More OSU Hoops
The reason I wrote about OSU hoops today, and specifically about Oden and Conley was because the bastion of sports reporting integrity, ESPN, came out with a story today about them, basically saying that there’s a 99% chance they were going pro based on some anonymous NBA agent source. Not that an agent would lie about such a thing, considering everyone knows that Conley’s father will represent both of them in the NBA. Nah…no reason to spread stuff like that right before the Final Four…
This from ESPN “Insider” Chad Ford:
Sources Say Oden Will Go Pro
Chad Ford reports: One prominent NBA player agent, who asked not to be identified because he was revealing confidential discussions, told Insider that he had enough contact with Conley’s father, Mike Conley Sr., to be 99 percent sure both Oden and Conley Jr. were coming out.”I think Oden really wants to stay in school,” the agent told Insider. “However, I think he’s feeling a lot of pressure from family and friends that the opportunity to be the No. 1 pick is one he can’t pass on. I think Conley Jr. wanted to make sure he was the top rated point guard in the draft before declaring. He didn’t want to settle for a mid-to-late first-round pick. With his play in the tournament, I think he’s there. Next year, with O.J. Mayo in the mix, he may not be.”
Well, it doesn’t take long for the fire to spread — to local Columbus radio and the ‘Net. See, Conley has said all along that he was staying for at the very least two years, and maybe more. This is why there was such a stir. Oden, well, we all figure he’s gone, but Conley? Personally, purely from a skill PoV, he needs a more reliable 3 point shot. He’s a 30% 3pt shooter in college…so as a pro and a deeper 3pt line…well he’s not quite Nash-like. He’s a 1st round pick right now, but with a solid 20 foot jumper, he’s a lottery pick.
Anyway, The Columbus Dispatch came out with this today:
Ignore speculation; Conley will return to OSU, father says
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 4:34 PM
By Todd Jones
The father of Mike Conley Jr. reiterated yesterday that his son intends to return to Ohio State for his sophomore season despite Internet speculation that the Buckeyes’ point guard might enter this year’s NBA draft.
“Mike is not thinking about going pro,” Conley Sr. said. “Nothing has changed.” Conley Sr. said if unexpected information about his son’s potential earnings come forth in April, the family would re-evaluate the OSU freshman’s future.
“We could speculate all day long and say, ‘OK, what if a shoe company came and offered Mike $80 million to turn pro?’” Conley Sr. said. “Of course he would re-evaluate it. The chances of that happening are slim. We hear talk all the time that Mike could be a first-round draft pick and the top (point) guard. Only on that information, Mike is going back to school.
“I’ve never had this discussion with Mike before in his life. In Mike’s mind, he’s going back to school, and if you said anything different to him he would look at you like you have two heads. Heading to Atlanta, Mike Conley’s intentions have always been to return to school, and there’s never been any question in his mind of not going back.”
Speculation continues to swirl about the future of OSU center Greg Oden, Conley Jr.’s teammate since the sixth grade, on AAU (coached by Conley Sr.) and high school teams. Conley Sr., awaiting confirmation from the NBA Players Association on his application to become a players’ agent, said Oden won’t make any kind of announcement at the Final Four about whether he will return to Ohio State or enter the NBA draft.
“I don’t want (Oden) to make an emotional decision one way or the other,” Conley Sr. said. “I want him to take his time and look at it, and look at the whole process like he did when he picked a school. I want him to sit back and let it resonate. That won’t begin until a week or two after (the Final Four).”
Conley dismissed a report yesterday that an unnamed agent told an ESPN blogger that his son and Oden are both entering the NBA draft this spring. “My main concern is just when someone close to us — me, Mike’s mom, Greg’s mom, or (OSU coach) Thad (Matta) — says something,” Conley Sr. said. “That’s the only time I’m concerned with the issue. Outside of that, it’s just people talking.”
No, it’s not people talking.
It’s E.S.P.N. Employer of Skip Bayless, Mike Lupica, Stephan A. Smith, and Jay Mariotti. And the worst thing to happen to sports in this country.
With that said, watch Conley announce for the NBA after the Final Four is over…heh