Great Night for the Basketball Buckeyes

Tonight was the NBA, which for many years was extremely boring as David Stern called the names of unknown high school preps and foreign born players. But in the first draft after the league instituted an eligibility rule, there were plenty of recognizable players in this deep pool. Much of the attention was focused on who would go #1 to Portland. Nation Player of the Year Kevin Durant received a great deal of support, especially from Bill Simmons. The Sports Guy spent much of the year on his knees in front of the Texas freshman, who reportedly couldn't bench 185 at his Orlando workout. Yet Simmons calls him the surest thing since Michael Jordan; his Durant love-fest was so nauseating, it makes me year for his Brady/Patriots columns.

The Trail Blazers made the right choice, selecting Ohio State's Greg Oden. Oden immediately becomes one of the best centers in the league. Even without a polished offensive game, his defense is game-altering, and he's a steady rebounder. Simmons claims Durant is the one with the huge upside, but Oden is going to shock some folks who think that this season's one-armed man impression from The Fugitive was indicative of his real game.

The great news kept coming for Ohio State, as PG Mike Conley was selected #4 by the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley has long played in Oden's shadow, so it will nice for him to establish a name on his own. Buckeye fans know how often he carried the team during last year's Final Four run. I was rooting for him to fall to Milwaukee, pairing him with All-Star guard Michael Redd. But I hear Memphis is a nice town with good barbeque and Peabody, so now I have an excuse to visit.

The third member of the Thad Five to declare was Daequan Cook. The highly touted wing player had an up-and-down year with the Buckeyes, starting out on fire but struggling much of the second half. With upperclassmen like Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler and Ivan Harris playing well, Coach Thad Matta couldn't afford to let Cook work his way through some shooting woes. Cook had lottery potential if he returned, but luckily got guaranteed money as the #22 pick. Philadelphia immediately shipped him to Miami for Jason Smith and cash.

Closing thought: I still hate Joakim Noah. But I surprised he eschewed his My Little Pony Tail for a poofy, full-on teenage girl look.