Rodney Monroe Coaching Basketball

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A few years ago, we ran a “Where are they now” on Rodney Monroe that you can review by clicking here. It is definitely worth a look. The following are just a couple of comments that were posted in the conversation that I wanted to elevate here.

I’ll never forget that NCAA Tournament game against Iowa. I was fourteen at the time and I remember not being able to breathe at the end of regulation, the first overtime, and the second overtime, I was so nervous. I also remember how crushed I was when State lost in the next round to Georgetown on a very controversial call. Monroe and Corchiani are my all-time favorite NC State players.

I loved Monroe- my favorite State player of all time. I remember being on Siesta Key beach in Florida, getting updates over a pay phone from my dad on the Iowa game as it went into the overtime periods. It was AWESOME- the totally biased commentary coming from my old man only added to the experience. And I don’t remember a more clutch free throw shooter. The man was, and I assume is, money.

Rodney Monroe’s performance against Iowa was one of the most memorable I’ve ever seen. He also pumped in 48 at Reynolds against GT, about 30 of which came in the second half as the Pack erased a 20 point halftime deficit and won. That was the greatest half ANY player in ANY league has ever had. That includes DT and MJ.

The above-mentioned controversial call against Georgetown was the worst call in NCAA/NCSU history–a distinction of awesome implication given that we’ve had so many go against us. Without that dreadful call, Jimmy V would have had another NCAA title. I think about that call at least ONCE during every State game.

Back to Rodney. He was one of the all-time greatest. Sadly, he is almost forgotten outside of the Wolfpack family. For some reason, there a few who want to diminish his accomplishments because he never really made it in the NBA.

Hail #21!!

Today we learned from the Charlotte Observer that one of the best ever is the new boys basketball coach for a Christian School in Huntersville, NC. Link to blog.

Former N.C. State basketball standout Rodney Monroe is the new boys basketball coach at SouthLake Christian School in Huntersville. His first day is June 1.

The 17-year-old school, situated on a 19-acre campus, is part of the SouthLake Presbyterian Church. It’s a TK-12 school that had about 800 enrolled students in the 2009-2010 school year. Tuition for high school students is about $9,000 annually.

Monroe, 43, was ACC player of the year in 1991, when he averaged 27 points per game and broke David Thompson’s school scoring record. He was the first N.C.State player to win player of since Thompson won from 1973-75.

Monroe is fifth all-time in scoring in the ACC with 2,551 points. Selected as one of the ACC’s top 50 players of all time, Monroe was drafted by Atlanta in the second round of the 1991 NBA draft. He played one season and played in Europe for 13 seasons. He was most recently head boys basketball coach at Lake Norman Christian.

“The game of basketball isn’t just about the x’s and o’s and making baskets,” said Monroe. “For me, you’re teaching young men how to win and how to lose, to understand that every time they go out on the court or go into the community, people are watching them. I want them to be young men worthy of wearing the SouthLake emblem on their jerseys as they represent Christ on and off the courts.”

We’re going to have more topical blogging coming your way…but, in the meantime, our message forums available here have dozens of current topics that would be of interest to you.

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12 Responses to Rodney Monroe Coaching Basketball

  1. BAM 05/04/2011 at 8:54 PM #

    might add this thread as well: http://www.statefansnationforums.com/topic.php?id=4422#post-82552

  2. blpack 05/04/2011 at 9:11 PM #

    He was one of my favorites. I remember the UVA game in Reynolds in ’91 and he scored 30 in the second half and outscored Virginia by himself. The roof almost came off the place. He ran away with the POY award. Duke, UNC-cheat, Wake, UVa, and GT had some pretty good players on the team that year.

  3. wolfonthehill 05/05/2011 at 5:42 AM #

    I was in the North End Zone for the 48-point outburst against GT. It was jaw-dropping… no other way to put it. Never seen someone who seemed to be “in the zone” every night… and then he was able to turn it up from there sometimes. For him an open 3 was almost a layup… so he was the first guy I remember who would spot up on fast breaks instead of going to the bucket – and Corchiani would find him.

    I miss those days…

  4. buclark 05/05/2011 at 7:37 AM #

    I told Coach V how much I admired him for “biting his tongue” after that walking call when the ref at first raised his hand to call a foul. Coach V said how hard it was not to sound off. Those 2 guys were fun and exciting to watch and they were coached by one of the best. Maybe those times will return.

  5. nav 05/05/2011 at 10:06 AM #

    My three most vivid depressing memories of State athletics off the top of my head are:
    1)The alleged walk in that game. Still tears me up to this day.
    2)The 4 play QB sneak. You know which one.
    3)TA goal line fumble against NC. Including the TD call just before it.

  6. Alex_01 05/05/2011 at 10:17 AM #

    I think about that call everyday. I got Monroe and Corch to autograph a Fire and Ice program centerfold when I was a kid and it hangs on my office wall. Monroe was my all time favorite.

  7. rtpack24 05/05/2011 at 11:38 AM #

    The bad call on Corch was a double whammy because he was actually fouled by Morning which would have been his 5th foul. I still have not gotten over that call. Rick Hartzel(sp?) is the ref that blew the call and later apologized to V for blowing the call. He called games in the ACC at the time but shortly thereafter quit doing ACC games.

  8. bradleyb123 05/05/2011 at 12:19 PM #

    nav, #2 wouldn’t happen be against Ohio State in the third overtime, would it? We have the arm of Philip Rivers, and we try to make him win the game with his feet. The brilliance of one Noel Mazzone. They justified it like this: After the first sneak attempt, they saw something where if Phil had gone in one direction instead of the other, he’d have walked in. So they tried it again. It’s a different play. But I guess they assumed Ohio State would do things EXACTLY the same way the second time around.

    I’m still irked at that one, too. And I think it was from the five yard line, IIRC. If it’s from the one, then MAYBE. But you want Rivers to run it in from the FIVE???

    Ohio State had already scored their TD, but failed on the 2-point conversion. If we score there, we get to go for the win on a 2-point conversion. We really should have at least gotten the attempt. Thanks a lot, Mazzone!!!

  9. JeremyH 05/05/2011 at 1:05 PM #

    Monroe was my favorite player as well. So smooth, under control, and fundamentally sound.

  10. john of sparta 05/05/2011 at 4:44 PM #

    maybe Maryland might take Monroe

  11. 61Packer 05/05/2011 at 4:49 PM #

    Maybe they’ll take Lowe instead!

  12. Greywolf 05/06/2011 at 8:37 AM #

    “The game of basketball isn’t just about the x’s and o’s and making baskets,” said Monroe. “For me, you’re teaching young men how to win and how to lose…”

    Some of us who so greatly admire Monroe could use “learning” that the game of basketball isn’t just about the x’s and o’s and making baskets, it’s also about how to win and how to lose. Those of us who participate here at SFN know a lot about winning — not much about losing with grace and dignity. These lessons that Monroe learned from Jim Valvano are far more important than all the points M scored.

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