Buckeyes coach Thad Matta: Greg Oden considering another NBA comeback
Say what you will about Greg Oden, but the man is no quitter.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta says the 7-foot center, onetime Buckeyes standout and former No. 1 overall NBA pick has been training on campus and could attempt another NBA comeback, according to Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press.
Matta, whose team is preparing to face Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA tournament's round of 64, said Wednesday that Oden has been doing ''high-level training'' over the past six months with Ohio State coaches, and has gotten his weight down to about 280 pounds.
''Quite honestly, I haven't seen Greg look this good since when he played for us back in the day at Ohio State,'' Matta said. ''His attitude is off the charts. He went through a lot. You look at Greg's life, how difficult things have been. I know that he is a kid that never wanted to let people down. The injuries, you know, none of us can prevent those. I know there's part of him that wishes that stuff couldn't have happened. I still swear he was going to be one of the greatest to ever play in the NBA just from the year I was with him.''
The latest sad turn for Oden - whose massively disappointing pro career was destroyed by a cavalcade of knee injuries, and subsequent bouts with alcoholism and depression - was a felony domestic violence charge, stemming from an August incident in which he allegedly beat his ex-girlfriend.
Oden played in 23 games for the Miami Heat last season. After working out for at least one other team in the summer, he went unsigned in the offseason, though it's unclear if the outcome would have been different if not for the felony charge. Back in November, he claimed not to be thinking about an NBA comeback.
"I have to deal with other stuff first," he said at the time. "Life stuff."
If his former coach is to be believed, Oden may now be ready to give it another go.
''I think he's right now trying to gauge how the body feels,'' Matta said. ''There is a possibility he may make another run at it. He looks great.''
After being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the first pick in 2007, Oden managed to play just 105 NBA games, averaging 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
In his one season at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to the 2007 National Championship game, where they lost to defending champion Florida.
''I don't know, quite honestly, if I've ever seen Greg as happy as he is right now in terms of everything is going great in his life,'' Matta said. ''He's made a lot of personal commitments to change. Having him around literally every single day and spending time with him, there's no greater feeling. I'm excited for him.''