PING: Ohio State Basketball Fans

[miami_fan]

I wonder if this guarantees that he will remian in school past his freshman year or if this will scare into the draft in 2007.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2488133
Oden sidelined several months after wrist surgeryAssociated Press


INDIANAPOLIS -- With Ohio State coach Thad Matta in the waiting room for what seemed an eternity, 7-foot prize recruit Greg Oden had surgery Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

Oden, Indiana's Mr. Basketball and national prep player of the year last season at three-time state champion Lawrence North, is expected to be out of basketball at least several months, his high school coach, Jack Keefer, said Friday night.

Keefer and Matta waited during the two-hour operation at the Indiana Hand Center.

"It seemed like forever," Keefer said. "The doctor said everything was fine."

Oden hurt his wrist during a game in February but played with the injury through the state tournament and then in two national All-Star games. Another visit to the doctor and a follow-up MRI early this week showed the injury had not healed, forcing him to drop out of the two-game Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series this weekend and next.

"It was a complete tear," Keefer said. "They put a screw in there, a clamp and whatever they do in there, and he [the doctor] felt very good about what took place."

The coach compared the injury to a torn ACL in the knee and said the ligament in the wrist is what gives a player the ability to grip the basketball.

"You've just got to fix it. Fortunately they went in there, because it wasn't a partial tear. It was out," Keefer said.

Matta said Thursday that Oden planned to enroll at Ohio State for summer school on Monday and to begin his rehabilitation in Columbus.

Keefer said no immediate timetable was given for Oden's recovery.

"It's not today or tomorrow, that's for sure," he said. "It's months out. ... They've got such an awfully good way of checking things anymore, so they can see the progress being made.

"I don't know if he'll start the season [with the Buckeyes] or not, but somewhere along the way he'll get in there, I'm sure," Keefer said.

Oden's high school teammate Mike Conley, a guard, also is an Ohio State recruit. Both were selected to The Associated Press' all-state first team.

[HerRealName]

Yeah, this sucks but hopefully he'll be able to play again once practice starts. OSU is going to be real thin this year with only 9 scholarship players. OSU already has a couple of quality 2007 post player verbals with another highly likely to follow in a couple of weeks but there is virtually no depth on the current team.

[stevew]

He'd have been the #1 pick in a couple weeks if he was able to enter the draft, I can't see him staying in school. Unless he goes to college and averages like 10 points and 7 rebounds and looks lost.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by stevew

He'd have been the #1 pick in a couple weeks if he was able to enter the draft, I can't see him staying in school. Unless he goes to college and averages like 10 points and 7 rebounds and looks lost.

Agreed. His numbers would probably have to be worse than that to slip in the draft. Athletic, solid, 19-year old 7 footers don't come along too often.

[INDalltheway]

My best friend blocked his shot in 4th grade... He's not that good. (True story though)

[Crapshoot]

Its funny - he could have gone to Europe, and signed a 2 year pro contract - this may have worked out better for him than the current system where he has to go college so some coach can get rich off his efforts. Its interesting that he didn't choose to go to a basketball powerhouse though.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Its funny - he could have gone to Europe, and signed a 2 year pro contract - this may have worked out better for him than the current system where he has to go college so some coach can get rich off his efforts. Its interesting that he didn't choose to go to a basketball powerhouse though.

Yeah, i'm kind of suprised he didn't do that. He'll be 20 by the draft next year, so he'll only have to spend one year at Ohio State.