Coach Floyd has been so successful in such a short amount of time?

NY: Because he's a determined, no non-sense coach. He came in the first day and implemented a team defensive scheme. In our first few practices we barely worked with the ball.

NJ: So his focus was on fundamentals then, right?

NY: Oh yeah, all fundamentals. He just seemed to know the game so well. It took him a year or two, but we got to the sweet 16 this year.

NJ: Oh yeah, you guys did really well this year. USC just built a new wonderful basketball facility called the Galen Center. Tell me about the difference between playing there and the run down L.A. Sports Arena.

NY: It was a big time difference. We finally felt like a big time college basketball team. The USC fans would be waiting outside for us before games. It felt like were playing in a mini Staples Center.

NJ: I heard Lil Romeo is coming to ball at SC next year. Have you ever played against him? Do you think he'll be able to hold his own out there?

NY: (Laughs) Yeah, I've played against him before. He came to our camp. He's pretty talented. But you know, he's Lil' Romeo...Master P's son. He'll probably perform at half time or something.

NJ: Although you don't have one anymore, you were one of the first to officially rock the fro hawk. What was the inspiration for that?

NY: I was just trying to be creative and do something different. I've seen a lot of people walking around with fro hawks these days. It was just something I wanted to have fun with. I made a bet with a teammate, so I kind of just went a long with it.

NJ: Was it a bet that you lost?

NY: Yeah it was a bet that I lost. But I always wanted to get one. So that just kind of gave me excuse to do it.

NJ: In preparation for your upcoming team work outs, you're training with former NBA player Don MacLean. I know in the session I watched today you guys were just working on shooting and conditioning. But what areas does Don had you concentrating on the most here? And what part of your game has improved the most so far under Don's supervision?

NY: Just being more aggressive. This year I relied on my mid-range game and my jumper a lot. I didn't really attack the basket and try to dunk on people. Now I'm trying to highlight my athletic and ball handling ability.

NJ: So that's the area that's improved the most so far.

NY: Oh yeah, because I can jump, but it's hard to go to the hole and show off your athleticism against the zone defenses that most teams play in college.

NJ: I saw you and Don having some friendly back and forth out there. Have you challenged him to a shooting contest yet?

NY: (Laughs) No, he keeps saying I'm not ready for him yet.

NJ: The aspect of your game that I enjoy the most is that you already have a bit of a mid-post game. Last season you would shoot that Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan back to the basket fake one way fade the other way fall away from that area. Did you pick that up from watching MJ or Kobe?

NY: Oh yeah. From just watching film and studying players I like. Just watching Kobe and MJ do that, it was always something I wanted to be able to do. Everyone loves the fade away.

NJ: And what current or past NBA player do you think your game most resembles?

NY: Probably a young Kobe. Not the superstar Kobe, but the Kobe from when he first came into the league with his afro.

NJ: Do you see yourself as more of a two or a three?

NY: Definitely a two.

NJ: Do you know who you'll be working out for and which players you'll be working out against?

NY: Team wise, probably the Los Angeles teams and the Miami Heat. And player wise, probably Marcus Williams and Thadeous Young.

NJ: There's a rumor going around that you had an opportunity to play with Chinese prospect Yi Jianlian. I heard that you actually dunked on Yi in a recent work out? Is that true?

NY: (Laughs) Oh Yeah. But Yi's a good player.

NJ: What was your opinion of his game? Was he more of a post player, a wing player? Did he have some game?

NY: To me...he has a jumper...he plays similar to Dirk Nowitzki right now. But he can finish. He's not like most of the guys from overseas that only rely on their jumpers. He dunked on Ryan Hollins (a former UCLA Star) a couple of times in one of our workouts.

NJ: So obviously your preference is to play with one of the L.A. teams. Are you shooting to land with one of them or are you just happy to play anywhere right now?

NY: Anywhere...Anywhere I get picked. I'm from out here [L.A.], so of course I'd be happy to stay out here. But if I have to play somewhere else, I'll still have an opportunity to come play in L.A. a few times a year.

NJ: Once you sign your first contract, what will be your first big purchase?

NY: I want to buy my parents a house and get them out of the neighborhood they're living in right now.

NJ: Well Nick, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Good luck with all of your workouts and hopefully you'll have a chance to stay in L.A.

NY: Thanks

An Interview With NBA Draft Prospect Nick Young originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 09 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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College Players Shrink at NBA Measure-up

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: ACC Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

Go figure: the media guide for your favorite college basketball team is probably rigged.

Okay, maybe not. Let's be generous and say that many players have been, ah, liberally measured.

The list:

Player	Height w/o Shoes	Height w/shoes	Weight	Wingspan	Standing Reach	Body Fat %
Corey Brewer	6-6¾	6-7¾	185	6-8¾	8-7	4.2
Mike Conley	5-11¾	6-0¾	175	6-5¾	7-10½	4.2
Daequan Cook	6-3¾	6-5¾	203	6-8¼	8-5½	7
Javaris Crittenton	6-3	6-4¾	194	6-5½	8-2	4.5
Kevin Durant	6-9	6-10¼	215	7-4¾	9-2	6.6
Jeff Green	6-7¾	6-9½	228	7-1¼	8-7	3.7
Spencer Hawes	6-10½	7-0¾	244	7-0½	9-2	13
Al Horford	6-8¾	6-9¾	244	7-0¾	8-11	9.1
Acie Law	6-2	6-3½	186	6-6½	8-2	5.6
Josh McRoberts	6-8¾	6-10	240	7-1	8-10½	13.7
Greg Oden	6-11	7-0	257	7-4¼	9-4	7.8
Joakim Noah	6-10½	7-0	223	7-1¾	8-10½	4.8
Jason Smith	6-10¾	6-11½	233	6-10¾	8-10	7.5
Rodney Stuckey	6-3¾	6-4½	207	6-7½	8-4½	6.1
Al Thornton	6-5¾	6-7	221	7-1	8-8	5.8
Brandan Wright	6-8¾	6-10	200	7-3¾	9-0	5.8
Julian Wright	6-6½	6-8½	211	7-2¼	9-0	6.1
Nick Young	6-5	6-6¾	206	7-0	8-4½	6.8
Thaddeus Young	6-5¾	6-7½	210	6-11½	8-10	4.9
Mohamed Abukar	6-8¾	6-9¾	210	6-9	8-7	8.9
Mario Boggan	6-5½	6-7	240	7-2	8-11	9.2

True 7-footers: there are only three of them here. Greg Oden and Joakim Noah both come in at 7-0 with their kicks strapped on, and Spencer Hawes actually measured in at 7-0¾. Without shoes (shouldn't that be the standard way players are measured?) no one gets to claim lucky number seven.

Honey, I shrunk the Lottery Picks: Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Mike Conley all suffered the effects of a shrink-ray gun prior to their measurements. Brewer is listed at 6-9, Horford at 6-10, and Conley at 6-1 in their team's rosters.

Thick shoes: Daequan Cook, at 2 inches of padding, you have have the softest feet around.

Wicked Wingspans: Kevin Durant can spread his wings 7-4¾, which is a full 7¾ inches longer than his height. That's sick.

Reach for the Sky: Yet another reason why Greg Oden will go first in the draft. Check out his standing reach -- 9 feet four inches! He's only half and inch taller than Joakim Noah, but he gets a full 5 and a half extra inches over Noah when he waves his hands in the air like he just don't care. (There's no way you can tell me it's even close between Oden and Durant for the first round draft pick. Don't even bother trying!)

Cut the Twinkies: If I'd had to guess prior to seeing this list, I'd have said that Mario Boggan would likely be the kid with the highest body fat percentage. Wrong! Duke's Josh McRoberts comes in with a dubious first place finish at 13.7%. (And 13% for Hawes? Damn, you just never know.)

College Players Shrink at NBA Measure-up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 09 Jun 2007 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Random YouTube Magic: Playmate Lauren Anderson on the NBA Draft

Bethlehem Shoals — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Videos

Nothing is more important to the sports blogosphere than breasts and draft speculation, so posting this was a no-brainer. Her picks aren't so off, even if they were probably written by someone else. Only being concerned with the Gators' destinations? That just shows her devotion to her school, and is nothing new for college basketball.

Incidentally, while I know that Southern California is the porn capital of the universe, it sure seems like Florida has the farm system on lock.

Random YouTube Magic: Playmate Lauren Anderson on the NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An Interview With NBA Draft Prospect Bobby Brown

Nate Jones — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

Recently I had the opportunity to attend an NBA pre-draft workout and watch a few top prospects prepare for their upcoming team workouts. Following the workout I conducted interviews with a couple of the prospects. The first interview I conducted was with former Cal-State Fullerton guard Bobby Brown (no not that Bobby Brown).

Although relatively unknown, Bobby is a spectacular basketball player. He's a quick, explosive 6'1" guard with the ability to shoot from long range as well as slam it home with power. During the workout I attended he routinely nailed shots from behind the three-point arc and easily slammed home highlight reel dunks in the drills. Fans of Monta Ellis will love watching this guy play (see: Bobby's 47-point outburst from this past season).

I've seen tons of pro prospects work out before, and after seeing Bobby work out it's obvious that he should be able to find a place in the league. Last year he tested the waters and attended the Orlando pre-draft camp. After failing to have a good showing at the draft camp last year, Bobby went into the camp this year hoping to make a splash. Initial reviews of Bobby's performance have been mixed. But as others have mentioned recently, it's obvious that the draft camp isn't really the best tool for evaluating talent (I mean, some are trying to knock Kevin Durant for not testing well in some silly drills there).

Bobby's main issue with scouts right now is his lack of size and his perceived lack of playmaking ability. Although he is more than capable of scoring, scouts doubt that he has the ability to set up others. But with the guys like Monta Ellis and Leandro Barbosa (shooting guards in point guard bodies) flourishing in up-tempo styles of play, it shouldn't be that difficult for Bobby to find a home in the league.

Draft Express has him ranked as the 39th best player in this year's draft class. A team like Phoenix that definitely needs another guard to play behind Nash and Barbosa should really consider taking Bobby with one of their late first round picks. He'd basically give them everything they were looking to get out of Marcus Banks, except that unlike Banks, he can actually shoot.

Anyhow, here's the interview I conducted Bobby just before he left for the pre-draft camp in Orlando:

Nate Jones: Talk to me about Westchester. That school is known as a high school basketball powerhouse. Who are some of the guys you played with during your days there?

Bobby Brown: Brandon Heath (SDSU), Trevor Ariza (UCLA/Orlando Magic), Hassan Adams (Arizona/NJ Nets), Marcus Johnson (of UConn).

NJ: What about Amir Johnson? Did you play with him in high school?

BB: No, I was already gone by the time Amir and Gabe [Pruitt] arrived.

NJ: And what about guys from other high schools? Did you play against any top prospects we might be familiar with?

BB: We played against LeBron and Carmelo Anthony in a couple of tournaments.

NJ: Really, what was that like?

BB: It was fun, but they were calling all of the calls for them.

NJ: I know you attended Cal-State Fullerton. What type of system did they run there?

BB: Up and down, run and gun like the Phoenix Suns.

NJ: Obviously the only reason you were at Cal-State Fullerton was because of your lack of height going into college. When you graduated high school you were only 5'9", right?

BB: Yeah I was undersized coming out of high school.

NJ: So when did you have your last big growth spurt?

BB: Freshman year of college I had my growth spurt. I went from 5'9" to 6'1".

NJ: And once you established yourself as one of the top point guards on the west coast, did you have any offers to transfer from Fullerton? If so, why did you decide to stick around?

BB: I had the opportunity to transfer, but out of loyalty, I wanted to stay with the only school that supported me out of high school.

NJ: What were some of the schools that you had an opportunity to transfer to?

BB: UConn wanted me to transfer ... DePaul, and Oregon State ... they all wanted me to transfer.

NJ: Wow! So you definitely had the opportunity to transfer to a big time program, but out of loyalty, you stayed with the team. You have to respect that. One of Fullerton's most vocal alums is none other than ESPN's Marc Stein. Have you ever met Marc before?

BB: Yeah, I met him for a sec during one of our bracket buster games.

NJ: I always get upset because I've been hearing about you for a while. Yet he always throws out shout outs to Bruce Bowen and Cedric Ceballos in his chats, but never throws love your way. So start showing Bobby some love, Marc. Speaking of Ced and Bruce, have you ever met either one of those guys? If so what were they like?

BB: Yeah, I met Bruce this year when we were down playing in San Antonio. He came to the hotel late at night. They had just flew in from playing Miami. I also met Leon Wood.

NJ: Isn't he a referee now?

BB: Yeah, but he played at our school and in the NBA before he became a ref.

NJ: How was it playing in the Big West Conference? What do you think some of the benefits were in playing for a smaller school?

BB: It was competitive. Not really any cakewalk games. Every game was pretty tough and competitive. It was also fun to be the underdog when we played against some of the bigger schools from the Pac-10.

NJ: Who was your toughest match up in the conference?

BB: I have to say Long Beach State, they were just a good all around team.

NJ: There's a video of you out there on You Tube where you scored 47 points in a game. On the video you were jacking up threes from NBA range.

BB: Yeah, I was feeling it man.

NJ: Were you intentionally doing that to show off your NBA range to some of the NBA scouts in attendance?

BB: No. I didn't really even know where I was shooting from. I didn't even see the line. I just felt really good.

NJ: So you were feeling it right from the jump?

BB: Yeah, one of my teammates, Scott Cutley, was injured, so I knew I needed to step up my game a bit. I hit my first few shots and got hot, and my teammates kept finding me. That was a fun game right there.

NJ: Last year you played in the Orlando pre-draft camp. What are some of your thoughts on that experience?

BB: The experience was good. Going up against the guys you see on a daily basis on television. The hardest part was getting to know the guys and their tendencies as early as possible.

NJ: Yeah, they expect you to come out there and run a team when you haven't even played with a lot of the guys before. But at least you're a guard handling the ball, so you always know you'll get to show of your skills a bit. I always feel bad for the big guys that are waiting for you guards to pass them the ball. What were some of the lessons learned from the experience?

BB: I'd just learned that I need to be myself and be more aggressive. Come out there and be more aggressive on defense and offense and take advantage of the opportunities I have out there to showcase my skills.

NJ: In preparation for your workouts, you're training with former NBA and UCLA star Don MacLean. I know you guys were working on shooting skills and conditioning today. But what else does he have you working on here?

BB: Just finishing with contact and elevating and not being lazy on my jump shot. The only time I miss is when I don't elevate enough on my jump shot. I'm also working on defensive fundamentals.

NJ: Which teams do you plan to work out for?

BB: I know I have an eight-team workout on June 5th. Also, I'll be working out for Golden State, New Orleans, the Lakers, The Clippers, the Kings and the Suns before the draft.

NJ: Do you know any of the players you'll be working out against?

BB: Acie Law, Aaron Brooks, Javaris Crittenton, Gabe Pruitt, some guard from Finland, and Taurean Green.

NJ: Is there a team you'd prefer to play for right now?

BB: Phoenix or Golden State.

NJ: So you like that up-tempo style that a lot of the teams in the league are currently playing?

BB: Oh yeah.

NJ: I think that type of system would really showcase your skills. With Don Nelson and Mike D'Antoni, you come out of the game if you don't shoot enough. I could see that being a really fun system for someone as athletically gifted as yourself. Obviously you're more suited for that style of play, but do you think you can play in a traditional system like the Lakers or the Spurs currently play?

BB: Yeah, I'm more suited for the up-tempo style, but if I have to, I can fit into any system.

NJ: When I hear your name tossed around you usually hear about both your tremendous athletic ability and the range on your jump shot. But what you don't hear so much is play maker. Do you think you're going to be more of a combo/scoring guard or more of a traditional point guard in the NBA?

BB: I think I can handle both roles. Once I get there, I'll be surrounded by players that can score and finish pretty good, so it will be easier for me to showcase those skills.

NJ: You probably didn't have an opportunity to showcase a lot of your playmaking skills because you played for a smaller school that depended on you to score.

BB: Yeah, that definitely was the case.

NJ: I see you and Jason Smith (the very athletic seven -footer from Colorado State) are pretty cool with each other. He seems pretty competitive in the drills. I know you're an athletic high flyer. Have you had a chance to try and dunk on Jason yet?

BB: (Laughs) No, I haven't dunked on Jason. I'm not trying to lose my teeth. But Nick's (Nick Young of USC) caught him a couple of times.

NJ: Speaking of Nick Young, I heard he dunked on Yi Jianlian in a recent workout. Is that true?

BB: Yeah I was actually playing on Yi's team when it happened. He caught him pretty good. Dunked on him twice.

NJ: What did you think of Yi?

BB: He was good. He's skilled, has good footwork, and can shoot pretty well. He's more of a finesse guy.

NJ: What current NBA player do you think your game most resembles?

BB: Allen Iverson. He's in attack mode the whole game. I'm trying to get my game to that level where I am constantly attacking you from all angles.

NJ: I know you're named after your Pops, right?

BB: Yeah.

NJ: But you probably still get people throwing out Bobby Brown jokes your way all the time.

BB: All the time man. Someone is always trying to be funny...asking me where Whitney's at.

NJ: That's funny. Anyhow, Bobby, I think you're going to be very successful in the league. You have the body, the athleticism, and the skill to easily make a name for yourself. As proven by guys like Monta Ellis and Leandro Barbosa, I believe there is a premium on finding athletic guards that can penetrate and finish as well as shoot from deep. Good luck with everything.

BB: Thanks.

Note to FanHouse readers: Be on the look out this week for an interview with USC standout and future NBA first round draft choice, Nick Young.

An Interview With NBA Draft Prospect Bobby Brown originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Durant Can't Bench 185 Pounds

Michael David Smith — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:22:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Gossip, NCAA Basketball Rumors, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Texas

Walk into the weight room of any high school with a decent sports program, and you'll see a few beefy offensive lineman/shot putter types who can bench press 315 pounds and a lot of tight end/power forward/catcher types who can bench press 225 pounds.
You'll also see a lot of skinny teenagers who can't bench press anything close to that. But most of those skinny teenagers aren't about to become superstar pro athletes.

Kevin Durant is about to become a superstar pro athlete, but he turned in a performance typical of a skinny teenager at the Orlando pre-draft camp. Jason Quick reports that Durant was the only prospect in Orlando who couldn't bench 185 pounds even once. That means at almost any gym in the country, the average accountant or lawyer or computer programmer who lifts weights a few times a week after work is stronger than the likely No. 2 pick in the NBA draft.

Combine Durant's poor showing with the phenomenal athleticism of Greg Oden, and it's easy to see why Oden is the clear choice of the NBA scouts even though Durant was the college Player of the Year. But Durant also has a ridiculous wingspan of just under 7-foot-5, which is Shawn Bradley territory. Guys with long arms always have more functional strength than bench press strength. Durant's meager bench press is more a curiosity than an indictment.

Kevin Durant Can't Bench 185 Pounds originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Rush Returns to Kansas, Sans Intact ACL

Charles Rich — Mon, 28 May 2007 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Injuries, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

There's an old maxim in public relations and politics that you release bad news on a Friday afternoon. Ideally, it will also be a holiday weekend. The theory is, obvious. No one is paying attention, and the likelihood of being able to reach anyone for comment is slim.

So it seemed a little curious that the Kansas Jayhawks would release seemingly good news on the Friday afternoon before a Memorial Day weekend. Brandon Rush, the sophomore guard and the team's leading scorer the last two years, announced his withdrawal from the NBA Draft and return for his junior year. You would think this would be the sort of things that Kansas would want to trumpet and make a bigger deal rather than slip a late press release. Well, maybe there was a reason.

Rush, who suffered a knee injury recently, said that incident had little bearing on his decision.

"People will think the reason I am returning is because I injured my knee playing in a pickup game," Rush said. "That is not true, but it did re-enforce to me that the time was not right to go to the NBA."

As a matter of fact, the injury is exactly the reason. At the very least, it decided the issue now.

It turns out that Rush didn't just have a little tweak to his knee. According to Brandon's older brother, JaRon, the young Rush tore the ACL in his right knee, and that was precisely why he withdrew from the NBA Draft.

"He tore his ACL. He wouldn't have decided to pull out of the draft if it wasn't that," JaRon said, referring to Friday's announcement that Brandon had withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft and elected to return for his junior season. "You always want to get a second opinion (in this case from a Colorado specialist), but it's a torn ACL."

Ah, siblings. I'm sure Brandon was thrilled that his brother explicitly contradicted his own comments from Friday.

Brandon Rush will get surgery this week, and the recovery time is expected to be at least 4-6 months. Rush may be back with the team by the start of the season, but it will take a while after that before he gets closer to his old form. Hopefully he will get all the way back.

Brandon Rush Returns to Kansas, Sans Intact ACL originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 28 May 2007 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ga Tech's Crittenton Will Stay In Draft

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:48:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Tech Basketball, ACC Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Atlanta

Georgia Tech point guard Javaris Crittenton has decided to stay in the 2007 NBA Draft and is currently interviewing agents. Crittenton wants to be the next in a long like of NBA calibar point guards from Tech ... following Mark Price, Kenny Anderson, Travis Best, Stephon Marbury and Jarrett Jack.

Crittenton is a 6-5 point guard who is very athletic and shows that he's willing to helm a team. However, there were times where he seemed too passive and uninvolved ... especially against really quick guards. In this draft he is either the 2nd or 3rd best PG prospect [trailing Mike Conley and maybe Acie Law] which is a good spot to be ... especially since next draft could see a ton of point guards flowing in.

This is big news for the Atlanta Hawks, who may decide to pass on Conley with the #3 pick in the draft and opt for Brandan Wright, Julian Wright or Yi Jianlian ... then take Crittenton with their #11 pick. Also, the Clippers [at #14] could be looking at Crittenton since Sam Cassell is 90 years old and who knows what shape Shaun Livingston's knee is in. The Pistons [at #15] may need to find a replacement for Chauncey Billups; the Lakers [#19] need anyone there; Miami [#20] will need to replace the aging Jason Williams and Gary Payton.

Ga Tech's Crittenton Will Stay In Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 25 May 2007 21:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greatest ACC Players Picked In The Lottery

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 24 May 2007 04:29:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, Maryland Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, NBA Draft

With Brandan Wright, Al Thornton and Thad Young being the only ACC players with a legit shot at being a lottery pick in June's draft, it got me thinking: who are the best lottery picks of ACC players? So, I decided to go back and search every pick for the best picks for each slot in lottery history.

Remember that the lottery began in 1985 with just the top 7 picks being "lottery selections". In 1988, the lottery extended to 9 picks. In 1989, it increased to 11 picks. In 1995, the lottery became 13 teams. Since 2004, it's the current 14 team format.

Tim Duncan, Wake Forest: There is also Elton Brand and Brad Daugherty [and Joe Smith] ... but Duncan has two MVPs, three NBA Finals MVPs and three NBA Championships.
Steve Francis, Maryland: Another former Terp, Lenny Bias, deserves this spot.
Grant Hill, Duke: Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettener just haven't had the impact as Grant Hill did ... albeit in a short amount of time.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina: Chris Paul, Stephon Marbury, Antawn Jamison, Chris Bosh also went here, so there is some nice talent in this spot. But Sheed has had longevity and has taken his team to heights unlike the others on this list.
Vince Carter, North Carolina: Say what you want about Vince-anity, but he can score and has made a huge dent in the NBA.
Kenny Smith, North Carolina: Shane Battier is close and there was some run from Tom Gugliotta. But The Jet won two titles in his time in the NBA.
Luol Deng, Duke: Beats out Walt "The Wizard" Williams. Deng is developing into a stud.
Chris Wilcox, Maryland: Well, there is slim pickins here.
Rodney Rogers, Wake Forest: Eric Montross and Tom Hammonds are the only other options here.
None. Amazingly, there has been no ACC player selected with the #10 pick during the lottery.
JJ Redick, Duke: Trajon Langdon, Todd Fuller are the only other options here. Yikes!
Cherokee Parks, Duke: Well, he's the lone ACCer taken as the #12 pick since it was considered a lottery pick.
Corey Maggette, Duke: Maggette has fashioned a decent NBA career ... though seemingly marred with trade rumors with the Clips.
Rashad McCants, North Carolina: Technically he is, since he's the only ACC player drafted here since the #14 pick was considered a "lottery selection".

To the blind commentors who say "what about Jordan?" ... remember Jordan was drafted in 1984. The lottery began in 1985. Also, Paul, Marbury and Bosh went at the #4 pick in the draft ... not at UNC as you think I wrote. Get a clue!

Greatest ACC Players Picked In The Lottery originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 24 May 2007 04:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lottery May Have Cost Brandan Wright Some Jack

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 23 May 2007 21:17:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

The NBA Draft Lottery is about as big of a crapshoot as the actual draft. With Portland and Seattle getting the top two picks [and Greg Oden and Kevin Durant] ... the race is on for the guy picked right after them. Many people penciled in UNC's Brandan Wright as the third best player in this draft. The problem is that Wright may not be the third player taken. Or fourth. Or fifth. Or eighth.

Portland: Either Oden or Durant.
Seattle: Durant, unless Portland stupidly passes on Oden
Atlanta: The first realistic slot for him to go isn't that realistic. The Hawks have needed a point guard for a while and still have that distaste of letting Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton go for Marvin Williams. Speaking of Williams, with he, Sheldon Williams and Josh Smith already in their frontcourt ... how could they justify taking another big man?
Memphis: Wright could land here, but they already have Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift there. Ya know: lanky big men.
Boston: This would be a good spot. Theo Ratliff can be dealt off to a team that wants cap relief; the only other bigs are Al Jefferson and uh, yeah. However, will Ainge's love of Yi Jianlian take over here?
Milwaukee: Another place where Wright could fit in nicely. The Bucks need talent ... but did draft Andrew Bogut with the #1 pick two years ago and dealt for Charlie V last year. May they look to a Corey Brewer, Jeff Green or Julian Wright instead?
Minnesota: This makes some sense, except he plays the same position as Kevin Garnett. However, the Wolves do need any front court help they can find and I doubt Wright would slide past here. But can Wright actually be a center to KG's power forward?
Charlotte: With Okafor and May in the fold, I'd doubt that the Bobcats would look here. I mean, they already have three Heels on the roster ... and a fourth would be overkill.
Chicago: This is the furthest, I believe, that Wright would drop. Sure, they drafted Tyrus Thomas last year ... but Wright is a better scorer and a much bigger post presence, especially offensively. Plus, putting he and Ben Wallace on the same defensive end would be torture.

To be honest, I don't see Wright lasting past the Wolves at #7 and I think he'll get snatched up by Memphis. But if he falls somewhat, he could go from being the probable #3 pick to a #9 pick. According to the NBPA's official web site, the difference between the #3 pick in the draft and #9 pick in the draft is $10.26M and $5.6M for a three-year deal [or about $1.5M annually].

Lottery May Have Cost Brandan Wright Some Jack originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 23 May 2007 21:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The NBA Will Hate the New NCAA Rule

Charles Rich — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: NCAA Basketball Campus, NCAA Basketball Recruiting, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

There's been talk about how the new NCAA rule against accepting athletes who attend prep schools for a year to get their grades and scores up to snuff will be a boon to the Junior Colleges.

Coaches don't know if junior college basketball will return to the level of 15 years ago, but they expect more talent to be spread across the country and for it to have added relevance on the national recruiting scene.

What hasn't been mentioned is how much the NBA will hate this. The NBA, when they stopped direct jumps from high school to to the pros, was acting to improve their product. An additional benefit was no longer needing to scout high school kids. A benefit in terms of cost and spreading their scouts too thin domestically. They could finally focus most of their US scouting on the kids playing D-1 college ball. They could see the kids playing against higher competition and with better coaching.

With the expected influx of talent that will have to go to junior colleges, NBA scouts will once again have to spread further and thinner to watch kids. Kids who after one or two years at junior college may opt for the draft rather than add another year or possibly two at a traditional college. This on top of the ever growing international scouting.

This is not to insult junior colleges and their coaches, but the overall level of talent and coaching is not the same as power conferences in Division I. Scouting players in the JUCO level will not be as bad as scouting high schoolers, but there will be big questions about the competition and potential.

Kids with talent but without the grades and forced to wait to go pro may have done a year at prep school and then one year at college before being able to declare for the draft. Now they will go to a junior college for a year and jump. They will have that year gap between high school and turning pro.

Not that the NCAA should really be concerned with what aggravates the NBA (though, I don't recall any complaints from the NCAA offices about the NBA rule requiring a year after high school for eligibility meant sending kids who would have gone to the NBA to college for only a year -- and arguably making a mockery of college sports).

It's only worth noting that the NBA will want to help kill this rule. Prep schools are obviously less than pleased. Along with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) who are furiously trying to get some sort of amendment to the new rule. This rule in its present state may not last too long.

Previously at Fanhouse:
The NCAA Slams the Door On Prep Schools
Bob Knight Wonders: Are Kevin Durant, Greg Oden in Class?

The NBA Will Hate the New NCAA Rule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 15 May 2007 11:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super-Agent Tellem Opposes Basketball Academy

Bethlehem Shoals — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:42:00 EST

Filed under: NCAA Basketball Recruiting, Eastern, Western, NBA Draft

Interesting op-ed in yesterday's Los Angeles Times by powerful agent Arn Tellem on the proposed USA Basketball Academy. The idea, which Stern seems intrigued by, would fix basketball in America by nurturing all of its top talent in one place. From True Hoop, here's a recap from an earlier Times article:

About 40 players from grades nine to 12 would be selected by a committee, [Sonny] Vaccaro said. Their scholarships for the academy could be taken away if they failed to meet academic standards. Retaining scholarships wouldn't be tied to performance. Two teams would play a national schedule, and no postgraduate players would be involved.

And here's Tellem's take on things:

Gifted young athletes would be better served by a national program that funneled them to preparatory schools ... [that] boast diverse student populations, offer scholarships to financially disadvantaged youth and have the financial clout to help. And every one provides tutors to assist student-athletes in need of remedial work.

Tellem goes on to propose an "intensive summer camp" for the saving basketball part of things. He's definitely in favor of something more far-reaching, and less exclusively focused on sports. It's hard to argue with his observation that plenty of "teen phenoms" don't go on to a career in professional sports. The Academy would help a few kids be better prepared to maybe go pro and make their country proud. Tellem wants to cast a wider net and help more young athletes deal with life down the road.

Super-Agent Tellem Opposes Basketball Academy originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 May 2007 13:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT's Young and Crittenton Declare For NBA Draft

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:13:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Tech Basketball, ACC Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Atlanta, Georgia Tech

Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young have announced that they are both entering the NBA Draft. Both completed their freshmen seasons at Georgia Tech; both haven't hired an agent, so they can take their name out of draft by June 18th and go back to Tech.

According to NBADraft.net, Young is a mid-first round pick who could slip into the lottery. He's an athletic small forward who really started to get rolling toward the tail end of the season. He works hard and is very coach-able. He needs to work on his shot and bulk up a bit ... but he should turn into a nice NBA player.

Crittenton is probably a mid-to-late first round pick. However, his advantage is that he's one of the few big name point guards in this draft as only Mike Conley, Acie Law and Aaron Brooks are point guards that are thought of highly in this draft. Crittenton is bigger than all of those guys, standing at a good 6'5. He a tough cookie that may remind many of another former Tech guard, Stephon Marbury.

By not signing with an agent, either player can return to school with their eligibility ... as long as they provide their own way to the scouting camps. It gives both players an opportunity to gage themselves against other NBA hopefuls and learn about what they need to work on to be NBA-ready.

GT's Young and Crittenton Declare For NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spencer Hawes Loves George W. Bush

Tom Ziller — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:13:00 EST

Filed under: Washington Basketball, Eastern, Western, NBA Draft

Jim Moore of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer spent an afternoon talking with projected lottery pick Spencer Hawes of the University of Washington. Lots of good signs from the account -- Hawes is in the weight room every day, he's still going to class, and he generally seems level-headed.

Actually, some might disagree with that last point.

"Would you put your God Bless George Bush bumper sticker on [a Mercedes]?" [Moore] asked.

"I don't know if I'd put a Bush sticker on a car like that," [Hawes] said. "But if anybody could, it would be me."

Asked if he remained solidly behind the president, Hawes said: "Why not? I'm still pushing for everything he's doing. Everyone else is jumping off his bandwagon, but I still love what he's doing."

Pundits call Hawes the next Vlade Divac. Stylewise, maybe we should call him the conservative Etan Thomas? Or get him onto Pat Riley's roster? Maybe he should avoid pregame chatter with Steve Nash. The NBA is certainly the one major American sports league where supporting the administration can be a major PR albatross... so in that way, it's kind-of refreshing to see a young guy unafraid of the backlash.

Spencer Hawes Loves George W. Bush originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandan Wright To Go To The NBA

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Gossip, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Charlotte, Carolina

Brandan Wright is having a press conference at 4:00pm today to reportedly announce he will leave North Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Many mock drafts have Wright in the top five [pretty much the guy picked after Greg Oden and Kevin Durant], so staying in school from a financial standpoint doesn't make sense.

Roy Williams [who had been on a vacation] worked the phones and figured that Wright would be smart to go pro even if he really wants to come back.

"He really wants to stay but he also knows he would be drafted high," Williams said. "I want to make sure he doesn't do something foolish. I told him to tell me what he wants to do and I'll support him. Deep down I think he wants to stay, but I don't want him to do something dumb," Williams said. "I go back and forth as to what he wants to do."

The tone of this sounds like Wright really wants to stay at Carolina where he could use another season to work on his game. While Wright is a top 3-5 in this draft, staying in school could see him as the #1 pick in the 2008 draft. I mean, he could announce that he's coming back to school. However, it's rare that a player holds a press conference to say he's sticking around.

Coming back to UNC is a risky move to wait [just as Big Baby Davis] because the money really isn't much different from where he will be picked now and where he could be picked ... if he moved up ... in 2008. Whatever difference there is would be lost by missing out from this season's paycheck.

Previously at The Fanhouse:
Brandan Wright Should Go Pro Even If He's Not Ready

Brandan Wright To Go To The NBA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tank Jobs Were Worth It; Greg Oden is Entering the Draft

mjd — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:49:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, NBA Draft

As it turns out, all the Oden vs. Durant arguments weren't total wastes. ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook are all leaving Ohio State and entering the NBA draft. An official news release is coming out tomorrow.

There's really not a ton to say about it that hasn't already been said. Everyone's been operating on the assumption that he would go pro, and rightfully so. I certainly wouldn't expected either of them to turn down the opportunity to be a guaranteed top-2 pick.

One thing that strikes me, though, is that in the case of Durant and now Oden, too, both of them talked about how much they liked college and wanted to stay ... and both are now officially in the draft. Not that I'm going to shed any tears for anyone in those particular shoes, but ... is that a little bit sad?

I know it's not like a depression-era 9-year-old who has to quit school to work on the farm with pa, but ... they both expressed a desire to be a student for a while longer, and neither of them will get to fulfill that desire. The way of the world, I guess. Some people have to become bazillionaires before they want to.

Something tells me we'll hear more about Oden and Conley here in the FanHouse.

The Tank Jobs Were Worth It; Greg Oden is Entering the Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite What His Father Says, Oden Remains '100 percent Undecided'

The Big Lead — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:22:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects

This is just getting silly. Friday night, Greg Oden Sr. told the Indianapolis Star that his eponymous son, the 7-foot freshman who guided Ohio State to the National Championship game, was going to the NBA. Done deal.

Less than 24 hours later, Oden's would-be agent, Mike Conley Sr., told the Associated Press that is most certainly not true.

"No. Definitely not. Not to say he's not going to decide that -- but, 100 percent, as of this moment, he hasn't decided," Conley, father of Oden's high school and college teammate, Mike Conley Jr., told The Associated Press.

Don't know about you guys, but this just annoys me. The problem is two-fold - everyone in the media is incredibly hard-up to land the Oden-to-the-NBA scoop, so naturally, one source will do (in this case, Oden's father, on-the-record, should have been enough ... but if the paper can speak to his father, why not just ask the player?).

Problem is, Conley Sr. had to get involved a couple weeks ago with this agent business. Conley Sr. never struck us as one of those sketchy street agents - after all, he is a respected Olympic champion - but now that he's involved as Oden's 'agent,' clearly 'everything' must go through him, and that's why he's challenging Oden's father's story. For the record, Conley has exactly zero experience as an agent (to the best of my knowledge).

Here's the simple solution: everyone just back off Oden and his family, and wait until they call a press conference and make the announcement. As a former sports journalist, it pains me greatly to make that statement. Conley Sr. and Oden Sr. should turn off the cell phones, not answer emails/texts from Andy Katz and the Columbus Dispatch, and most of all, wrap this up quickly.

Despite What His Father Says, Oden Remains '100 percent Undecided' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dad Says Ohio State's Greg Oden Entering NBA Draft

Michael David Smith — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NBA Draft, NBA Prospects, Ohio State

In news that will come as a shock to exactly no one, Greg Oden's dad says he's going to leave Ohio State and enter the NBA draft, where just about everyone agrees he'll be the first overall pick.

"Why not, as long as he finishes school in the offseason?" the elder Oden said. "He's the kind of kid that, even though he'll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball. "They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?"

That last part is the key, but as for the first part, I really see no reason that Oden needs to finish school in the offseason. Why not spend his NBA offseasons working out and enjoying his millions?

Oden's dad also confirmed that Mike Conley Sr., Oden's AAU coach and a former Olympic track and field star who was recently certified as an agent, will represent Oden. And he said that two other Ohio State players, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook, intend to enter the draft but not hire an agent to leave open the possibility of returning to school. Of course, when your dad's an agent, it kind of gives you a loophole through the whole "not hiring an agent" thing.

Dad Says Ohio State's Greg Oden Entering NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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