Conley, Lawrence North off to a great start

Playing with the nation's #1 junior prospect has its perks. Mike Conley has certainly seen the benefits of being the setup man for Greg Oden over the past couple of seasons, and he's taken advantage of the situation by proving to college coaches and scouts that he is also a big time recruit.

"I'm definitely fortunate to play with Greg," the 6-foot-1 170 pound PG told us. "He brings a lot of attention to our team and he's a great guy. I consider him a good friend."

Lawrence North is now 4-0, and they've done it in impressive fashion, beating teams by an average margin of 25 points per game. Conley told us that he's averaging 11 points and 6 assists in just over 3 quarters of action per contest. They are gunning for their second consecutive state title after taking the crown last year with a 29-2 record.

On the recruiting front Conley lists Wake Forest, Illinois, Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan State. He told us that all have offered scholarships.

"I'm leaning a little towards Wake, but my mind could change during this high school season," Conley told us.

Wake Forest is in great shape with Conley and Oak Hill Academy's outstanding junior PG Tywon Lawson, so it could be a race to see who pulls the trigger first, though Conley insists that he's not in a big hurry.

"I'll probably make my decision after this season, maybe in the spring."

He's already seen the campus of each school on his list. He said that he visited Wake Forest this summer, Ohio State in August, Illinois in September, Michigan State in the summer, and Indiana lots of times, including his high school team camp.

He has a 3.5 GPA and recently took the PSAT, though he has not yet received the results.

Conley's father, Mike Sr., was a 2004 inductee to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. He was a two-time Olympic triple jump medalist (silver in 1984, gold in 1992) and is the current U.S. indoor triple jump record holder. He is USA Track and Field's Executive Director of Elite Athlete Programs, a job that puts him on the road a lot. So with Mike Sr. helping coach the Indiana Elite AAU team this past spring and summer, it was a special time for father and son.

"It was really a lot of fun," Conley told us. "He's gone a lot during the year, so it was great getting to spend a lot of time together. We really don't get to see each other very much, as he's out organizing events for USA Track and Field."

We'll be keeping an eye on Conley as he and Lawrence North prepare for their nationally televised showdown with 6-foot-9 North Carolina signee Tyler Hansbrough and his tough Poplar Bluff squad from Missouri at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse. ESPN2 will broadcast the game live this Thursday December 9th at 7:30 pm.