JJ Hickson Healthy and Looking To Contribute

Former Wolfpack big man, JJ Hickson, has already faced quite a few ups and downs in his first NBA season. Hickson got plenty of opportunities early for the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, a back injury that he kept silent began to wear him down. Slowly but surely, the coaches lost confidence, and JJ lost playing time. Finally JJ talked to a team doctor about his aching back and was given a MRI that showed enough damage (stress reaction) to convince doctors to shut him down. Hickson missed 20 games, and when he did come back he wasn't the same as slight pain continued to linger.

"When it started giving me problems I didn't say anything, not because I was scared but more because I thought it was just a tweak and it would go away..."I'm not saying I took things for granted, but I was always just expected to have my athleticism and when my back started hurting it was tough to not be able to run and jump. It was hard for me." Hickson told The Cleveland Plain Dealer in an interview last week.

This summer JJ had hoped to get some run, and get back into playing shape while participating in the Cavs summer league. Those plans were scratched when JJ's back started acting up again. He was forced to rest and allow it to fully heal. Now, almost three months later, Hickson is all healed up and itching to get back on the floor this season. He is already participating in workouts and is says he is back to 100%.

"It's not giving me problems anymore, I feel really good," Hickson said. "I'm at the point where I am confident I'll be able to surpass what I did last year." he said.

The Cavs, obviously, are taking Hickson's words to heart, as they have left open a spot for Hickson to win minutes. The Cavs had the option to go out and sign a player that they know would come in healthy and with more experience that could give them one less worry, they opted against it. They believe in JJ Hickson and want to see him develop into a true rotation player for them this season, something JJ knows and is driven by, and motivating him to participate in extra workouts with Lebron James.

"To be with Bron working out and to see the high expectations he has of me is a real confidence builder," Hickson said. "Last year I felt like I was playing on pins and needles but this year I'm already feeling a lot more comfortable and my game is developing more."

quotes/photo courtesy of Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland.com)

RECRUIT TO WATCH: Rodney Purvis (2013)

Yes, yes, we know. We should be focusing on the recruiting class of 2010, 2011 or even 2012, but we just want to introduce to you local kid who is about to blow up and has some serious NC State connections. Though we mentioned him before, we've never really given you much insight on Purvis' game or situation.

PG Rodney Purvis is only a freshman, but he is going to be something very special in the coming years. He just turned 15 and he has a frame better than many seniors. He stands at 6'3, can handle the ball, shoot with range and possesses some extreme athleticism. We had the pleasure of getting to see Purvis first hand this summer at the Pangos camp in Long Beach, CA, and was he ever impressive. When we first saw him, we thought he was pretty decent, but not one of the more dominant players. That was until we heard he was only an 8th grader. Pangos, which was comprised of mostly the nations best rising seniors, is a best of the best camp. To stand out there as a rising senior means a lot in your recruitment, however, to stand out there as a rising freshman mean that there is going to start being some major buzz around your name, which is exactly what happened with Purvis.

Rodney played his middle school ball at Upper Room Christian in Raleigh and will play for Upper Room again next season as the school caters grades K-9th. Now, you know that we make it a priority to not clog your heads with recruit names that you don't need to know, or that don't have any any connection to the Wolfpack. So then, why are we talking about Rodney Purvis?

His athletic director.

Upper Room Christian's AD is none other than former Pack player Avie Lester. Lester, who played center for the Wolfpack under Coach Jim Valvano, still has connections with his former school and would be a big 'in' if, and when, the NC State staff gets involved. Although most schools are going to wait until basketball season to really evaluate Purvis, you can be bet that the Wolfpack coaching staff will take the 10 minute trip to check this kid out.

The Charlotte Observer did a piece a while back about the buzz around Purvis. They spoke with a coach (Tony Edwards) that has also worked with Kentucky commit and former #1 prep player, John Wall. Edwards had this to say when asked whether Purvis could end up being better than Wall.

“Unfair to John. At the same stage, Rodney Purvis is far, far, far advanced beyond where John Wall was.”


Here is a short highlight reel of Purvis at Pangos, done by our friend Nils over at HoopMixTape. Check it out, and remember that this kid has not yet played a game of high school basketball.

Sharing The Wealth: Vinny Del Negro Talks NBA Europe

Former Wolfpack guard and current NBA coach, Vinny Del Negro, talked to BBC Sports recently about the expansion to the NBA overseas. Del Negro is one of a handful of former Pack players that are trying their hand in the coaching ranks. Del Negro has had a pretty successful go of it, coaching a young yet talented Chicago Bulls team.

The point that Del Negro brings up is certainly an interesting one, and something that many have already been thinking about due to the buzz and press that European players are getting. Take for example, Josh Childress. A former All-American guard out of Standford who instead of sitting on an NBA bench and trying to work his way into a starting role, decided to take the European route. Childress now plays in Greece and is a country-wide superstar. Childress signed a 3 year, $20 million contract to play with Olympiacos Piraeus and turned down a 5 year $33 million offer from the Atlanta Hawks. In Europe, top players not only receive their salary, but also have the team pay for their car, their house, their food and their taxes. This means that almost their entire salary can be put in the bank, untouched.

With the US economy not fairing so well and people cutting corners at every turn, it gives these Euro Leagues a chance to strike. It only takes luring one superstar away from the NBA to turn their league into one that is seen as elite. This is why the NBA is looking to expand. With their name and reputation, the NBA could plant a team down in a country, shut down the current league and pull profit from that area. It sounds like a rather simple idea, however, there are a few catches that Del Negro hits on.

"Travel is going to be the difficult part. I think you're definitely going to have good enough players.If you play on the east coast and you fly from New York to LA it's a four or five hour trip. New York to London is very similar," said Del Negro.

"I know it's something the NBA is continually looking at and that's for them to make those decisions. We have great accommodations but it's a couple of days of travel, the time change is a huge factor. There's a lot of things that go into it and a lot of things that need to be done."

This is an interesting topic, especially considering how prep players are now considering Europe instead of college, in some cases. The NBA would certainly do itself a favor by expanding, but there would be a lot of decisions that would need to be worked out.

That being said, what do you think the NBA should do? Do you agree with Vinny that it's something that is going to happen soon? Do you think it's a good idea?

Recruits at the NC State vs. Pitt Football Game

As earlier reported, there were a few big time recruits at the football game tonight. Luke Cothron and Lorenzo Brown were reportedly on hand to watch the Pack take on Big East powerhouse Pitt. We did not see Ryan Harrow who later informed us that he was unable to make the trip to Raleigh this weekend. 

This makes the third straight game that Luke Cothron has attended. A great sign for the Wolfpack, who has already been named his favorite.  Luke has told us recently that he is going to try to make it to most home Wolfpack football games this season. There are also reports that CJ Williams, Jordan Vandenberg and Josh Davis were also on hand to take in the action. 

Open Thread: 9-24-09

We don't usually have a midweek open thread, but today there seems to be quite a bit of new news out there that we feel should be discussed.

1.) The Fayetteville Observer is making claims that there is reason to believe Luke Cothron will not be playing in the ACC or any other NCAA school, due to his "overall situation", which seems to be hinting at eligibility concerns. It's a shame that this type of thing would make a public newspaper, seeing as it is way off base (even thought it is ,for the most part, an opinion piece). As of last week, the word was that Luke Cothron was on course to graduate. Talking about grades gets sticky because you have to respect the kid's privacy, but we'll just say this; The coaching staff knows what they are doing. They check these types of things, and they are still recruiting Luke as hard as ever. Take it for what it's worth, but we wanted to just clear this all up before people ran with a erroneous rumor. I can't say for sure whether Luke will end up at NC State, but he will certainly have the option to play college ball next year, if nothing changes.

2.) Recruits at the football game. There have been reports floating around that this weekend's football game against Pitt will be stocked full of big time basketball recruits. We have confirmed those reports that Ryan Harrow, Luke Cothron and Lorenzo Brown will all be on hand to catch the game. We've also heard some whispers that another local big time recruit could be making a visit, but that is not yet confirmed. There will also, possibly, be a few other underclassmen recruits there checking out the game. We'll keep you updated on the situation.

3.) Red Rally at Reynolds. Your thoughts on this event? Personally, I think it's a good idea. The red/white game was always fun, but always seem like a spectacle built around the football game that never really gave the basketball team the publicity it deserved. The next day, all the news was about the football game.

RED RALLY AT REYNOLDS!

Who: NC State Basketball Fans

What: Red Rally At Reynolds!

When: Oct. 16th (9pm)

Why: To kick-off the 09/10 Basketball Season

As most of you already know, October 16th is the kickoff day for Men's Basketball. It is the first day that the team is actually allowed to practice. The Wolfpack is rolling out the red carpet in style this year, with something a little different. The Red Rally at Reynolds will be an entire night gearing you up for the upcoming basketball season. The doors will be opening at 6pm for the Volleyball match against Wake Forest at 7pm. Following the conclusion of that game (around 9pm), the fans will have a chance to meet the 2009-2010 Men's and Women's Basketball Teams. They will get to hear from Coach Lowe and Coach Harper about the upcoming season and will get to watch a mini-scrimmage, 3 point contest and dunk competition.

The only thing you have to do is WEAR RED! All fans MUST wear "red" in order to get into Reynolds. There will be prizes, giveaways and one lucky fan will get the chance to compete in a three point shootout with players from the men's and women's teams.

Those are all great reason to come support your Wolfpack. However, there is a more important reason that all should come out and show support. Upon entry there will be a donation collection for former Pack basketball player Brian Keeter who was severely injured in a car accident last year. He is still recovering from a near fatal crash and desperately needs your support and prayers. We have mentioned this a few times, but if you'd like to keep up with Brian's recovery, you can. His family has set up a blog that they update occasionally for fans and supporters of Brian. BKRecover.blogspot.com

All in all, it should be a great kickoff to what should be a very exciting basketball season. We will have more when more information becomes available. For more, check out GoPack.com's Red Rally website which is really well designed and has all the information you'll need.

Ced Simmons Could Be Waived by Peristeri

In an article a few weeks back, we told you that it was looking like former Wolfpack center and first round draft pick, Ced Simmons, would be heading across the pond to Greece, where he'd play with Peristeri.

We have now gotten word that Ced may not being going over to Greece after all. According to TheHoop blog, Peristeri is looking into nulling Simmons' contract due to a sprained ankle that has kept him out of the last three days of practice. Their argument is that Simmons is not "fit to play" as advertised. They are already looking for a replacement. This is sadly, another bump in the road for Simmons who has been a true NBA journeyman his first few seasons in the league. Ced, in three years, has already played for four teams (New Orleans, Cleveland, Chicago and Sacramento) and is not looking at his options overseas. Simmons is a truly talented basketball players with great athleticism and a good head. We believe he will certainly find his niche and get his career on the right path in the near future. We'll keep you updated with this situation as best we can.

Sharing the Wealth: McMillan Tending to (unfinished) Business

Nate McMillan is one former Wolfpacker that doesn't get the publicity around NC State that he deserves. Nate came to NC State and led the Pack to two consecutive NCAA Elite Eight runs. He has since gone on to become a successful coach, currently with the Portland Trailblazers. His success at coaching is almost surely tied with his extremely strong work ethic. The Portland Tribune has a great story on the short offseason that Nate got to spend with his family and his plans for getting back to the bench to coach the USA National Team in the Olympics.

“I talked with Mr. Colangelo and Coach K and the rest of the staff about coming back,” McMillan says. “One of the things we want to do is win the world championship, and it’s another opportunity for me to represent my country. It’s no different than a player doing it a second time."

“The first time, it was good for me to be able to work with great coaches and some of the best players in the world. To be asked to be a part of it again was an honor.”

The fact that McMillan is willing to give up some of his time off to coach more basketball says something about the man. He practices what he preaches. If you want more proof, take a look at this excerpt from the article we ran on McMillan's contract a few months ago.

After that season, McMillan would be free to negotiate, free to sign a long term, big money deal. However, Nate McMillan preaches staying hungry, and earning your paycheck to his Portland players, which is why after his contract his up, he will only be signing one-year contracts, one at a time.

"I think that's the way it should go," said McMillan, who has been in Portland since 2005. "It might be crazy ... I know my agent thinks I'm crazy. But I think it should be based on your performance. I don't think there is another coach who would say that, and I say that because everybody talks about security. For me, security is knowing you want me to be here, and that I'm doing what I need to do. Not you wondering, 'Why is he here?' Or, 'How are we going to get out of this?' "

It's really great to see a guy that does not allow money or fame to go to his head. Nate McMillan seems to impress at every turn. Whether it be the way he played here at NC State, the way he's single handedly turned around the Portland Trailblazers, or the way he lives his life. He never let's the celebrity status of being an NBA head coach cloud his vision, as can be seen here when asked about whether he was working too much and not getting enough time off.

“A lot of people don’t have jobs in this country right now,” he says. “I’ll have some short offseasons, but I’ve done it before. It’s not an issue. I feel like the opportunity (to coach the national team) benefited me before, and it will benefit me again.

“I never have a problem being fresh and ready for an NBA season. I don’t play golf. I enjoy working. I enjoy being around players and coaches. This summer, I’ve had the chance to spend some time on vacation with my family, but basketball is what I do. I will be prepared for my job, which is coaching the Blazers regardless of what I do in the offseason.”

Photo by: Sam Forencich

Sharing The Wealth: ACC Rookies to Watch

Robbi Pickeral of the Charlotte Observer put out an article over the weekend, highlighting the newcomers and explaining which freshman are poised for a big time role this upcoming season, and why. This season the landscape of the ACC will look a lot different than prior years. A good portion of last year's ACC stars were either seniors or have decided to enter the NBA draft, leaving a ton of questions for teams looking to rebuild. NC State is one of those teams. The article highlights one time Wolfpack recruit, Derrick Favors, who signed with the Yellow Jackets in late spring.

The Wolfpack player that they choose to make the biggest impact (with Lorenzo Brown out of the picture for '09) is Richard Howell. Sir Rich is the Pack's next highest rated recruit and comes in with a reputation for a knack to mix it up in the trenches. Howell is a big kid, however he entered camp a few pounds heavier than many expected and is in the process of getting down to his optimum playing weight. Here is a short excerpt from the article.

RICHARD HOWELL, N.C. State: Let the rebuilding continue. Without point guard Lorenzo Brown - who's relegated to Hargrave Military Academy this year - the 6-8 Howell will be counted on to show there is hope for coach Sidney Lowe's Wolfpack.

In the "Other Notables in the ACC," the Charlotte Observer mentions the Wolfpack's late sign, DeShawn Painter. Many forget about Painter's pure ability. Coming up in high school, Painter was a top 15 player and possessed the upside to become an elite prospect in the 2009 class. A back injury halted those hopes, as a bad back hampered his play against some of the elite bigs in the class, dropping DeShawn considerably in the rankings. Today he's healthy and impressing the coaching staff, and the returning players by playing fearless and relentless under the boards and showing all that he isn't afraid to mix it up.

OPEN THREAD: Saturday, September 19

Here is another installment of our basketball off-season weekend open thread. Here we give you the chance to ask questions, voice concerns and just leave comments. So whatever is on your mind, NC State Basketball wise, let's hear it.

Here are a few topics that can get us started:

1) With 2010 recruit Luke Cothron claiming NC State as his leader, what does this mean for the NC State staff? Remember, there is only one scholarship available right now. Cothron is a top 30 player, but so is CJ Leslie, who has been around campus quite often lately and even visiting with Coach Lowe at the Wolfpack football game. Does the staff take the first person to commit? How would you handle this situation?

2) Ryan Harrow apologizes for the way his comments may have come off in his interview with "HighSchoolHoop.com." A testament to the way the kid has been brought up. NC State is surely getting a good one (on and off the court) in Harrow.

3.) ESPN has ranked NC State's 2010 recruiting class (Harrow/Brown) #12 in the nation. UNC is ranked #5 (Marshall/Bullock). This brings up an interesting argument. If you've seen these kids play, let us know if you really think UNC's class is 7 spots better than the Pack's.

Ryan Harrow: "A Sincere Apology"

NC State commit Ryan Harrow just contacted us and wanted to apologize for how his words in the article that we linked yesterday might have been interpreted.

“I want to apologize for how my words were interpreted in the article. I really am not an arrogant person. Anyone who knows me would tell you that I’m a humble kid," Harrow said. "I just answered his questions the way that he asked me and then he put them all together. He asked me which point guards I thought were ranked ahead of me, and what I thought I might do different or better than them. I just don't want the fans to think I'm an arrogant person.”

I can attest that in the numerous times that I’ve seen Ryan play, not once did he come off as an arrogant or selfish basketball player. In fact, more often than not, I found myself thinking that Ryan was being too unselfish.

Please remember that when someone writes an article, they can take your quotes from an interview, mush them all together, and make them come across different than they were spoken in the original context.


Also, on another note, Coach Lowe was in Georgia last week for an in-home visit with Ryan, and he is also down there again today to watch Ryan play pick-up ball with the team after school.

Sharing the Wealth: Snub Lights Fire Under Harrow

HighschoolHoop.com (powered by Dime Magazine) is running a pretty interesting and telling article about Ryan Harrow and his motivation to become the nations top point guard.

We reported earlier that Harrow was being considered as a participant in this top tier event which brings the nations top 24 players to Rucker Park to compete. We also reported that unfortunately Ryan was overlooked. This small bump in the road of a very successful summer, was not all that small in the mind of Harrow.

“I had been hearing all summer that I was made for that game,” says Harrow. “I never thought I wasn’t going to be picked. I was pretty shocked.”

The article also highlights the fact that Ryan has moved into their top 50, at number 27. What's different about Highschoolhoops.com rankings is that they do not rank players by class, instead ranking as an overall top 50. Harrow was grateful to be listed in the rankings, but felt as if he should certainly have finished a bit high...like number three.

“Just to be ranked on y’all’s rankings was real big,” says Harrow. “I mean I’m always looking at them and I never see my name, so to finally make it let’s me know that I am definitely doing something right. It’s an honor to be one of the top players period. Not just in my class.” and then added. "Well other than Harrison (Barnes, who is rated No. 1) and Jared (Sullinger who is rated No. 4) I don’t see anybody else that can do what I do on the floor.”

Ryan has certainly put in the work and has been moving up pretty high, pretty fast. Just last year Harrow was still basically an unknown in the recruiting world. That is before Sidney Lowe took a look at him. Paul Hewitt actually overlooked Ryan two times at his Georgia Tech camp, neither time showing Ryan any interest, and making him work harder to reach his goal of playing at the next level. Lowe didn't have to watch too long to realize Harrow could play. Since he accepted the scholarship to play at NC State he has been on a whirlwind tour of the nation, going up against the nation's best. So, how does he feel he stacks up against the top point guards in the nation?

“I do everything that the point guard has to do,” says Harrow. “Take Brandon Knight. He’s a great player, but he doesn’t pass the ball. Joe Jackson is good, but he doesn’t pass. I can pass, I dribble better than both of them, I shoot better than Joe… I haven’t seen Kyrie (Irving) play so I don’t know about him, but I feel like I’m on top.”

If you've never checked out highschoolhoop.com I'd advise you to do so. It's a great site that goes in depth with the nations top recruits and gets some pretty legitimate interviews with these guys. There is plenty more on Harrow, including what kept him away from Word of God and how he feels about coming to State with his God brother Lorenzo Brown next season. Check it out.

NC State Leads for Cothron

In an early morning development, 2010 recruit Luke Cothron, has named NC State as his leader. After a great visit to campus on Saturday in which Luke got to see the Pack football team in action and talk with Coach Lowe, he decided that NC State was the frontrunner in his recruitment. "I have a new leader, NC State." Luke told us this morning. Cothron, who was almost all ready to pack up and head to Connecticut for his Senior season, had a change of heart and decided to stay in North Carolina to finish off his high school career.

Although not a commitment, the fact that he has named NC State as his leader is surely significant. The elite big man is a prized recruit who is being courted heavily by some major programs including Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Tennessee and many more. When asked why he decided to name NC State his leader this early in the process he said:

"First off, I have a bond with the head coach (Coach Lowe) and that's going good, and as a freshman I want to play a lot of minutes. Coach Lowe said it was all there."

If Sidney Lowe can reel in Cothron, who is ranked 33 overall by Rivals, it would give him a recruiting class that would be easily ranking in the top 10 nationally. We'll keep you updated as more develops with Luke.

Recruiting Update: Cothron, Leslie and Martin Visit the Pack

2010 prospects Luke Cothron, CJ Leslie and a new name on the radar, Derrick Martin, were on hand at Carter-Finley to witness the Wolfpack annihilate Murray State on Saturday. This is certainly big news for Sidney Lowe and the Pack, as they still have one scholarship to fill in 2010.

Both Cothron and Leslie are elite big men with Derrick Martin as a new name on the scene. Martin (2010) is a 6'9 big that will be attending Flora MacDonald with Cothron this season. We are told that he moved to the area from Alabama, where he had been receiving college looks from Mississippi State, Alabama, and Oklahoma State. We had the chance to catch up with Martin yesterday to talk about the visit. "It was good, real good. It was my first time there and I really liked the atmosphere. I really like NC State." Martin told us.

While it is always good to keep your options open, it should be noted that Martin is not currently a target for the Wolfpack. The NC State staff, right now, is honed in on Cothron and Leslie, both of whom would be gigantic signings for Sidney Lowe, who already has a stellar class set to enter in 2010 (Brown, Harrow). While we were unable to catch up with Leslie prior to running this story, we were able to talk to Luke who informed us of the visit yesterday. "I went up to NC State with Derrick Martin, and CJ Leslie. We got to watch the game with Coach Lowe. It was a real good time, and I'm actually trying to see if I can get up next weekend for the game." Cothron told us.

It sure was interesting to hear that both big time prospects were on hand at the same time, especially since there was talk lately that Leslie and Cothron weren't too fond of each other after numerous intense on-court battles. We asked Luke about his relationship with CJ Leslie. "Oh we're cool. I'd say we're cool." said Cothron who also mentioned that they got along fine on the visit. This marks the second time in two weeks that Leslie has been on the NC State campus, fueling the notion that State is still sitting in a good position with the 6'8 forward. According to recent reports, UNC isn't looking like it's going to be extending a committable offer to CJ anytime soon, however Leslie still has in-home visits to come to a decision.

**We've heard that there is a good chance that Flora MacDonald (Cothron, Martin) could open the season against national powerhouse, Oak Hill. We'll confirm when we can.

Open Thread: 9/12/2009

Another weekend open thread for you to talk about the happenings around the basketball program. Believe me, we know, this time of year is a bit slow for basketball, but in the coming weeks things are going to start heating up and we'll be there to cover it all. 

A few notes to get conversation started:

- Practice begins October 16th

- From what we're hearing, Jordan Vandenburg is showing some of the most impressive work ethic that they've seen around the program in a while

- Farnold Degand is more focused than he's ever been. A good thing, considering this is his Senior season and he has to beat out two other pretty legitimate point guards for the starting role.

Introducing Your 2009-2010 Wolfpack Men's Basketball Team

The Wolfpack basketball team pictures are up over at GoPack.com and there is a lot to be seen in this shot of the new squad. Obviously the first thing that jumps out at you is the sheer height of Jordan Vandenburg (#14). He looks a legit 5 inches taller than the Pack's next tallest player. This years team is obviously built more athletically with freshmen Josh Davis, Richard Howell and Deshawn Painter already sporting bodies that appear to be ACC ready. The much discussed transformation of Dennis Horner is certainly true. He has definitely bulked up, along with Javi Gonzalez who spent a good deal of the summer home in Miami.

RBC's New Scoreboard is Up and Running

Dallas Cowboys watch out! You're not the only team with a new, state of the art, jaw dropping scoreboard. The RBC Center has it's unique new jumbotron equipped with LED screens, a 3 foot high LED ring that can scroll in-game information, out of town scores or prompts to get the fans riled up. While it might not actually top the Dallas Cowboy's new gaudy centerhung display, it is a huge advancement for the RBC Center.

“We are looking forward to the quality that we didn’t have with our old board,” said Dave Olsen, RBC Center vice president and general manager. “This upgrade will significantly enhance fan’s experiences at the arena by taking advantage of the advances in video technology since the building opened in 1999."

This new scoreboard, by Daktronics, will surely help the teams get more interactive with the fans and will allow them to provide more information and entertainment than ever before.

**Photo and Quote from Digital Science Expo

What's The Latest With Tashawn Mabry?

Tashawn Maby is a very talented 6'6 wing player in the class of 2010 who is athletic, relentless, and is starting to show a bit of a shooting stroke these days. It was reported that NC State had offered Tashawn a while back. So many are still wondering, does that offer still stand today? With the addition of Scott Wood and Josh Davis, we don't believe the offer is committable at the moment, as the coaching staff desperately wants to add a big with the final scholarship in 2010. However, you can believe that the staff will be keeping one eye on Mabry as he leads Rocky Mount High School in his Senior season. It's something to at least keep an eye on as the Pack tries to fill their final scholarship for a class that is already being talked about nationally. Here is a short highlight reel, recently done by our friends over at One Entertainment. Check it out.

David Thompson to Present Jordan into Hall

Michael Jordan may very well be the greatest NBA player of all time. David Thompson is arguably the best NCAA player of all time. Jordan attended UNC. Thompson was a legend at rival NC State. However, Thompson and Jordan will put their differences aside on Friday as MJ has selected DT to present him at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, according to Yahoo! sports.

The selection of David Thompson came as a surprise for many who believed Jordan would select his mentors, Dean Smith or Phil Jackson, to present him at what very well may be, the greatest overall achievement of his storied career. Michael decided on Thompson because of the influence that "Skywalker" had on the development of his game. Jordan declared that without Thompson he "would have never become the player that I did." Jordan and Thompson met at the final four in 1984 and have kept in touch ever since. .

"I got a call from the Hall of Fame and they asked me if I was willing to be a presenter for someone. I said, 'Yeah.' I didn't know who it was. ... They said Michael Jordan. I was like, 'Wow.' He told them that he was a big fan of mine and I was the one that really inspired him. Being that there was so many North Carolina people he could've chosen, I was honored. I was kind of surprised, and also was really flattered that he chose me over Coach [Dean] Smith. You know how important he is?" Said Thompson

Even the greatest players of all-time, at some point, look to someone else for inspiration and motivation. For Michael Jordan, that someone else was David Thompson. Come Friday night, Thompson will be honoring Michael Jordan, as he reaches his final and most significant award, but in a roundabout way , the honor is all Thompson's.

Labor Day Weekend Open Thread

Unless any kind of big news breaks, we're just going to leave this open thread up for the weekend and allow you to ask questions, voice concerns, or give us some suggestions. We wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!!

HAPPY 21st JJ HICKSON!!

We'd would like to wish former NC State forward, JJ Hickson, a happy and safe 21st birthday. JJ will be entering his 2nd season in the NBA and is looking to win a more prominent role on what should be a sure contender next season in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In his rookie season, JJ Hickson averaged 4 points, shooting 51% from the floor and pulling down 2.7 rebounds per game. He saw action in 63 games but did not record a start. He played an average of 11.4 minutes per game.

To the Cavs delight, Hickson's recovery seems to be coming along quite well. He has been seen playing 5-on-5 full-court scrimmages with some of the Pack alumni and current players up at the Dail Center.

Sharing The Wealth

Dan Wiederer of the FayObserver wrote an article concerning NC State basketball this morning entitled "Trio of recruits will prove key to State fans' pain relief." In the article talks about the importance of getting Ryan Harrow, Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie on campus in 2010. He makes note of the frustrations of the Wolfpack Nation and believes that the landing of these three could ease the pain of the fanbase. Here is a small excerpt from the article:

"Longtime recruiting guru Brick Oettinger looks at the Wolfpack's future and envisions big things. Potentially.

In Oettinger's best case scenario, State could go to the floor to start the 2010-11 season with a starting lineup that includes electric guards Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Harrow and do-everything forward C.J. Leslie.

Surround that trio with guys like C.J. Williams and Scott Wood on the perimeter and Tracy Smith inside and it's not hard to imagine the Wolfpack emerging as an NCAA tournament team once again.

"Put all that together and you could have the makings of an incredibly dangerous team," Oettinger says. "With Leslie and Brown and Harrow in the mix, there honestly wouldn't be a whole lot of talent differential between State's top six or seven and Carolina's and Duke's."

"I think State could be very close to becoming a serious ACC contender in a year or two," Oettinger says. "But they'll have to get all of those guys. And if they get none of them? Well ."

Make sure to read the FayObserver article in its entirety.

Also contrary to other media outlets, the News and Observer is reporting that NC State is definetly still on Leslie's list. According to the N&O, "Leslie and his mother plan to invite Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland, Connecticut, Oregon and probably Florida in for visits (in-home)."

"Leslie said N.C. State is still on his list, too."

Ryan Harrow Workout Session With CourtCred.com

Quincy Miller Speaks on His Visit to NC State

As we reported this afternoon, Quincy Miller was on NC State's campus today, paying the Wolfpack a visit and seeing just what the school has to offer. Miller is one of the top 2011 recruits in the nation and is certainly a player that the NC State staff will be going after hard.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Quincy this evening and talk with him about his visit to NC State.

"Man it was great. It was one of the best visits I've been on yet. I felt very comfortable. They made me feel like i was at home." Miller told us when asked about the visit.

Although Miller is only a rising Junior, he's already being recruited by many of the top schools, and has already visited UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, South Carolina and now NC State. When asked what he got to do on his visit, Miller told us that he was shown the facilities, got to meet some of the players while they were in study hall and hung around with the coaches.

"I got to hang out with the coaches a lot. They talked to me about how I fit into their system and a lot of the history and tradition of the school." said Miller, who also added "I like to know about the history and tradition of schools because I like to know about the schools past players, because I like to know what players I might be compared to one day."

This was a great step for NC State in the recruitment of Miller. Being one of the first few schools visited, the Pack has shown Quincy that he is a 2011 priority. Although this will likely be a long process for him, NC State has made a good first impression and most importantly made him feel in his words "comfortable." Something that is very important to Quincy. "The most important thing in my recruitment is where I feel the most comfortable." he said. Something Sidney Lowe and the Pack faithful like to hear.

Quincy Miller Visits The Pack

A few weeks ago we reported that NC State would be getting a visit from Quincy Miller, one of 2011's top prospects. Miller, from Winston-Salem, has been offered by almost every top name school in the country, with Duke making a huge push as of late. He is now giving another tobacco road school a chance to make an impression.

Quincy is on NC State's campus today after rescheduling his prior visit a few weeks ago. This is his first real chance to see what NC State has to offer, and from all accounts, the visit has gone really well.

There is a chance that he'll also be making an appearance Thursday night at the NC State vs. South Carolina football game, however that has not yet been confirmed.

The fact that the Wolfpack is getting a visit this early in the process is certainly a good sign for Coach Sidney Lowe and the Wolfpack. We will try to get up with Quincy sometime soon to see how the visit went and what his thoughts were about NC State.

New Basketball Jersey Design Scrapped

The Technician is reporting that the new basketball jerseys that were unvailed last week will be scrapped. After the picture of the new look hit the internet, fans and students flooded message boards and email accounts voicing their dislike.

“We were looking for a positive outcome, but since this didn’t turn out that way, we’re more than willing to go back to the old way and move forward,” Athletic Director Lee Fowler said.

The jerseys were designed to bring "State" to the forefront, without taking out the "NC." Although some players reportedly like the new jersey, the decision was made to go back to a design similar to last year's.

“We certainly want our students and fans to come out and be supportive of our team, and we definitely don’t want that to be the reason that they don’t,” Head Coach Sidney Lowe said.

Photo by: NC State Media Relations (Twitter)