So long, big guy (UPDATE)

OSU LogoodenJamb.jpg

UPDATE:
Confirmed. Oden will declare tomorrow, and will hire an agent. He’s gone, folks.

Mike Conley and Daequan Cook will also enter the draft, but will not hire agents, preserving a way to return to OSU if their projected draft status is not favorable. They have until June 18th to make a final decision.

Image credit & copyright AP (Gerry Broome)

Link(s)

Comments

  1. Apparently there’s some contradictions going around as to who said what… but apparently no decision has been made yet… there’s still hope!

    http://www.10tv.com/?sec=&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200704/2011729974.html
    http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sports/stories/2007/04/14/odenbb0414.html
    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2007/news/story?id=2837151

  2. Yep, Don’s right….hold the phones on this one!

    I think dad was trying to push his son’s decision along for him.

  3. He’ll be back!!

  4. Everything about this smacks of “crisis management.” Oden’s father spills the beans, and his soon-to-be-rep jumps into action saying, “well, maybe; maybe not.”

    If Oden wasn’t going pro, then the report from Conley, Sr. and his mother would have been a firm denial. Instead, we have a “non-denial denial.” Note that Conley Sr. isn’t suggesting otherwise, only that a “final” decision hasn’t been made.

    Conley is doing EXACTLY what a good rep should. Keeping things ambiguous so that the maximum amount of interest and offers roll in. The fact that he’s doing this strongly suggests that Oden is going pro. He’ll enter the draft, and the line will be that he’s “entering to discover his options, and might pull out later.” Then he’ll be gone.

    Trust me, if Oden were staying, we’d know it by now. These past two days have just been damage control.

  5. According to ES*N’s Andy Katz, things are most definitely “firm”…

  6. LET THE RECORD SHOW…. Dave had the scoop in our comments before I posted an update.

    Thanks, Dave! That was pretty fast… You must live on ES*N.com.

  7. Hey man, I have to look at something while the trainwreck that is the Reds’ bullpen is blowing up my television…

    SCOOP!!!

  8. P.S. Any chance for a Spring Game get together for MoTSaG-ers? I think I’m heading up from Cincinnati with some friends and didn’t know if anyone else was planning on attending…

  9. monkey – Man, you\’re fast! Thanks for the update. I was holding out hope against all odds that Oden would return, but I knew deep down it wasn\’t happening. I won\’t be surprised to see Conley gone, either. Cook should stick around for another year, though. He\’s not NBA ready yet.

    Dave – We\’ve been discussing whether or not any of us MotSaG-ers will be at the spring game. Unfortunately, I won\’t be able to make it. I can\’t speak for Zeke or sportsMonkey, but I don\’t think it will happen this year.

    I think we\’d definitely like to do something like that in the future, though.

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