Columbus, Ohio ? Greg Oden is through with school.

The 7-foot freshman center said Friday he would leave Ohio State to enter the NBA draft, where he figures to be one of the top two picks along with Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant.

Freshman teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook also said they will make themselves available for the draft. Unlike Oden, they have opted not to hire an agent for now – meaning they will retain the option of returning to school in the fall.

“This is a very tough decision for me,” Oden said in a statement released by Ohio State. “I love OSU and love being a Buckeye, but I also have a great opportunity to take my game to the next level and compete with the best players in the world. I’ve discussed this with family, friends and coach (Thad) Matta, and I feel the time is right.”

The players were not available for comment. Conley is expected to be an honorary head coach for toay’s Scarlet vs. Gray spring football game. Oden is out of town to attend his aunt’s wedding.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Matta said the departure of the three players, though not unexpected, would leave a hole in the program. Matta said he was proud of their accomplishments and hoped that the success of players such as Oden, coupled with the team’s trip to the national championship game, will lure talented recruits.

“Honestly, it’s been kind of a goal of mine to have a player selected as high as Greg is going to be,” Matta said.

After getting a late start at Ohio State because of a wrist injury, the 19-year-old Oden lived up to his billing as a two-time national high school player of the year, leading the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.6) per game.