Foul Trouble Ruins Greg Oden-Roy Hibbert Battle

The individual match-up that was hyped as the best battle of big men in college basketball since Patrick Ewing took on Akeem Olajuwon turned out to be a huge disappointment. Early foul trouble plagued both Ohio State center Greg Oden and Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, and they spent more time on the bench than they did taking on each other.

Oden finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in a winning effort, but he got his first two fouls so quickly that at halftime he had zero points and zero shots. Hibbert had 19 and six, but that sounds better than he looked. Both players finished with four fouls, and because of that foul trouble, Hibbert played just 24 minutes and Oden played just 19.

CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Billy Packer discussed how so many people have compared the centers, especially Oden, to some of the all-time greats (Bill Walton, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabar were mentioned), and Packer pronounced them, "Not even close yet." Nantz then asked, "Do you see that potential?" Packer answered, "No." Oddly, Packer was very complimentary of Oden during the post-game interview and even gave Oden a pat on the back as he walked off the floor.

Previously at FanHouse:
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Hype
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part I
Hibbert vs. Oden: The Breakdown, Part II
Big Man Battle: OSU's Greg Oden vs. Georgetown's Roy Hibbert