Shaq was an athletic freak back in his college/Orlando days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ih2EnUeCyU
What makes Oden so special was that he is probably just as athletic as Howard with even more size and 10x the defensive instincts. Also, he has an extremely advanced post game for his age. Look at freshman numbers for Ewing, Olajuwon, Shaq, etc. Oden's numbers this year compare pretty well.
He's going to dominate on the next level. Just look what he did against Florida's two lottery big men (Who are also 2 years older than he is).
25 points 12 rebounds 4 blocks, completely dominating the paint.