Ohio State University Standout Greg Oden Declares for NBA Draft

Ohio State freshman Greg Oden is a man among boys in the college basketball game. Apparently, Oden has had enough of this child's play. Oden is declaring for the NBA draft.

Oden is declaring for the draft along with fellow Ohio State players Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook. The NBA draft will be held on June 28th.

Oden, who averaged 15.7 points a game and 9.6 rebounds a game this season, is the likely number one pick. He has said before that he would like to remain in college all 4 years and get his education. The promise of money and playing against better competition are too much to keep him at Ohio State.

There are a few reasons players declare for the draft as soon as they can. I already touched on two of them. Another reason is the chance a player might get hurt if he stays. What happens if a player has a career threatening injury? He would be kicking himself in the head for not taking the money when he was healthy. Oden also wants to leave now while his stock is at a premium. He just came off an amazing year and is likely to get picked number one. He doesn't want to have a bad year before being drafted and lose a bunch of money.

Oden has been touted as the next big thing in basketball since he was in high school. He was declared one of the greatest high school centers to ever play the game. Oden was just so much bigger and more talented than everybody else he played against.

The battle for number 1 will be between Naismith Award winner Kevin Durant of the University of Texas and Greg Oden. The pick will all depend on what the number 1 team is looking for. If the team is looking for a versatile scorer who can play inside and out then you have to go with Durant. If a team is looking for a down low presence who can score in the paint and block shots then you have to go with Oden. The two will go one and two regardless of who else declares because they are two great players who will be NBA All Stars one day.

Oden should develop into one of the better centers in the NBA a few years down the road. While he has all the physical tools you look for in a player, he still needs to work on his footwork and add a few more moves down low. Durant will make a more immediate impact on the team he plays for because of how he plays. The NBA draft should be an exciting one and promises to be one of the stronger drafts of late.