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Hodge's play speaks for itself

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004 by Mike DeCourcy

Seeing as how my interview subject on this beautiful autumn afternoon is N.C. State point guard Julius Hodge, I expect this column will write itself.

Hodge has earned a reputation for outrageous behavior that has entertained journalists, enervated opponents and energized his team since his freshman season. But right now, he is not cooperating. He is behaving like a senior.

He does not want to talk much about how he has been harangued by opposing crowds, who frequently have made fun of his skinny arms and legs. "Because they'll just be saying it again," Hodge says.

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He resists an opportunity to lament his lack of national recognition. He is the reigning ACC player of the year, and the SPORTING NEWS chose him for the first team on our preseason All-American team. But he'd be much more widely known if he played for North Carolina or Duke. Hodge says he's not sure that's true.

Ultimately, I've got to ask: Where's the Julius I'd been promised, the guy his coaches were calling "a character" only a few minutes before?

"I can't do that stuff anymore," Hodge says. "I've got to win a championship."

This is the maturity that brought him back for another year. Hodge passed on the NBA draft last June. The NBA's fixation on the high school class of 2004 would have diminished his value, and he wants an N.C. State degree.

Already, he has resuscitated the N.C. State program and the career of coach Herb Sendek. Hodge helped end a decade-long NCAA Tournament absence. He is on his way to reaching the 2,000-point mark, which would put him in the company of Rodney Monroe and David Thompson.

There has been a lot of "almost," though. With Hodge around, the Wolfpack twice has lost in the ACC Tournament finals, even blowing a 15-point lead against Duke in 2003. N.C. State finished second behind Duke in the 2004 regular season.

The combined margin of Hodge's three NCAA Tournament eliminations: seven points. The most painful came in March, when Hodge fouled out late and the Pack lost an 11-point lead to Vanderbilt.

"Unless you're the national champion, everyone has a tough loss," Hodge says. "So it was something I really had to put out of the way and focus on getting better."

Hodge appears taller now, maybe a shade above 6-7. He is thicker, at least a little, and listed at 205 pounds. Hodge has worked to make himself a shooter. His 3-point accuracy climbed from 32.8 percent as a sophomore to 36.1 percent last season. But part of that was taking fewer deep shots.

Hodge will remain in command of the ball but expects the addition of guard Tony Bethel, a transfer from Georgetown, will make him more dangerous. Bethel might not be a true point guard, but he is an effective penetrator who draws defenders and should provide Hodge freedom from constant double coverage.

"Most guys in my situation would go out and see all the scouts and think they have to shoot a bunch of 3-pointers to show they've improved their shots" Hodge says. "I'm a smarter ballplayer than that. Whatever the defense gives me, I'm going to take."

It's not always easy for a player who has accomplished so much to avoid a bit of senioritis, whether it comes from angst about the future or boredom. Sometimes it is overconfidence, the idea that stardom means no longer having to work.

This would seem to be a challenge, but N.C. State's narrow misses might mitigate the urge to relax. "I don't think he has any sense of arrival," Sendek says. "He's still very motivated, a very hungry competitor."

It probably will be much tougher for Hodge to stick to that vow of (relative) silence.

(S) TSN's College Basketball preview magazine provides predictions on every Division I team. order by calling 800-825-8508 or online at sportingnews.com/books.

SPEED READ

* Connecticut's excitement about defending its NCAA title was eclipsed by concern for freshman A.J. Price, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in early October. He's listed in stable condition. Many are cynical about what college basketball has become, but the Huskies' support of Price shows that team bonds remain strong.

INSIDE DISH

Listed last season at 205 pounds, Alabama star SF Kennedy Winston is up to 230--according to the Crimson Tide staff--and hasn't sacrificed quickness or athleticism. He has been focused on gaining strength because his conditioning work was limited while he recovered from offseason knee surgery. He was cleared to play in early October and joined the Tide for the start of fall practice.... New Washington assistant Jim Shaw came to the Huskies from Oklahoma. Shaw says he notices the same dynamic leadership qualities in Huskies G Nate Robinson that he saw in former Sooners All-American Hollis Price. "He's just got it," Shaw says. "He impacts the team in a very positive way." ... The elimination of class-size restrictions has provided a recruiting boost for Mississippi, which is set to lose seven players from the current team. The Rebels have commitments from seven players, including 6-9 wide-body C Carl Swanigan, 6-9 PF Xavier Webb and 6-2 junior college SG Clarence Sanders. Assistant coach Tracy Dildy, formerly of DePaul and Auburn, is getting a lot of the credit for improving coach Rod Barnes' recruiting results. Barnes also improved his staff by hiring former Rebels guard Michael White.... Wake Forest teammates are excited by the strength gains of sophomore C Kyle Visser, who is pushing 7-0 and is up to 250 pounds. "He'll be the guy that surprises everybody," says Deacons PG Chris Paul.... Former Auburn F Brandon Robinson has left Murray State for personal reasons. He was to sit out this season as a transfer. But the Racers are excited about 6-7 freshman SG Justin Orr, who has shown a quiet toughness and high degree of skill in early workouts.--M.D.

Hodge's play speaks for itself

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004 by Mike DeCourcy

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