Better Than Oden?

Greg Oden has yet to be drafted in the 2007 NBA Draft; and, though he's expected to make an immediate impact on the NBA in his rookie season, according to one basketball person, there is already a young big man better than him.

Hard to believe, right?

Well, start keeping track of John Riek Suas. He's 7'2"; and, he's from the Sudan.

Jim Hicks of RCSSports.com wrote a re-cap of the recently completed Nike Hoop Jamboree which was held in St. Louis. Here's a bit of the summary:

However, no kid raised eyebrows more than the camp's tallest player, John Riek 7'2 (Our Savior New American HS 2009) with a wing span of 9.5 feet. The Sudanese native blocked pretty much every shot that came within his reach, and many of the shots that were out of his reach as well. Riek's mobility enabled him to get up and down the floor with the greatest of ease. Plus, on offense he was totally relentless in the post. "This kid is better than (Greg) Oden was when he attended Hoop Jam as a tenth grader," proclaimed Glenn Wilkes Sr (the camp's Associate Director). With that being said, it's totally understanding that Riek's team went undefeated in both the 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 tournament (the first player to ever accomplish that feat at Hoop Jam).

I googled Riek and found this link on the young phenom.

I'll be patient and see how John develops on and off the basketball court.

Good luck, John.