Greg Oden Goes for 11 and 5 in Return to Court at the Basketball Tournament

Alec Nathan @@AlecBNathanFeatured ColumnistJuly 28, 2018

Marc Serota/Getty Images

Former No. 1 pick Greg Oden made his debut at the 2018 Basketball Tournament as Scarlet and Gray, the team comprised of former Ohio State standouts, defeated Primetime Players 72-60 at Georgia State University Sports Arena in Atlanta on Friday night.

TBT @thetournament
"Woooooooooo!" - Greg Oden @ScarletGrayTBT #UpdateTheBracket #TBT2018 https://t.co/0hXUtKRQUM

Oden, who last suited up for the Chinese Basketball Association's Jiangsu Dragons during the 2015-16 season, finished with 11 points and five rebounds with Jared Sullinger away from the squad for his wedding.

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops
So good to see Greg Oden back on the court. Playing for the first time in a few years right now in the @thetournament

Although he was plodding at times, Oden—whose NBA career was limited to 105 games because of knee problems—flashed a smooth stroke down on the low block while working over smaller defenders:

TBT @thetournament
Greg Oden still has that smooth touch. He's got 11 points and 5 boards for @ScarletGrayTBT. #TBT2018 https://t.co/Lz6zx2UbxD

"It's hard to describe how I feel [physically]," Oden told reporters prior to Friday's game, according to ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf. "Just know that I'm going out there for fun. Put it like that. If I need to describe how I feel, I probably shouldn't be going out there. I'm going out there to play with these guys and hopefully get a chance to win a couple million dollars and for us to split it."

On Friday, he looked like a difference-making piece for short spurts.

With a win in hand, Scarlet and Gray will turn its attention toward a quarterfinal showdown with Team Fredette, captained by former BYU sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette, on Sunday.

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