Latest news with #GregOden
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
GREG ODEN FOR LUCKY ENERGY NEW YORK, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, retired NBA player Greg Oden stars in Lucky Energy drink's new campaign titled "What Are the Odds?" launching across the brand's social media platforms to promote resilience. Created by its in-house creative team, the campaign features Greg Oden on the court as he reflects on the odds of his journey. Standing at 7 feet tall, having been selected as the #1 NBA Draft Pick, enduring multiple knee injuries, earning a master's degree, and simply being himself, his story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, highlighting the power of grit and embracing change. In discussing the campaign's purpose, Lucky Energy's CMO, Hamid Saify, stated, "Greg was selected as the #1 draft pick, ahead of Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, and was labeled a 'bust' for many years. We aim to change that narrative, showing that injuries can sideline even the most promising careers, but that doesn't mean life is over. Challenges may arise, but life continues." Greg Oden added, "The journey of an athlete is often unpredictable and messy, but it is in these moments that we uncover the most meaningful experiences. Accepting your circumstances and bravely letting go allows you to witness life's magic and welcome new possibilities. With Lucky Energy, I have the fuel to defy the odds and keep going." To learn more about the campaign and Lucky Energy, visit and follow the brand on Instagram and press inquiries, please contact Valeria Carrasco directly at valeria@ About Lucky EnergyLucky Energy is committed to providing cleaner, better-for-you products. Founded by serial beverage entrepreneur Richard Laver, the brand's mission is to motivate people to keep going. The product line features six flavors and a unique blend of five super ingredients, including maca and beta-alanine. It has 0 sugar and 0 calories. Products are available on Amazon, and over 12,000 locations nationwide. For more information, visit and follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lucky Beverage Company
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
More former Ohio State basketball players have message for Buckeye Nation at 'Vet Camp'
If you've been paying attention over the last couple of days, you probably know that the Ohio State basketball program is currently in the middle of its "Vet Camp," where former OSU players come back to be around the current roster to provide some teaching and fellowship. It's just another part of being in the Buckeye family and something that current head coach Jake Diebler is also embracing to assist in building the program back to where it belongs. On Monday, we heard from the likes of D'Angelo Russell and Greg Oden, who took to social media to express their excitement for the upcoming season and thankfulness for being back in Columbus as an extension of the team. Advertisement There are more guys that continue to find their way back to the banks of the Olentangy this week, and we heard from more of them on Tuesday thanks to the Ohio State Hoops "X" account. Hear from all-time fan favorite Aaron Craft, along with Keyshawn Woods, William Buford, Scoonie Penn, and Keita Bates-Diop as they talk to Buckeye Nation about their excitement for what's to come this season. It's an important year for the Ohio State basketball program and head coach Jake Diebler. The team has to put together a bounce-back, momentum-building season to start to get the program back where it should be as one of the Big Ten's best, and more. Let's hope the former players' excitement and optimism carry over to the 2025-2026 season. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: More former Ohio State players talk to Buckeye Nation at 'Vet Camp'
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Ohio State basketball players get fans pumped for upcoming season
Former Ohio State basketball players get fans pumped for upcoming season If you haven't noticed yet, the Ohio State basketball program is welcoming former players back to Columbus for a week they call "Vet Camp." It's a chance for former OSU players to come back to town and practice, work out, and coach the current roster full of players. It's a great time to connect and be around guys who have been through the thick and thin, who have bled Scarlet and Gray and can relate and provide guidance, competition, and a mature outlook on what it means to be an OSU basketball player. After Monday, many of those who came back to stay in touch with the program they used to play for took time out to express their excitement about the upcoming season on social media. It's a short message by the likes of Greg Oden, D'Angelo Russell, Brice Sensabaugh, Kosta Koufus, and Ron Lewis, and a few others, of the anticipation for what this season could bring. All believe in what head coach Jake Diebler and the program are building and what could be in store for the 2025-2026 season. If you haven't seen the messages each provided, you can get a look now thanks to the Ohio State Hoops "X" account below. Hopefully, these former players are correct because the Buckeye program sorely needs to have a momentum-building year where it makes it back to the NCAA Tournament. It would help immensely if Ohio State also contended for a Big Ten title and more, but baby steps, right? Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State basketball welcomes in former players to work out with current roster
Ohio State basketball welcomes in former players to work out with current roster One of the great things about being at Ohio State is all of the former athletes who have made it to the pros coming back to mingle and be around the program. And we're not just talking about football, though that's been where most of the traffic has come from through the most recent of years. Don't forget, despite this downturn in the OSU basketball program, the Buckeye hoopsters have a very good tradition themselves as well. You know a head coach really gets it when he invites those who used to don the Scarlet and Gray back to town to interact and work out with the current roster, and Jake Diebler fits that bill. In fact, Monday just so happened to be one of those days when Ohio State welcomed in some of those OSU legends to be a part of Vet camp. The current players got to play with, and be coached by the likes of Greg Oden, D'Angelo Russell, and E.J. Liddell. It was also a chance to see some of the newcomers interact with the current team and former players. Transfers Gabe Cupps, Christoph Tilly, and Brandon Noel were sweating it out alongside freshmen A'mare Bynum and Myles Herro. Germany product Mathieu Grujicic was also there, but things are still being worked out with his eligibility and visa, according to Eleven Warriors, so he was an innocent bystander. Ohio State is looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out three straight years. There is a good mix of veteran scorers and incoming talent, so the hope is that all of it comes together to make a run and get back to where the program belongs. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
No more March Madness Cinderellas? NIL, transfer portal boosting favorites over underdogs
What do you do when you write an annual series about NCAA tournament upsets during a year when there aren't any? You take stock and start thinking about the future. And right now, we're wondering whether March has forever lost much of its madness, courtesy of NIL payments and the transfer portal. The 2025 tourney started with chalk and never relented. After one round, only three teams seeded 11th or higher remained: No. 11 Drake, No. 12 Colorado State and No. 12 McNeese. They all disappeared after the second round, leaving No. 10 Arkansas as the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16. The Elite Eight tied a record set in 2007 for the lowest seed total (13): four No.1 seeds, three No. 2 seeds, and one No. 3 seed. And for only the second time in the history of the modern tournament (2008), four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It's not just that the top seeds vanquished their underdog challengers. They did so decisively. Top-four seeds went 11-5 against the spread in the first round, posting huge average margins of victory: This all leads to the crucial and obvious question we posed at the top: Will NIL and the transfer portal mean the end of upset-heavy tournaments? First, some perspective and a word of caution — think back nearly two decades to those favorite-laden years of 2007 and 2008. Those tournaments came directly on the heels of another significant change, the one-and-done rule. Starting with the 2006 draft, high school players could no longer directly enter the NBA. The 2006-07 season was the first in years where the top high school prospects actually went to college. Advertisement We quickly ended up with two chalky tournaments, and elite freshmen played a pivotal role. Greg Oden and Mike Conley led Ohio State to the 2007 national championship game. The 2008 Final Four featured Kevin Love and Derrick Rose. While veterans played heavy roles in those tournaments, the flood of favorites in the Final Four made it seem like the return of elite freshmen in college hoops had widened the gap between top-tier programs and everyone else. In hindsight, we know that was nothing more than small-sample-size theater and that the thrill of upsets quickly returned to March Madness. But 2025 feels different. The one-and-done rule doesn't compare to the massive sea change college sports have undergone since 2020. Schools now openly pay for elite talent, and without the requirement to sit out a year when transferring, every player becomes a free agent each spring. It's certainly true that one season is not evidence of a trend. Last year, seven teams recorded first-round upsets that met the Bracket Breaker criteria (at least a five-seed difference). But we are still in the early stages of this new ecosystem, and it stands to reason that power schools will become more efficient in using NIL and scouting and recruiting players from lower-level programs. Doing so will make it much harder for mid-major programs to retain their best players. More than 1,000 players are already in the portal, including many of the best players from mid-major tourney teams. Drake's Bennett Stirtz is following coach Ben McCollum to Iowa (just as the duo went from Northwest Missouri State to Drake a year ago). New Mexico's Donovan Dent has committed to UCLA. Lipscomb is set to lose Jacob Ognacevic (20 ppg, 8 rpg). Troy's leading scorer, Tayton Conerway? In the portal. Pick a lower-level school that earned an automatic bid to the tourney, and you'll likely find a player parlaying that success into a better offer from a bigger program. Advertisement Look back another year, and you'll see a similar trend that perhaps helped set the stage for this year's chalk-fest. Trey Townsend, who led Oakland to the big upset of Kentucky, transferred to Arizona (where he was the starting power forward this season). Danny Wolf, who led Yale to its upset win over Auburn, transferred to Michigan (where he coincidentally faced Auburn in the tourney again this year). Also, Terrence Edwards Jr. went from James Madison (which missed the tournament despite tying for the top spot in the Sun Belt) to Louisville. If our statistical model, Slingshot, had lungs, it would sigh. It's hard to imagine how mid-majors can compete in this world. It's not something we can study yet since the sample size remains too small. But in the future, we wonder whether factors such as minutes continuity and experience will emerge as significant statistical indicators of upsets, the way offensive rebounding and turnover percentage have done for years. Maybe we'll even reach a point where NIL budgets are publicly available for all schools, which would be critical to upsets (and our projection of them). Or maybe the randomness of a one-and-done tournament will remain the standard in March, and 2025 will ultimately be known as a one-year blip. It's too soon to tell. But from where we sit, it sure looks like the work of breaking brackets has become a whole lot harder.
