N.C. State forward Gavin Grant now can plan for his senior basketball season without any lingering worries about an immigration hearing or possible deportation.
Grant’s attorney, Anna Baird Choi of Raleigh, said today that immigration Judge Wayne Houser Jr. had administratively closed the removal proceeding against Grant. That cleared the way for Grant, who was born in Jamaica, to proceed with his application for permanent resident status.
“Gavin, his family and everybody close to him are very happy,” Choi said. “He can now move forward with his application for a green card. It’s a relief to everyone.”
Unlike past years when the offseaon was littered with transfers, injuries and recruiting propoganda that annually made you believe that NC State was going to win next year’s National Championship…THIS offseason is producing some good news for NC State’s Basketball program.
For example, earlier this week John DeLong highlighted the strength of the Wolfpack’s recruiting class in this article in the WS Journal.
There are four incoming freshmen to go with two players who transferred in last year and will be eligible in the coming season. The four freshmen alone – center J.J. Hickson, forwards Tracy Smith and Johnny Thomas, and guard Javier Gonzalez – gave State the No. 14 class in the nation, according to PrepStars, and the No. 2 class in the ACC behind Duke. Scout.com rated the class No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the ACC.
Click here for much deeper conversation related to the Wolfpack’s recruiting class.
With Gavin Grant’s presence now guaranteed, the Wolfpack is certain to return the bulk of last season’s squad that improved and looked more comfortable with each game. In fact, just last week a website listed that Coach Sidney Lowe’s team will return two of the top ten players in the entire conference in Brandon Costner and Gavin Grant. In case you missed it, you will definitely want to read this entry regarding Brandon Costner.
Now – as you saw from the quote/link above – Gavin Grant’s immigration hearings are behind him and all is clear for GG’s senior year. Despite a solid statistical year (ignoring turnovers), Grant did not have the kind of breakthrough junior season as some expected. With three new guards more capable of running the point than Grant, Gavin can now focus with certainty on playing the wing. Additionally, SFN is hearing that shooting guard Courtney Fells has taken his commitment to basketball to the next level and has been working very hard to improve his game this summer – (namely shooting and defense).
If Grant can just slightly improve his shooting percentage while Fells makes a significant improvement in his offensive game, the Wolfpack will be very strong AND deep in the front court and on the wings. Hopefully, the reduction in turnovers created by a true point guard running the team as opposed to Grant will have a huge effect on the Wolfpack’s offensive efficiency next season. Similarly, there is too much potential depth on this team for the defense to loaf this season.
All in all…it feels like the 2007-2008 season is shaping up nicely.
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August 3rd, 2007 at 10:05 am
Good news for Gavin. Can’t wait for season to start in October. First time I’ve had real hope since 2k4 or so.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:06 am
Boy, it sure is good to read positive news instead of the steady diet of flub that we used to always be fed.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:07 am
Argh, stop getting my hopes up.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:24 am
Sounds like the balance of power on tobacco road may finally be shifting in our favor.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:35 am
as a pack fan, I refuse to let those hopes be raised; the majority of my days were under HwSnbn and I quickly learned that high hopes almost always led to utter disappointment and disbelief. Lets hope that changes, it seems last season rode on a wind of hope, I hope we can keep it up.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:59 am
sweet!! that’s great for b-ball and for Gavin
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:11 am
Courtney Fells is improving over the summer? Yes…indeed, players do progress from year to year in college. Believe it or not! haha Anyways, I can’t wait for October!
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Is that not the most amazing thing? We CAN have players actually improve…in areas they are weak in!
This is truly fantastic news to go along with the recruiting Sid has brought in. If Fells improves even slightly the team, if the coaches get a good chemistry immediately, will be scary. I really believe we only got to see flashes of Gavin last year due to the point situation. Put this guy in his true position, let him play and watch the show he can put on.
The next 7 mos in FB and BB could amaze us all
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:32 am
sID IS ON fIRE! any word on Big Lew transferring? or Larry harris’ legal problems??
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Basketball at NC State is fun again! I cannot wait for the season to begin.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I just read the article about Gavin on SI.com. Did everybody else know that Gavin is married with children? Go figure.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
yyaaaahhhhoooooooooooooooooooo!
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
fball tix are sold out! we land Manning! and Gavin stays! what a day, now if UNC could just get roped into that credit scandal w/ the NY Atty Gen.
btw- when i read the heading of this Thread i thought it should have been
“Grant in the clear: ‘08 shaping up as opposed to recruits shipping out.”
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:27 pm
what a time to be a wolfpacker .it is looking like tob and sid are just what we were lookingf for.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:51 pm
sweet news on Manning!!!
great to hear Gavin will be with us this year(I expected nothing diffrent, but you can never tell with our government)!
Did not know that Grant had kids and a wife. He has always held himself very well, and I could see him being a good father.
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Hopefully this and the influx of PG talent measn Gavin will have that breakout year. If he can just cut down on TO’s without improving in any other way we are better off. I expect he will have a banner year, as will the program as a whole.
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:44 pm
I think Grant started playing much better once he was penciled in at the 3 spot…And he hit some huge shots for us down the stretch as well.
August 4th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
other than to”s he will most likely be our mvp if he did not have to play point gaurd he would have been mvp this year.
August 4th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
GG has leadership qualities that would have been solely missed this season, so this is great news. In that one area he has a game not unlike Julius Hodge, and it will play out as a major factor determining this teams chances for post season glory.
He is an agressive player, no doubt. It really showed two years ago when the coaching staff kept things as calculated as possible. Again last season (not even mentioning the forced experiment at PG) as Costner, McCauley, and Fells grew more accostomed to playing in pressure moments, GG was fearless in his agressive play. The results were predictable. Getting clutch buckets and making it to the FT line, and an abundance of TO’s because the others weren’t ready or willing (maybe to winded) to take their game to another level in clutch moments.
As other guys stepped up, GG sort of blended in more. That is what Sid needs this year from day one. GG can bring his agressive play when he is called on to provide offense; but a vocal leader, hard nosed defender, and loose ball specialist should be his strong points.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I hate to say this because of the retaliation that will probably come out of WOODwork, so to speak. BUT, in just Sidney Lowe’s second season the NC State basketball program has already taken REAL strides that we only dreamed of for over a decade and a half. Unlike some of you guys I’m not at all worried or afraid to get my hopes up, this is not smoke and mirrors this time. I’m saying that a Sidney Lowe led Wolfpack will rise up and be a very legitimate force in college BB and also in the very much in the hunt for ACC regular season title contention this upcoming year.
We might, or might not have the luck this season, but there is no doubt, this IS the continuation/beginning of a old/new era.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
we will see what he can do with deeper bench . and more talent. to jump on someone”S bandwagon is human nature.ether it pans out or not .what we as fans do is ether like what we have or make excuses for who is in charge.the bottem line is we all hope what went own with our coachs all works out ! i hope it all works out in both sports.
August 7th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
brickman, I know you are not implying that I am jumping on bandwagons, are you?
August 7th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
i am not saying you jumped on his wagon but sounds like you have one leg in the wagon . the ones that think we can win without a proven pg . is the same fans that said we would be alright after rivers left and we seen how that went!!
August 7th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
brick,
If Lowe continues to win big, then great. I personally believed that he would, and stated so, from day one when he was hired. That is not jumping on any bandwagon I do not believe. Also what I’m saying is that you can read it the postings from the folks around here, plus the young HS talent is sitting up taking notice already, there is air of excitement around the Wolfpack basketball program again. Lowe has accomplished much in a very short time, now he what he DESERVES is some patience, support and time as he works to pull all the pieces together.
I can already feel it coming on and know that I am going to go ballistic when some dumbass starts whining and criticizing after the Wolfpack’s very first stumble this upcoming season. You know what I’m talking about, kind of like the same way the dumbass part of the UNC fanbase does after their very talented team has an off night and ends up losing a game.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
red, i think the reason jj signed was what lowe knows about nba . from his own mouth . it is what he said . maybe ten years of slow down . or i know i cant beat you so i (HERB) WILL TRY TO KEEP SCORE LOW. i myself am more excited about bball than i have been in long time. but coachs make a lot of money to win and if they hear a little bit of shit talk when they hit a bump here and there . then so be it . lowe is not a kid that needs a pat on back when things get tough .and i will bet he will tell you same thing. even when herbs time come to go .(when ever you think that was). i went to games and pulled for wolfpack. if you want to know who”s bandwagon i am on IT is NCSU!