JJ Hickson Projected 32nd, 2nd Round in Draft by NBADraft.net

07-08 Basketball67

NBADraft.net does a good job projecting who will leave early and where they will go in the NBA Draft. The site is pretty good on not putting underclassmen on the board until they have heard some kind of news. We aren’t posting this to say it is “official”; we are posting because this is the first credible late-season projection we have seen related to Hickson and the draft since ESPN called Hickson a “first round lock” a little less than two months ago.

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07-08 Basketball

67 Responses to JJ Hickson Projected 32nd, 2nd Round in Draft by NBADraft.net

  1. RBCRowdy 03/09/2008 at 10:14 PM #

    Since we came in last, are we left out of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge (I use that term loosely)?

  2. Anthony Grundy 03/09/2008 at 10:17 PM #

    For 85 – Costner is not that good. He will never be a good/great college basketball player. He favors his left hand too much and doesn’t square up to the basket when he shoots. As a result,he can only shoot well in certain positions. I don’t mean positions on the court as much I mean the direction chich he is moving. This makes it impossible for him to be consistent or to be able to get a shot off under pressure.

    WufPup – I agree with you that I think we have a chance at another run in the ACC tourney. In the last 11 ACC tournament’s we’ve reached the finals 4 times…of course we lost all 4 finals.

    Go pack.

  3. FullMoonRising 03/09/2008 at 11:03 PM #

    There is reeally no reason for Hickson to stick around at all unless he just enjoys watching Lowe rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic.

  4. Anthony Grundy 03/09/2008 at 11:05 PM #

    Little know fact: Anthony Grundy led the team in points, rebounds, steals, assists his senior year. I think he was also close in leading the team in blocks as well.

    It’s alwasy bothered me that no one I have ever met really understood what a quality basketball player he was, which is why he’s my screen name.

  5. JT 03/09/2008 at 11:45 PM #

    Grundy was really underrated, no doubt. Good all round player. Ugly shot, but it damn well went in enough.
    My personal favorite since Monroe was CC Harrison. Damn, I loved his game.

    Anyway, no way should Hickson go. He waits a year or two, develops his game- he needs to big time to step up in the NBA, and he’d make way more money going in than he would this year. He’s got serious talent, but he needs to expand his game, especially considering his small size for an NBA 4. I think his deficiencies hurt the chemistry a lot this year. He can’t pass and he needs to do that a lot better. That would help his game and prospects big time, as well as help the team. I think it’s in him but he needs time.

  6. PacknSack 03/10/2008 at 1:00 AM #

    NCAA Tournament play and pre-draft camps weigh more with NBA scouts than the regular season. Since JJ won’t have the benefit of the former, he’ll likely enter the draft, and say he’s doing it to see what he needs to do to get better. His stock will rise because the heavy hitters usually skip the camps, relying on their body of work.
    JJ’s stock with rise into the mid- to late-first round. He’ll stay in the draft, get picked early in the second (a very expensive mis-decision) and spend a year or two in the D-league. Call it the “Josh Powell Career Path.”
    I don’t expect to see him playing for the Pack next year, but if he is, he’ll have a monster year so he can go pro.

  7. Rick 03/10/2008 at 6:58 AM #

    “Even if Hickson goes, does mcauley and costner retain their previous form?’

    If by form you mean “the shape of a spare tire” then yes I imagine he retains it.

    As for Hickson, if it is true that the upper classmen despise him for his playing time then I would imagine he leaves. No one wants to be where they are not wanted.

    It is sad that our team “leaders” are like that.

  8. choppack1 03/10/2008 at 7:09 AM #

    Rick – maybe they don’t resent Hickson. Maybe their frustrations are aimed elsewhere.

  9. Afterglow 03/10/2008 at 7:32 AM #

    I think some are being a little difficult on JJ. Maybe I am reading it wrong but for those of you that say that JJ isn’t that great remember he’s a freshmen. He’s going up against some of the toughest competition in the nation. I’m certain that this year has been tough for him and it’s starting to wear him down a little bit.

    If he comes back next year I think he will work on the things he needs to in the off season. I also believe he will be a huge asset to this team if other factors can start falling into place. If Horner can wake up, if Fergie can continue to show improvement, if players can check their entitled attitudes at the door and if Javi can show more consistency in: sound judgment, taking care of the ball and his outside shot. If those things happen then people will probably be happy he stuck around. I know, I know; if Grandmother had balls she’d be Grandpa-bare with me here.

    If on the other hand people feel like this ride is a train wreck regardless of whose playing, then it doesn’t matter much who we get, who leaves, who stays or what the 09 class looks like.

    All you can hope for at this point is either a miracle happens (doubtful) and they make a good run in the ACC Tournament, or that this team wakes up from this years train wreck to prevent another one from happening next year. When it comes down to it, we have little control over either.

  10. lsutton5144 03/10/2008 at 7:41 AM #

    If he wants to leave, let him. The further we have gotten into the season, the more hea seems to have become a liability rather than an asset. Doesn’t like to give the ball up when he gets it. Doesn’t rebound well when there is another body in the neighborhood. Doesn’t handle the ball cleanly. WILL NOT play defense on a regular basis, hence the recent time on the bench. I’m not convinced at all that he is ready for the NBA. His work ethic may be strong, but his “play” ehtic still needs some work.

  11. Afterglow 03/10/2008 at 7:53 AM #

    lsutton5144-He’s a freshmen! These are all things he can improve upon. If we didn’t have him in the first place we would all be salivating, wishing we did. If this is how we feel about our players I can only imagine what a prospect looking in looking in is thinking; I sure as hell wouldn’t want to come here. Give this kid a chance.

  12. tvp1 03/10/2008 at 8:16 AM #

    ““Even if Hickson goes, does mcauley and costner retain their previous form?’

    If by form you mean “the shape of a spare tire” then yes I imagine he retains it.”

    Bravo, sir. Bravo.

  13. 66pack 03/10/2008 at 8:52 AM #

    hickson should go if it benefits him.If we are worst next year -so what-we are bad this year and can’t get much worst.I admire you people who are state fans and have only known the last 20 years of mediocre sports.

  14. kyjelly 03/10/2008 at 9:04 AM #

    Geez this is what it has come down……..this guy came up big when? against wcu?
    The problem with this team aside from lack of talent,which is something I can live with……but lack of direction,purpose,a system perhaps? But I guess none of which is Sids fault…….to go into a season without a GUARD on the team is mind boggling…..and javi,mj and degand do not count

  15. ThomYorkepack 03/10/2008 at 9:04 AM #

    It’s amazing how much player evaluation has changed in perspective to the pros over the last 10-12 years or so.

    JJ Hickson, as amazing an athlete as he is, and with the great potential he has, COULD be a great basketball player one day. He certainly isn’t there yet. He’s very raw on the offensive end, and relies totally on his athleticism on the defensive end rather than positioning, etc.

    Besides if he comes back for another year, he could approach Ron Kelley’s NC State record for “Most Shots Blocked in a Career”.

  16. blackdom 03/10/2008 at 9:08 AM #

    wow good thing most of you were not in jonestown he would have run out of koolaid

  17. Par Shooter 03/10/2008 at 9:13 AM #

    Personally I could care less if JJ goes or stays. If he would rather try to scrap his way onto the end of an NBA bench than hang around here and be a good teammate then good riddance. I suspect that he will go the draft route and I think that has been the plan since he signed here. Based on what I have seen from JJ I would recommend that he brush up on his italian or spanish to make the transition to pro basketball easier.

  18. kyjelly 03/10/2008 at 9:15 AM #

    2nd rounders are longshots nowadays to make squads too many already wrapped up with contracts

  19. adchappe 03/10/2008 at 9:20 AM #

    This probably doesn’t look great for Sid’s recruiting. I think JJ could have easily been a 1st round pick IF he’d been supported by the right team around him. The lack of guard play has tremendously hampered his ability to have/create space down low…as defenses have collapsed on the post position. It’s tough to develop/highlight a big man when you have no threat of a perimeter game. I think that’s drastically hurting JJ’s performance, and if I were him…I’d be really nervous about that b/c it’s effecting his draft-stock and future paychecks.

    That being said, skill-wise he does need probably one more year. This is also a VERY tough freshman class to stand out in. (Beasley, Gordon, Mayo, Love…etc.) I don’t think he had a chance of being a lottery pick even under the best circumstances. Hopefully he’ll stick around another year, but I hope this doesn’t hurt our chances w/ other big men like Derrick Favors who might be evaluating Sid’s ability to quickly develop top draft picks.

  20. RedTerror29 03/10/2008 at 9:36 AM #

    I think we ought to be better next year regardless of whether or not Hickson stays, due to improved guard plan, and greater guard depth. I.e, moving Fells to the 3, Degand returning, continued improvement of Ferg and Javi, the addition of Mays. And that could lead to a big year for JJ.

    Of course JJ is in a position to know better than me, and may think differently.

    If my understanding is correct, we are counting on JJ’s scholarship for ’09, as well as someone else leaving early (although I have no idea who that is).

  21. Wulfpack 03/10/2008 at 9:43 AM #

    “If he would rather try to scrap his way onto the end of an NBA bench than hang around here and be a good teammate then good riddance.”

    I don’t think there is a whole lot of evidence supporting the idea that his teammates have been “good” to him either – works both ways my friend.

    We can dissect this thing any way we want. But the bottom line is this is a business decision for JJ and his family. If he goes today, he pockets a couple million dollars, more than any of his teammates who love him so dearly will ever make combined. If he waits, there is a chance he could improve and there is a chance his teammates will improve around him. The flip side is we stay in last place, get blown out by everyone that matters, and teams quadruple team him while he averages 7 and 10 – or he tears an ACL. Make no mistake about it, this is factoring into his decision.

  22. packbackr04 03/10/2008 at 9:51 AM #

    i cant believe people who claim to be State fans would want JJ to leave this yr? he was the best player on the team, BY FAR THIS YEAR! If our guards could stop dribble penetration then jj wouldnt have to flash out and be out of position for almost every offensive recound! if our guards, on the other end could create space, either by driving to the hoop or by hittings open jumpers than JJ would have had an awesome year. He still had a pretty good yr w/o any help at all. I’ll grant that he has had some bad games, but the kid is a freshman and 19 yr olds are bound to have off nights, missed defensive assignments, etc. But I bet the thing JJ is beating himself up over the most is missing out on Playing for Tennessee and Pearl. man, they would be the best team in the country if they had him and he would def be looking at a top 20 pick in the draft.

    again, it makes no sense for people to say we will be better w/o JJ. what, so we can start Ben Mc, who wouldnt start for ANY other team in the conference? Ben is a 6th man at best in the ACC, he just doesnt have the athleticism. I love Mccauleys heart and grit, but he just aint that good.

  23. Rochester 03/10/2008 at 10:05 AM #

    Ben Mc, who wouldnt start for ANY other team in the conference

    McCauley was down this year, but he is NOT devoid of talent and ability. In case anyone’s forgotten:

    2007 Honorable mention ACC
    2007 2nd team All-ACC Tournament Team
    14.4 PPG, 15th in ACC
    6.9 Reb/G, 9th in ACC
    .584 FG percentage, 2nd in ACC

    For all that he got the bench when this season started. Yeah, that would probably piss me off a little too. Hickson may have the better NBA future, but there were times when McCauley outplayed him this year. You have to look at more than points. I wish we had an accurate +/- tally for every player on the team, because I’d be curious to see how they all stack up.

  24. Par Shooter 03/10/2008 at 10:14 AM #

    I totally agree that the other guys weren’t good teammates to JJ. In fact, I wasn’t really trying to call JJ out as a bad teammate. My point is that if he’d rather be doing something other than representing NC State then I have no interest in funding his scholarship. I think Costner was in a similar situation last year where he thought about going pro and then decided to try to come back and raise his stock. To me, Brandon hasn’t looked interested in playing for NC State all year – just playing for Brandon. Well screw that – go ahead and leave if that is going to be your thought process. If JJ decides to come back solely to benefit JJ then we’re going to stink again no matter what his numbers show.

  25. LRM 03/10/2008 at 10:24 AM #

    I think JJ’s 13 pts/23 boards/4 blocks game against Clemson is more representative of his potential than his trailing off since then.

    I don’t see how any well-coached team wouldn’t be better with him coming back.

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