Greg Oden, the 7 foot freshman center from Ohio State, has announced that he would be entering the NBA draft. He will be one of the two top picks along with Kevin Durant, the freshman forward from Texas.

Odens freshman teammates Mike Conley Jr and Daequan Cook have also said that they will be available for the draft. However, they have decided not to hire an agent for now which means that they still have the option of returning to school in the fall.

In a statement released by Ohio State, Oden said that the decision was a difficult one for him as he loves Ohio State University and loves being a Buckeye but becoming an NBA player will allow his take his game to the next level and play with the best players in the world. After discussing with his family, friends and coach Thad Matta, Oden feels that the time is right for him to enter the draft.

Coach Matta said that the departure of three players from the team would be difficult to fill though he was proud of their accomplishments. He hoped that the success of these three players along with the fact that the Buckeyes made it to the national championship game will encourage more talented players to join the program.

Matta feels that Oden had a difficult time making the decision to leave the Buckeyes but understood his dream to play in the NBA. All three, Oden, Conley and Cook, were the mainstay of the Buckeyes the last season. The Buckeyes went for 35-5 and won the Big Tens regular season and tournament titles before going for their first national championship game since 1962 where they lost to Florida, two time champion.

Oden, Conley and Cook will be represented by Conelys father, Mike Conley Sr. Conley Sr won the Olympic gold medal in triple jump at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He has applied to the NBA to be a player agent.

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