Hickson to Cleveland at #19

Sid was right – JJ went in the 11-20 window. Here’s Chad Ford’s analysis:

I’m surprised they passed on local hero Kosta Koufos of Ohio State. But I do like Hickson, who’s a sleeper. He’s strong and athletic and he can score in multiple ways. He was 12-for-12 from the field in his first college game.

It’s more than a little bit surreal that the only ACC player selected in the first round was a freshman from the last place team. The next ACC player selected was Sean Singletary (from the 10th place team) way down at #42. Maybe it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise that the ACC didn’t fare very well in the NCAAT last year.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

07-08 Basketball Alums

65 Responses to Hickson to Cleveland at #19

  1. haze 06/28/2008 at 7:46 AM #

    I’m not sure that the UNC guys would have done all that well and I think that’s why they came back. I’d expect JJ to go over all but, maybe, Lawson.

    Lawson is the best of the bunch but this was a year full of PG’s, most of which had more size and a better shot (Gordon, Bayless, Mayo). Coming of injury, he didn’t have any recent signature moments or even average, by his standards, play to stick in the minds of the media or NBA folk.

    Ellington can really shoot (best Monroe look alike I can remember) but his strength, handle and quickness are suspect for a pure 2G at the NBA level.

    Hansbrough is a GREAT college player who I think may surprise in the pros b/c he WILL outwork people in practice and games. Still, he’s a major tweener for the NBA; notably undersized and lacks the kind of range or quickness you want in an undersized F.

    Green can be a glue player in the NBA but he’s not a 1st rounder this year or maybe ever. He has to guard 2G’s in the pros and that’s a little bit of a stretch. I think he put his name in the hat to get scout feedback (good idea, IMO) and never intended to stay in the draft.

  2. Wolf-n-Atl 06/28/2008 at 9:56 AM #

    “His last regular season outing was an 11-point, 5-rebound game in 30 minutes against Wake Forest, a team with no solid low-post presence.”

    I think you also need to keep in mind that the defense was probably geared to shut down Hickson and the inside game since we didn’t have any reliable outside shooters. They also made a point to box out Hickson as he was our most reliable rebounder.

    Overall I think that Hickson’s tenure at NC State is a wash. Sydney got a high caliber recruit which ultimately was drafted. There’s no way to know if our team would have been better off with out him, but he does market NC State to other recruits especially since we are the only team in the ACC to have someone picked in the first round.

  3. SaccoV 06/28/2008 at 11:29 AM #

    I agree WolfAtl–Wake Forest was intent on crowding him throughout the game. Either way, to look at the bookends of Hickson’s freshman season, I can’t say that he intently improved with more experience. Also, the NBA collapsing defense is several levels better than Wake Forest. I am positive that he will develop. I just hope that Cleveland has the patience. Second, the fact that Sid brought him here is a positive. Herb brought several NBA caliber players in his tenure and few are yet to achieve star status in the league. If J.J. is a star in the making for Sid, then yes, NC State will have benefited. If not, then I’m not positive that we will look back on Sid’s coaching stint as a memorable one.

  4. Wolf Dog 06/28/2008 at 12:08 PM #

    According to the Charlotte Observer, JJ Who? Only ACC player in frist round and only college player in the state in first round and he is a non story to them. UNC players got more press withdrawing from the draft than JJ got being drafted in the top 20. No longer a CO subscriber.

  5. Wolf Dog 06/28/2008 at 12:18 PM #

    An impressive stat that was flashed up by ESPN on draft night is NCSU has had three first rounders within last five years. Hodge, Simmons, and JJ. Not many schools can say that. Should be a good recruiting tool!

  6. Ed89 06/28/2008 at 12:39 PM #

    EVERY NCSU Fan in the entire STATE should cancel their CO subscription. It is a total joke — as are the Bobcats. NO NCSU fan should EVER pay to see a Bobcats game or cheer for that bunch of tarholes. The Panthers are very close behind…

  7. JeremyH 06/28/2008 at 1:13 PM #

    I agree with Wolf Dog. And after the season we just had, it gives us some positive for the recruits to look at. Now (based on no real data), I think if we can put together a decent start of a season, well, I think it would be enough inertia for certain high-level recruits to sign up.

  8. howlie 06/28/2008 at 5:13 PM #

    I guess you can say that among the top 19 picks, JJ has a better chance than [perhaps] half of them to get a second contract… which is the ONLY criteria used for going pro today.

    It USED to be that there was conversation about ‘staying’ in college another year in order to “be a franchise pick” the following year. THAT argument is now an unusable antique–likened to a memeograph machine. Notice how many media outlets and commentators still hang on to that [now] ancient thought.

    Chris Paul and New Orleans’ success just rewrote the NBA playbook. Draft a PG with quick potential and a squad of young pogo sticks who can run, catch, and hit layups before the ancient age of 24.

  9. highstick 06/28/2008 at 8:24 PM #

    Ed, I totally agree about the Bobcats, but don’t understand the Panthers comparison. If they start stacking the roster with ex Tarholes, I’d agree.

  10. Ed89 06/28/2008 at 9:38 PM #

    Highstick,
    The Panthers have been in the league 12-14 years, and have NEVER drafted a WOLFPACK player, and they’ve had numerous chances when a Pack player would have been considered the “best available.” That is my point. Not as bad as the Bobcats, but they also wear “very close” to that Carolina blue with “Carolina” across their chest. Plus, their headline player is a tarhole by the name of Peppers (overrated like most tarholes)! 🙂

  11. redfred2 06/28/2008 at 9:44 PM #

    howlie, that argument may be “ancient” by some people’s standards, but it still makes perfect sense. But then again, what does making sense have to do with anything these days?

    I see it like someone who has the ability to be the very best at the very level inwhich they’re SUPPOSED to be participating/competing, but deciding to skip that level, in order to become just another face in the crowd. I admittedly do not watch the NBA very much anymore, but one of the major reasons I don’t, is that I do not even know most of the players, or where they came from. Plus, they’re traded here, and traded there, new coach here, new coach there, and all it basically amounts to in the end, is pulling for a team logo with fresh faces inserted about every other week. Who cares?

  12. redfred2 06/29/2008 at 12:15 PM #

    “Any want to make a prediction of his average number of minutes per game by say mid-season? My guess for the over/under would be 6 MPG.”

    Bo, that’s an interesting proposition. I personally think that while 6 MPG (or even less) would be fully warranted elsewhere, that option may not be possible to accomplish in Raleigh at this point. Plus, from my observations anyway, it seems that both Lowe and ” ” are more comfortable when they have observers just standing around on the BB court and basically watching the goings on.

  13. Noah 06/29/2008 at 4:15 PM #

    Eric Swann, Mark Thomas, Terrance Holt, Shawn Price all spent time with the Panthers.

    Who were the State players they should have drafted? Had they not traded TWO first round picks for Sean Gilbert (in a trade that makes the brett Butler trade seem not so lopsided afterall), they would have taken Torry Holt.

  14. SMD 06/29/2008 at 4:23 PM #

    ^As usual, Noah hits the nail on the head. Sure, it would be nice if a home-state pro-franchise would use more players from all the schools as a means to draw fans. But the fact is, in today’s NFL win-right-now mentality, there’s no room for that.

    Having said that, I just moved home from out-of-state about a year ago, thinking I’d get all into the Panthers again and for some reason, I just can’t do it. I think it’s because I am not a rabid pro fan to start with. I only follow the NFL as it relates to State players.

    But that’s just me. 🙂

  15. Wolf Dog 06/29/2008 at 4:51 PM #

    Share lower level PSL/season tickets with friend of mine. Go to a few panthers games a year, have never thought Panthers were pro UNX or anti State. Got to agree Fox and Co. go for what they feel is best available talent that fills needs. Would like to see them give back to the community more. After serving on board of local Youth Athletic Association I have never felt as they were as active and involved in the community as they should be.

  16. Ed89 06/29/2008 at 7:02 PM #

    Never said no Wolfpackers have played for the Panthers…14 years X 7 rounds ~ 98 picks with no State players selected. I don’t think they are pro-UNC (like the Bobcats), but they’ve had chances — Adrian Wilson, Marcus Hudson, Stephen Tulloch, Sean Locklear, Jerricho Cotchery (when they really needed a WR), etc. It would just be nice to see “one” drafted. I’m sure they draft for what they feel is the best available — that being said, I hope they fired the scout that wanted Eric Shelton a few years ago. 🙂

  17. newt 06/29/2008 at 9:54 PM #

    I think we have a lot of dip-shit fans.

    We know that recruiting is the key to success in college.

    Sid walked in and recruited a top-20 NBA player in half a season. That should be exciting.

    Costner, McCauley, Fells, etc. are not Sid recruits. Love them because they are State players, but they are honestly irrelevant to the Sidney Lowe era of basketball.

  18. beowolf 06/29/2008 at 11:39 PM #

    I wouldn’t go that far, newt. You could, of course, make a speculative case for them being not the kind of players Lowe would recruit. But irrelevant to the Lowe era? I’m sorry, but Lowe is what I would consider part of the Valvano era, yet he was not a Valvano recruit. He bought into Coach V’s philosophy and understood his goals and gameplan, and that’s what Lowe’s upperclassmen need to do for Lowe.

  19. packpigskinfan23 06/30/2008 at 12:43 AM #

    ^well said beowolf!

    anyone else feel like there is nothing to talk about?!

    How about the Euro’s!? am I the only one who enjoys soccer around here? I know some of you guys enjoy hockey(highstick) and lax(who was that?!)… but soccer is a DECENT sport to watch too! IF its international… and NOT involving the USA!!

  20. newt 06/30/2008 at 8:05 AM #

    You’re right, Beo. I way over-exagerrated my attempted point.

    Just meant to say that Lowe’s recruiting a top-20 NBA player the first year is a good thing for the overall picture, even if that one season was a disappointment. There is reason to be optimistic and to be patient while Lowe brings in his own guys the next couple of years instead of casting judgment right now.

  21. Ismael 06/30/2008 at 8:34 AM #

    packpigskinfan23 – im with you. The final yesterday was awesome. I started trying to learn how to play soccer at my advanced age (35) and it is by far the hardest sport ive ever played and I’m pretty at a lot of them.

  22. Wolf Dog 06/30/2008 at 8:44 AM #

    Where/When I grew up the kids that got cut from football played soccer.

  23. Noah 06/30/2008 at 8:56 AM #

    No NFL scouting department gives a flip where a prospect went to school. If they did, they’d get tossed out on their butts in about two seconds. If the Panthers are anything, they lean slightly towards UCLA and USC.

    One of their top scouts is a southern california guy and knows every prospect out there inside and out. He also knows all of the coaches and the assistant coaches and the high school coaches. He’s the one that turned them on to Mike Seidman, Ricky Manning, Jr, Deshaun Foster, Dwayne Jarrett, Ryan Kalil, the other USC receiver they just cut, and Rashard Marshall out of Fresno.

    When the Panthers took Julius Peppers, I can promise you that it wasn’t because he went to UNC. There was a serious faction within the front office that was a Joey Harrington fanclub. And there was another faction that wanted to take Quinton Jammer.

  24. packbackr04 06/30/2008 at 9:15 AM #

    looks like we fouind a punter. i am really liking the way TOB goes about his business. i am very encouraged about fball.

    also, does anyone know much about Ryan Harrow? he is a PG for 09 that looks like he is ready to commit. i think he is on campus today with his mom, and will make a decsion possible in the next couple days.

  25. Ed89 06/30/2008 at 9:46 AM #

    The receiver they just cut must be Keary Colbert who they picked in the 2nd round…out of USC. Jerricho Cotchery went to the Jets in the 4th round…maybe they need a “new” scout to concentrate on local talent vs. USC and UCLA talent. I rest my case that scouting (esp. in football) can be a crapshoot. There are a TON of factors that go into where and when you draft someone. I’m just saying that “one” factor out of those hundreds should be where is he from. Do you not think that factored into Chicago picking Derrick Rose? If you don’t, you’re wrong. The fans (10 to 1) wanted Rose over Beasley, and I do not think he’s 10 to 1 a better player.

    I agree (to an extent) that they don’t care where they went to college, but they DO care who they played for (Pete Carroll) and what system they were in. I personally think TOB has a very good reputation for developing players (both physically and mentally) for the NFL, so I see good things on the horizon for NCSU football.

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