Greg Oden, a 7ft centre from Ohio State, was made the first overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft yesterday by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Oden, the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year for the NCAA Tournament runners-up Buckeyes, led the team in scoring (15.7 points per game), rebounding (9.6 per game) and blocked shots.

"I think the next level is going to be really difficult, but I think as long as I improve and just keep working hard, I can play pretty well," Oden told reporters.

Following Oden, as expected, was high-scoring forward Kevin Durant of Texas, who went to the Seattle SuperSonics with the second pick of the draft.

The 6-9 (2.06 m) Durant earned national Player of the Year honours after setting Big 12 scoring records as a rookie.

The Atlanta Hawks made Al Horford, a forward for the twice national collegiate champions Florida, the third choice.

The NBA Draft is the primary way new talent comes into the NBA competition with 30 players taken in each of the two rounds conducted at Madison Square Garden.

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