Freshmen move-in day
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Bodies ... The Exhibition
Oden's brother finding his path at Dunbar
Anthony Oden steps out of the shadow of Buckeyes' star and into the starting lineup for Dunbar basketball team.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
SAN ANTONIO — Greg Oden's life journey seems almost predetermined. Anthony Oden is just starting to find his way.
Greg is a freshman at Ohio State, a 7-foot, 280-pound basketball player called the best American big man in a generation. He probably will be the No. 1 NBA draft pick whenever he leaves college.
Extras
Anthony is a junior at Dunbar High School. Before this school year, the 6-foot-8, 270-pounder had trouble in organized sports or casting away his brother's tremendous shadow.
Their mother, Zoe, says that's changed.
"He's doing a lot better," she said of Anthony. "He's focusing. His grades are up. I always told Anthony he was his own person. You are not Greg and don't try to measure up to Greg because you are who you are. He's always struggled with that.
"Putting him off to another place where he has to find himself and be comfortable within himself with what he does, he has really stepped up. I am really proud of him."
Expectations
Anthony didn't finish the season on the Lawrence North basketball team last season.
"Towards the end of the year, I just got stressed out and said, 'Forget it,' " Anthony said. "When I first started playing basketball, everybody was like, 'That's Greg Oden's little brother.' Expectations were pretty high."
Zoe got a place in Dayton and sent Anthony to Dunbar to be near assistant coach Albert Powell — one of Greg's AAU assistant coaches and a family friend.
"It was the first time he's really finished any organized sports," Powell said. "It was just a part of him finding his identity and fitting in. It wasn't handed to him here. He had to work."
Greg has noticed a difference in his younger brother, who is forging his own path.
"When he was in Indiana, that kind of bothered him a lot," Greg said Wednesday in San Antonio. "It was a good thing he got to go to Dayton and got to be his own person out there."
Fitting in
No matter whether Greg declares for the NBA draft, Zoe said Anthony is going to stay at Dunbar. "Stability is good for him," she said.
Powell said Anthony started the season as a reserve in basketball. Teammate Aaron Pogue said he was "hard-headed" to start.
"At first, it was pretty hard," Anthony said. "After I got to know people a little bit better, it started being easier for me."
Anthony has worked his way into the starting lineup.
"I haven't had a chance to see him play in the tournament," Greg said. "I know he's playing pretty well, not as good as he wants to be 'cause Aaron (Pogue) is kind of dominating now. But he's playing pretty decent. He's kind of getting into a role, learning that he can't be the star of the team."
Life lessons
Powell said Anthony has a football scholarship offer from Kansas. Basketball offers might come after a successful ACT score.
Having Greg nearby in Columbus has helped his younger brother. "I talk to him every day — texts or calls," Anthony said. "I'm proud of him as a younger brother looking up. He's a role model for me."
That admiration has little to do with basketball. Greg is a good student and someone his mom calls compassionate, thoughtful and kind.
Those are the things Zoe is proud of, no matter what kind of NBA career Greg might have. So is Anthony.
"I don't look at him as Greg, the superstar," Anthony said. "I look at him as Greg, my brother. I have to look up to him for advice when I need it."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or
mgokavi@daytondailynews.com.
