Big Time champs get big assist

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 | 11:03 a.m.

Defending Reebok Big Time tournament champion Spiece Indy Heat team took the floor at Foothill High School for a key matchup against the Southern California All-Stars and all eyes were focused on 7-foot center Greg Oden.

There's a good reason for that. Oden is probably the best prep center to come along since some fellow named Shaquille O'Neal and would have been the No. 1 pick of next June's NBA draft if not for the league's recent rule change requiring players to be at least 19 years old to be eligible.

But the Spiece Indy Heat is hardly a one-man team.

Although he doesn't get the national attention that Oden does, electrifying 6-foot-1 point guard Michael Conley also will probably merit McDonald's All-America status next spring. Like Oden, Conley has already verbally committed to play his college basketball at Ohio State.

"I think he's one of the best true point guards in the nation in making great decisions," said respected recruiting guru Bob Gibbons (bobgibbons.net) of Lenoir, N.C. "He's also an accurate 3-point shooter. He knows how to get the ball in to Oden when he has to. I'd rate him one of the top three point guard prospects in the nation."

Oden and Conley have led Lawrence North High School to back-to-back Indiana state titles. They've played together since sixth grade.

"He's the leader out there," Oden said. "He might be quiet but he knows what he's doing. We look to him. When he's having a good game, there's nothing you can do about it. Just sit back and let him do his thing."

Conley's "thing" is breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and dishing off to Oden, who usually finishes with a dunk. He is also an outstanding defender who roams the backcourt like a free safety, frequently intercepting a pass to foil an opposing fastbreak.

Playing in the giant shadow of player like Oden doesn't bother Conley -- and for good reason.

He's used to it.

Conley is the son of U.S. Track and Field Hall of Famer Mike Conley, a three-time Olympic triple-jumper who won the gold in 1992 with a leap of 59-feet, 7 1/2 inches. He also won a silver at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

"There really wasn't any extra pressure," Conley said of being the son of a star athlete. "The main thing was people were expecting me to run track. But I didn't have any extra pressure other than that because I played basketball, which is my own sport. In fact, it was kind of cool because a lot of people knew him."

Conley did give track a shot as a freshman in high school and had a best in the long jump of 22 feet, 3 inches. He never competed in his dad's specialty, the triple jump.

"But it got in the way of my playing AAU (basketball) so I gave it up," he said. "My father let me do whatever I wanted to do. And I'm glad I picked basketball."

Conley's father is the coach of Spiece Indy Heat squad that includes another future Buckeye in 6-foot-5 forward Daequan Cook, as well as standout junior guard Eric Gordon. But most of the attention centers around Oden, who very well could have been the No. 1 pick of last June's NBA Draft if he could have come out following his junior year.

That's just fine with the younger Conley.

"People might think playing with him might hurt me and I might get overlooked or something," Conley said. "But I think it's perfect for me because I don't have any pressure on me. I don't know how Greg handles all the pressure and attention he gets."

On this night, the Heat dispose easily of the Southern California All-Stars, 81-57. Oden finishes with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in his showdown with 6-foot-9 junior Kevin Love, the son of former Laker Stan Love and the nephew of Beach Boys singer Mike Love. But it's also a big night for Conley, who has seven points, eight assists, three steals and zero turnovers in his battle against Brandon Jennings (11 points, two assists, five turnovers), a sophomore from Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., who is being hailed by some scouts as potentially the best point guard prospect to ever come out of Southern California.

"It was a good game for us but our goal is to win the tournament again," Conley said.

With a dynamic one-two punch like Oden and Conley, it will be a major surprise if they don't.

The Heat played the Michigan Hurricanes in this morning's quarterfinals at Foothill High School with a rematch against the Southern California All-Stars likley in the semifinals at 3:20 p.m.. The championship game is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.

The Prospects cut a 13-point deficit to just three points, 52-49, on a free throw by Green Valley High forward Billy White with 5:25 to go. But the talented Playaz duo of North Carolina-bound Wayne Ellington and Duke-bound Gerald Henderson was just too much down the stretch.

Ellington, rated by most scouting services as the nation's top shooting guard, finished with a game-high 22 points while Henderson added 12 points and made several key defensive plays down the stretch.

Sophomore forward Luke Babbitt of Galena High in Reno, who emerged as the team's top prospect during the tournament, finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with about a dozen rebounds.

"Depending on what college I go to, I'll probably try and play both sports," Jackson, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, said. "Basketball is my first priority."

Jackson said Washington and Fresno State have expressed interest in letting him try to play both sports in college. Western Illinois, Montana and Southern Utah are some of the other schools that have shown interest in him playing basketball.

Jackson has been offered a scholarship to play football at UNLV by new head coach Mike Sanford.

"I don't know about basketball, though," he said. "I haven't heard anything."

It could have been worse. Floyd also had his ankle X-rayed for a possible break, but the results were negative.

Floyd earlier this year secured a verbal commitment from Durango High forward Andre McFarland. And highly touted swingman Brandon Rush of Mt. Zion (N.C.) Academy, who earlier this year said he was considering UNLV, took an unofficial trip to USC last week and will reportedly pick between the Trojans and Illinois.

Getting a verbal commitment from Rush will only be half the battle, however. Getting him admitted into school academically will be the other.