Hoops Habit
Fansided

NCAA Basketball’s Best No. 1 Recruits Since 2005

By Michael Whitlow

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) shoots during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) shoots during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 11
Next
Greg Oden: Injuries and all, one of the most dominant forces in NCAA Basketball's recent memory
May 30, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Greg Oden (middle) hoists the conference championship trophy after defeating the Indiana Pacers in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Greg Oden — Ohio State

This was easily the most interesting player on the board.

In his one season at Ohio State, injuries began to hamper Greg Oden during his rise to becoming one of the most dominant players in basketball.

Despite having right wrist surgery that forced Oden to miss the beginning part of his lone season at OSU, Oden made his debut in December 2006, and the rest was just utter dominance.

Oden averaged 15.7 points per game, grabbed 9.6 rebounds per contest, and blocked 3.3 shots(!) a game. For most of the season, the Buckeyes were No. 1 in the nation, led by Oden (and current Memphis Grizzlies star guard Mike Conley).

Even with the wrist surgery, Oden was still named a Second Team All-American, along with being honored as the Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC, and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.

There aren’t many “what if” stories that rank higher than Oden’s, but during his time in Columbus, he was as dominant as many expected him to be for a long time.

Next: 1. Michael Beasley, 2007