Men's Basketball
Buckeyes Land Verbal Commitments From Indiana Duo
By John Porentas
After weeks of speculation, Greg Oden and Mike Conley have made it public; they will both be Buckeyes. At a press conference held at their high school today, both announced that they will attend OSU following their senior season in high school.
Oden and Conley are teammates at Lawrence North High School in the Indianapolis, Indiana area where they have led their school to two consecutive Class 4A titles.

Mike Conley, Daequan Cook and Greg Oden (left to right) have all verbally committed to OSU.
Photo by Jim Davidson

Oden (7-0, 245) is a true center prospect who averaged 20 pts, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 blocked shots as a junior last season. He is ranked as the fifth-best overall prospect in the nation and the number one center prospect. Oden was projected as-high-as the first overall pick in the NBA draft were he available, but has said all along that he wants to attend college.
Oden this year joined NBA star LeBron James as the only players to be named National High School Player of the Year as juniors.
Conley (6-1, 10.7 pts., 5 assists) is ranked as the fourth-best point guard in the nation and is a top-20 player overall.
Oden and Conley can sign a national letter of intent on Nov. 9. They join Daequan Cook and David Lighty as players committed to sign a letter of intent with the Buckeyes on that day.
Cook (6-5, 190) is a shooting guard from Dayton Dunbar, High School who averaged 24.0 points per game as a junior. He is considered a top-10 player overall and as-high-as the number two shooting guard in the nation in his class. Cook has been an AAU summer basketball teammate of Oden and Conley the past two seasons.

Lighty (6-5, 180) is considered a shooting forward and is from Villa Angela St. Joseph's High School in Cleveland. Lighty averaged 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a game last season before his season was cut short by a torn ACL.

The four comprise a recruiting class that is considered not just one of the best in OSU basketball annuls, but one of the best ever assembled at any school at any time.

Ohio State could yet add one more player to the class.

The-Ozone will have additional coverage on this story later today.

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