Greg Oden, 70, Center, Freshman, Ohio State
Vs Memphis: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 7-8 FG, 3-6 FT
Joseph Treutlein
Greg Oden played a critical role in Ohio States Elite Eight victory over Memphis, showing off his signature prowess on the boards and with interior defense, but also looking a bit more formidable in the post on the offensive end than were used to seeing, showing off a nice touch and a decent array of moves.
Oden got off to a good start on the game, as Ohio State went to him in the post on their very first possession, where he caught the ball on the right block with his back to the basket. Oden spun into the lane and put up a nice left-handed lay-up, which he finished with a soft touch on the rim. Oden didnt get much else going in the first half, aside from one power jam on a dropstep where he established excellent position down low in the post. Oden got two fouls pretty early in the game, so Thad Matta rested him for about 10 minutes in the first half, to ensure that he had a chance to make a greater impact in the second half, which he did.
Oden scored 12 points in the second half, showing off a few low-post moves, including a drop-step once again, and a pretty right-handed hook shot from about five feet out. He did a good job establishing position low, where he finished with powerful jams, spinning lay-ups, and he also drew a couple of fouls. While Oden still has a long ways to go in further refining his back-to-the-basket arsenal, this was a very strong performance for a player who usually relies on his brute strength and size, while often looking mechanical and even uncomfortable with finesse moves in the post.
Defensively, Oden did a good job anchoring Ohio States defense, contesting and cutters or drivers that tried to come in the lane, though he only netted one official block on the game. The only area where Oden showed some problems on defense was when he had to step out on the perimeter, which has been an ongoing concern with his defense. While its not something that will really hold him back from becoming an excellent player, one area that Oden lacks in as a shot-blocker is the ability to step up on the perimeter and go step for step with ball-handlers as they drive towards the hoop. He simply doesnt have the quickness to consistently defend guards going to the hoop, though with his length he is still able to occasionally contest shots from behind in this manner.
Oden was very impressive on the boards as well, though thats kind of expected given his huge advantage in size over the opposition. Still, Joey Dorsey is a very strong player, but Oden had no problem establishing position around the hoop and tracking down rebounds on both ends of the court. He frequently asserted his size and strength in a crowd to come up with rebounds when there were multiple Memphis players around him.
While not a game that will lock him in as the #1 pick in next years draft, this was an impressive outing for Oden, and given the stage and importance of the game, one of his better games as a collegiate. Oden would do his draft stock well to have complete performances like this in the remaining games of the tournament, specifically by consistently showing versatility, touch, and assertiveness in the post on the offensive end.
Oden got off to a good start on the game, as Ohio State went to him in the post on their very first possession, where he caught the ball on the right block with his back to the basket. Oden spun into the lane and put up a nice left-handed lay-up, which he finished with a soft touch on the rim. Oden didnt get much else going in the first half, aside from one power jam on a dropstep where he established excellent position down low in the post. Oden got two fouls pretty early in the game, so Thad Matta rested him for about 10 minutes in the first half, to ensure that he had a chance to make a greater impact in the second half, which he did.
Oden scored 12 points in the second half, showing off a few low-post moves, including a drop-step once again, and a pretty right-handed hook shot from about five feet out. He did a good job establishing position low, where he finished with powerful jams, spinning lay-ups, and he also drew a couple of fouls. While Oden still has a long ways to go in further refining his back-to-the-basket arsenal, this was a very strong performance for a player who usually relies on his brute strength and size, while often looking mechanical and even uncomfortable with finesse moves in the post.
Defensively, Oden did a good job anchoring Ohio States defense, contesting and cutters or drivers that tried to come in the lane, though he only netted one official block on the game. The only area where Oden showed some problems on defense was when he had to step out on the perimeter, which has been an ongoing concern with his defense. While its not something that will really hold him back from becoming an excellent player, one area that Oden lacks in as a shot-blocker is the ability to step up on the perimeter and go step for step with ball-handlers as they drive towards the hoop. He simply doesnt have the quickness to consistently defend guards going to the hoop, though with his length he is still able to occasionally contest shots from behind in this manner.
Oden was very impressive on the boards as well, though thats kind of expected given his huge advantage in size over the opposition. Still, Joey Dorsey is a very strong player, but Oden had no problem establishing position around the hoop and tracking down rebounds on both ends of the court. He frequently asserted his size and strength in a crowd to come up with rebounds when there were multiple Memphis players around him.
While not a game that will lock him in as the #1 pick in next years draft, this was an impressive outing for Oden, and given the stage and importance of the game, one of his better games as a collegiate. Oden would do his draft stock well to have complete performances like this in the remaining games of the tournament, specifically by consistently showing versatility, touch, and assertiveness in the post on the offensive end.