Kansas Jayhawks' freshman center Joel Embiid has declared for the NBA 2014 Draft. The Cameroonian center is projected to be in the top three of the draft, even at the top spot depending on the team who's choosing.

ESPN's Chad Ford had Embiid at number one in his draft board prior to getting injured. In his latest version, he had Andrew Wiggins at the top followed by Jabari Parker with Embiid at third. Ford has often mentioned that Wiggins was his personal choice. The Draft Board is made up of intel from NBA GMs.

There is no question about size and skill, but the biggest deterrent to Embiid becoming the first overall pick can be summed up in two words: Greg Oden.

As CBS Sports Gregg Doyel points out, Embiid is touted as the best center prospect in more than a decade. That honor was last bestowed on 2007 first overall pick Greg Oden. From CBS: "The only one that comes to mind in that timeframe, and really since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal turned pro in 1992, was Ohio State's Greg Oden in 2007. And Oden has played just 104 games in six years in the NBA. He's had injuries. There were red flags in college, too, but the general manager of the team with the No. 1 overall pick, Portland's Kevin Pritchard, ignored those red flags and took Oden over Kevin Durant. Three years later Pritchard paid for that choice with his job."

Of course, there is also the flipside. In 2012, Andre Drummond of Connecticut was a top draft prospect until he also got a back injury. With the stigma of the Oden pick fresh on their minds, teams passed on Drummond who was finally picked 9^th by Detroit Pistons. Today, Drummond is touted as the next superstar center in the league.

Not that Embiid didn't ask for advice. From ESPN: "Hakeem Olajuwon called me and I talked to him a little bit. I talked to Luc, my mentor. I talked to Nicolas Batum from the Portland Trail Blazers. They didn't tell me what to do, they just gave me the advantages and disadvantages."

His decision is also endorsed by his own coach, Bill Self: "I don't think anybody could say Jo was making a poor decision by entering the draft," Self said. "Under almost all circumstances this would be the obvious choice to make. The thing with Jo, what he was weighing was he's still so young in the sport."

First overall or not, Embiid is a risk worth taking. Almost ten teams tanked their season to get a shot at the best batch of players to enter the NBA in more than a decade, and Embiid may well be the best.