According to the Indianapolis Star, Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden is going to enter the NBA Draft. His father made the announcement on Friday, and also said that Mike Conley Sr. is going to represent him as an agent. "Why not, as long as he finishes school in the offseason?" Greg Oden Sr. said. "He's the kind of kid that, even though he'll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball. They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?" Fellow freshmen teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook are expected to make their announcement in the coming days, and both are expected to put their names in the draft pool. Oden, the likely #1 pick overall, averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game this past season despite being hampered by an injured wrist throughout the year.
According to the Associated Press, Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert have announced that they will enter the NBA Draft. However, neither player is going to sign with an agent, leaving open the option of returning to the Hoyas. "Both young men have worked extremely hard to position themselves for this opportunity," coach John Thompson III said. "They have begun a process of information gathering which is necessary for them to make educated decisions." Green averaged 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this past season, while Hibbert averaged 12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. Most mock drafts project both to be drafted in the lottery.
Wichita State’s search for a new coach to replace the departed Mark Turgeon has ended. The Shockers have hired Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall to take over their top position. Marshall will make $750,000 per year for seven seasons. "It just had to feel right," Marshall said. "And it felt right." He was excited about the opportunity to move up in the coaching world. "This job is ready-made," Marshall told the Wichita Eagle. "This just needs the right guy to take it to another level." Athletic director Jim Schaus was very happy with the decision. “I don't believe there is anybody more talented or a greater fit for Wichita State than Gregg Marshall,” Schaus said. “We could search for weeks, months, years and not find somebody with his talent and caliber.” Marshall was 194-83 in nine seasons at Winthrop, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, USC junior forward Nick Young is going to announce that he will enter the NBA Draft. Sources say that an official announcement will be made next week. Furthermore, a source close to Young says that he is going to hire an agent in the coming weeks, forfeiting his college eligibility. "You never know if his stock will be this high again," said one source involved in the decision. "Anything can happen next year." Young averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this past season, and is projected by most mock drafts to be drafted in the top-20.
Hawaii has promoted associate coach Bob Nash to the head coaching position. He replaces Riley Wallace, who is retiring after twenty years with the Rainbow Warriors. Nash has been at Hawaii since 1981, with the last twenty as an associate coach under Wallace. Athletic director Herman Frazier said, “We conducted a national search, and our national search brought us back to one of our own.” Nash never felt like he had the job wrapped up until he got the phone call. "I had to prove myself to (Frazier) that I was worthy of being the head coach," Nash told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. "He saw I was up for the challenge to fight for this job. It was not a given." The Rainbow Warriors went 18-13 last season.
Winthrop wasted no time in finding a new coach to replace the departed Gregg Marshall, promoting assistant coach Randy Peele to the top spot. Peele has been an assistant with the Eagles for the past season. "Randy Peele has been an integral part in that success and we believe the future of Winthrop basketball will continue to flourish under his leadership," Winthrop athletic director Tom Hickman said. In a news release, Peele added, "We will do everything possible to maintain the benchmark that has been set." Prior to being an assistant at Winthrop, Peele was a head coach at UNC-Greensboro, and an assistant at Virginia Tech, Campbell, Tennessee-Martin, and St. Michael’s College.
According to DraftExpress.com, USC junior guard Gabe Pruitt is planning on declaring for the NBA Draft on Tuesday. He is not expected to sign with an agent, leaving open the option of returning to the Trojans. Pruitt is projected as a first-round pick in most 2008 mock drafts, but could use his impressive NCAA Tournament performance to boost him into the 2007 first round in what is a relatively weak draft for point guards. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 assists per game this past season.
Greg Couch of the Chicago Sun-Times writes about the bizarre situation at Chicago State. Former coach Kevin Jones was fired for no apparent reason; his son has been beaten up twice by a former Chicago State player who was the reason for Jones Sr. losing his job; and the player behind all this, Camron Clay, is nowhere to be found. Interesting read, to say the very least.
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