Fresh off Sidney Lowe’s first Raleigh Caravan, our blogging minds have turned back to basketball - particularly, Wolfpack retro. As a fun off-season exercise, a few of us brainstormed about rough comparisons of the 2007-08 roster to Wolfpackers of the past. Please share your own comps and thoughts in the comments section below. Our memories are very sketchy before the early 80s, so we are counting on the collective wisdom of our readership to cover prior decades.
- Degand = Cliff Crawford, Kelsey Weems
- Fells = Ernie Myers, Cam Bennerman, Scooter Sherrill
- Grant = Ishua Benjamin, Ernie Myers, Brian Howard, Jeremy Hyatt
- Horner = Walker Lambiotte, Andy Kennedy, Ilian Evtimov
- Smith = Brian Howard, Levi Watkins, Lorenzo Charles
- Costner = Thurl Bailey, Kenny Carr, Tom Gugliotta
- McCauley = Chucky Brown, Kevin Thompson, Evtimov/Todd Fuller hybrid (passing and low-post moves)
- Hickson = Chris Washburn (without the negative off-court baggage), Charles Shackleford (ditto)
- Johnson = Nate McMillan, Mickey Hinnant, Kenny Matthews, CC Harrison
- Javi = Curtis Marshall, Lakista McCuller
- Thomas = Cam Bennerman, smaller Kenny Carr, Brian Howard
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May 9th, 2007 at 9:02 am
By way of disclosure, the first listed comp is mine - not the consensus or “best” comp for the player.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:06 am
I think Fells & Grant have higher ceilings than some of those other players. If they work on getting a consistent shot I can see them in the NBA.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Fells could be a team leading star in the NBA if he wants to be. He could be on SportsCenter every night just about.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Explosiveness coupled with inconsistency is why I think Myers is a proper comp for Fells. Wasn’t Myers like a Top 10 recruit? Consistency was more of an issue than his “ceiling.”
I really think Grant is morphing into Ishua - can’t handle the rock enough to play PG (despite playing there sometimes out of necessity), also with an inconsistent outside shot. Both are dynamic athletes from the SF position, and Ishua became a defensive stopper when he accepted his role as a senior. Grant can do that too, if he puts his mind to it.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:21 am
I like the Thomas/Brian Howard comparison…Brian was not looked to for offensive fire-power, but was a consumate role guy: some rebounds, passing, could score…as V called him, “The glue of the team”. In a couple of years that could be Thomas.
How about a Javi/Justin Gainey comparison?
May 9th, 2007 at 9:23 am
^Fells definitely could be on SportsCenter everynight, but I think now it would be like a Pippen/Iverson highlight reel– you could watch him hitting 10 of 12 or missing 10 of 12 in a game.
Overall I really like these comparisons. Made me think of a few players I haven’t thought of outside of ESPN Classic in a while. With Hickson, I see his immediate impact as a Thorton/Inge type player (I like to have low expectations for freshmen).
May 9th, 2007 at 9:24 am
I went to Louisburg College with Mickey Hinnant, what a great guy. I haven’t thought about him in years. Hinnant was a man alongside boys in that Junior College gym in Louisburg. Man that brings back memories.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:28 am
BJD95- Speaking of Ernie Myers and his ceiling, I recall watching a game on ESPN classic in March where the announcers absolutely RAVED about Ernie Myers. This game was freshman year I think, and it could have been one of the State/Carolina games that season.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I thought Myers best year was his Freshman year when DW was hurt.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:33 am
I like Marcus Melvin on the Costner list.
I really like that you included Brian Howard. A very underappreciated player. If Gavin Grant plays this year as well as Brian Howard did his senior year, we will be ecstatic. I like Grant way more than many on this site but he doesn’t do anything as well as Howard.
^Would love to see Grant become the defensive stopper like Benjamin but just don’t see it. I think Fells has a better chance to fill this role.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Remember, the defensive improvement from Ishua’s junior to senior seasons was dramatic. It came when he finally accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to be an offensive star. I agree that Fells could possibly do this as well, but his body type is very different from the Benjamin/Grant mold.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:59 am
^BJD95 - agree with that.
I do think Fells & Benjamin are quicker than Grant and this is a big factor in becoming a defensive stopper.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:01 am
I hope this posts in a readable format, if not feel free to delete it. FYI Look at the free throw % his Sr Year.
Myers, Ernie
NCSU
Manhattan, NY
6′4 - 203
Yr Cl Min MPG FGM FGA FG% 3M 3A 3FG% FTM FTA FT% PPG
– — —- —- — —- —- — — —- — — —- —-
83 Fr 744 21.3 150 336 .446 17 51 .333 74 122 .607 11.2
84 So 719 21.8 120 300 .400 - - - 74 103 .718 9.5
85 Jr 543 17.0 95 211 .450 - - - 38 59 .644 7.1
86 sr 943 27.7 114 275 .415 - - - 88 106 .830 9.3
May 9th, 2007 at 10:06 am
too bad there are no corchiani and monroe comparisons, yet.
hopefully at the end of next season we can add them to degand and javi, and fells and johnson
May 9th, 2007 at 10:08 am
“I agree that Fells could possibly do this as well, but his body type is very different from the Benjamin/Grant mold.”
I hope this does not happen.
He has such potential tha tit would be a shame to see Fells become a stopper only.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:11 am
I really like the list SFN, but wanted to share a few comments. I don’t see the Jeremy Hyatt/Gavin Grant similarity. Hyatt was a much better shooter and did not have Grant’s ability to post up smaller forwards. From what I’ve seen, I’d liken Hickson to Inge with similar explosiveness around the basket. I also see a little bit of a Chuck Kornegay in Tracy Smith’s game. It’s great to be excited about the future of Wolfpack basketball again while also looking at the past!
May 9th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I see Costner as sort of a taller, better rebounding Hawkeye Whitney.
Haven’t yet seen Smith in action, but was under the impression that he was a ‘true’ PF. Sounds like you see him as more of a SF/PF mix?
May 9th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Oh, I also forgot to mention the obvious comparison with Smith and Kornegay’s eligibility issues. Tis a shame.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:25 am
^Yeah, now come on…someone here must know something about Smith’s situation. Spill it baby!!
May 9th, 2007 at 10:29 am
We’ve heard that Smith is capable of playing both forward positions. He needs to work on some things to be a starter-caliber “3″, but it’s a reasonable projection.
Wow, I had forgotten all about Chuck Kornegay. What an explosive talent. Remember when Les was quoted as saying that his grades were worse than Chuck’s (when he was suspended for academics)?
May 9th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Yeah BJD95, I vaugely remember Les saying that. It seemed like there was some controversy around Kornegay’s GPA in 93-94 before he transferred to Villanova the next season. I think they won the Big East with him there in 95 and 97.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Remember when Ishua Benjamin arrived he was more of a scorer than when he left. He lost his shot after his freshman year. But started his career at State with some 28 or 29 points in his first game ever.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:25 am
^ True, but he was nowhere near as effective in ACC play. And his offensive effectiveness steadily decreased over the next few years.
I have no doubt Gavin Grant would have had 20+ scoing nights as a freshman, had he played on teams that were as bad as Ishua’s.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:33 am
i find it interesting that none of the current players were compared to any of the current coaches? sid? towe? QJ?
May 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
How about McCauley as a Vann Williford? Extremely hard working, alway hustling, and fan favorite. Horner as a Steve Walker?