Damn its nice to see Hodge play again. Read in the N&O article that he's planning on playing in Europe next year, good to hear.

[Edited on July 13, 2011 at 3:35 PM. Reason : tbdv]

[Edited on July 14, 2011 at 10:49 PM. Reason : ]

7/13/2011 3:35:34 PM

why did they put hodge's highlights after the shaking of the hands?

weak

glad hodge had 20 to wall's 12

7/13/2011 4:30:40 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elu1XD3lhEc

So they took down the video of Hodge's highlights and put this one up instead that is all about hyping up wall and making hodge look bad. What The Fuck? I never got to see the highlights of julius.

Did he just make john wall look bad or something? I dont get it.

7/14/2011 12:33:00 AM

^that's bullshit

Austin Rivers looks dirty

Here's some good ones of hodge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wySxaX61s-E#t=4m30s

He's pulling and1 shit on people

Johnny Thomas, Josh Powell. Lots of Talent in this league
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCJFB-Vi7i8

[Edited on July 14, 2011 at 2:52 AM. Reason : ..]

7/14/2011 2:39:36 AM

Zo dunking on NBA center Chris Wilcox @ the Pro-Am

http://packinsider.com/video-lorenzo-brown-ruins-detroit-piston-center-chris-wilcoxs-day/

(and there's a vid in that top left that has more jules highlights)

7/14/2011 11:06:54 AM

^man that is a huge exaggeration from pack insider...

he made a move on a center (this is supposed to happen), then finished on the opposite side one handed...not like Bennerman on Shelden.

7/14/2011 11:14:53 AM

^He didn't really dunk on him. More like "dribbled by weak attempt at defending then dunked on the reverse side."

But that's what the pro-am is all about, exaggeration and hyping up everyone to get them excited about the next season.

7/14/2011 11:17:55 AM

i think lorenzo brown will be a good basketball player next year for our basketball team

7/14/2011 11:26:22 AM

i believe it is highly probable that lorenzo brown may be a quality contributor to the team

7/14/2011 1:03:29 PM

I am inclined to lean toward the notion that one Mr. Lorenzo Brown may contribute to the North Carolina State Wolfpack mens basketball team in a positive manner in the 2011-2012 NCAA basketball campaign.

7/14/2011 1:51:12 PM

^, ^^, ^^^

you guys are plagiarizing from thewolfweb around 1880

7/14/2011 2:43:54 PM

no defense in those proams.


but rivers looks good.

7/14/2011 2:51:38 PM

really wish that people would stop freaking out about things that happened at the pro-am

7/14/2011 2:54:16 PM

who's freaking out about it? seriously?

7/14/2011 3:49:35 PM

7/14/2011 4:34:29 PM

^^

Quote :

"video-lorenzo-brown-ruins-detroit-piston-center-chris-wilcoxs-day/"

7/14/2011 5:05:27 PM

yeah but that's packinsider, the same website that makes a static image with a play button on it for every 30 second youtube clip it posts.

7/14/2011 5:07:19 PM

just not a fan of treating glorified pick up games as something that matters

7/14/2011 5:08:56 PM

i don't think the games matter that much. i know they're basically pick-up games with little to no defense. it doesn't mean i'm not intereted in seeing our player's hIgHlIgHtS from the games though. it's the summer.

7/14/2011 5:12:54 PM

This video shows the Hodge highlights. Ignore the stupid title.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUVpijXB28U

7/14/2011 9:58:23 PM

so, i'm bored tonight. and i'm taking a total stab at the date based on last year's date. i'd think we should know in a few days what the real date will be but hopefully october 14 is it. countdown added to the first post of the page.

7/14/2011 10:48:48 PM

Hodge is a true street baller. That's how you talk some fucking trash

7/14/2011 11:30:01 PM

Well, it is tuff to say who got the best out of that 1 on 1 match up, but it was great to see that skinny leg swagger again. Brings back a lot of memories Jules!

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 12:45 AM. Reason : sd]

7/15/2011 12:45:14 AM

Quote :

"Well, it is tuff to say who got the best out of that 1 on 1 match up"

Please tell me you're being sarcastic. It wasn't even close. Wall crossed him up and made him look silly at least 3 or 4 times during that clip. Kudos to Hodge for staying in front of him a couple times, but Wall is several levels above Hodge. Take those red-tinted glasses off sir.

7/15/2011 1:06:17 AM

Hodge is a 6'7 shooting guard who isn't nearly as quick as Wall.

He got crossed a few times, as one might expect, but if you watch the approximately 5 second clip at the end where they cram in all of Hodge's 20 points, it looks like he absolutely dominated in the post and/or got by Wall a bunch for easy layups and dunks.

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 1:57 AM. Reason : Yeah his moves weren't as flashy but they were worth more points]

7/15/2011 1:56:26 AM

Of course Wall dominated Hodge. Anybody who could defend Wall would be an NBA starter.

7/15/2011 2:07:43 AM

this sounds so stupid, but i really have a kind of home town rooting spirit for john wall. like he's a dude i used to see around or something (which, i've never seen him in person).

7/15/2011 3:05:37 AM

Quote :

" Please tell me you're being sarcastic. It wasn't even close. Wall crossed him up and made him look silly at least 3 or 4 times during that clip. Kudos to Hodge for staying in front of him a couple times, but Wall is several levels above Hodge. Take those red-tinted glasses off sir"

If you looked at the end of the video you see nothing but Hodge scoring on Wall. Hodge outscored Wall something like 20-12.

7/15/2011 9:52:54 AM

Quote :

"Please tell me you're being sarcastic. It wasn't even close. Wall crossed him up and made him look silly at least 3 or 4 times during that clip. Kudos to Hodge for staying in front of him a couple times, but Wall is several levels above Hodge. Take those red-tinted glasses off sir."

those highlight videos were obviously made to hype up Wall. They had one similarly done for Hodge, but I guess the user got paid to take it down or something, I dunno. But it is tuff to tell, although it did look like Wall got the better end of it by all accounts, except for scoring.

See Hodge scored more points, but there are more clips of Wall, so I am just assuming that they are leaving out the Hodge highlights. Somebody in PR wants Wall to look good.

But as I said, I don't really care too much, it was just nice to see him play again.

[Edited on July 15, 2011 at 10:17 AM. Reason : sdd]

7/15/2011 10:14:50 AM

HiGhliGhT video of Zo at the ProAm. If you don't like highlight vids, you shouldn't click on the link. And if you do like highlight videos, keep in mind they're only highlights from glorified pick-up games. Don't freak out over them!

http://packinsider.com/video-lorenzo-brown-doing-extreme-damage-at-the-nc-proam/

7/15/2011 10:34:21 AM

Wall destroyed Hodge one on one, but Hodge scored more points by playing better basketball (not defeating Wall one on one).

There should be no doubt that Wall can beat Hodge at will. Hodge doesn't have the foot speed or the lift to guard wall one-on-one.

Hodge should get credit for having the balls to step up publicly to a challenge he cannot win. That shows pride and love of the game of basketball.

7/15/2011 5:03:15 PM

Blurry pic of the new seats compared to the old. Definitely looks better

7/19/2011 8:20:10 PM

Jaquan Raymond swatting Andre Dawkins

http://packinsider.com/jaquan-raymond-kills-dukes-andre-dawkins-dunk-attempt/

7/20/2011 12:56:18 PM

that was raymonds lone highlight from last night. maybe he had an off night, but i was not particularly wowed by anything he did last night. very average looking against average competition last night

7/20/2011 1:07:01 PM

there's a sick highlight from the pro-am of alex johnson throwin it off the backboard for lorenzo brown in this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8LvAlgI3I

7/20/2011 2:39:31 PM

seriously, is this the best picture they could find for this article on Zo?



anyways, here's the article:

Quote :

"RALEIGH -- Lorenzo Brown drove home to Georgia to have a wisdom tooth pulled three weeks ago. His mother nursed him back to strength after five drowsy days of pain. Though it might have been tempting to remain at home, the sophomore guard returned to N.C. State's campus last week, revived and ready to prepare for the men's basketball season. "Lot of working out," said Brown, who, along with guard Ryan Harrow and forward C.J. Leslie, arrived on campus last year as can't-miss freshmen expected to lead the Wolfpack into the future. Harrow, who was the first of the freshman class to commit, has since transferred to Kentucky, leaving after Pack coach Sidney Lowe was replaced by Mark Gottfried. State finished the season with a 15-16 overall record. The Pack finished 5-11 in the ACC for 10th place. Brown, a 6-foot-5, 186-pound native of Roswell, Ga., decided to stay in the program and now must transition into the team's point guard and, possibly, its leader. A nationally recruited guard out of Centennial High, Brown spent a season at Hargrave Military Academy to qualify for admission to State. He did not want to transfer and sit out again. Plus, he said, Gottfried recruited him to Alabama while in high school, and he felt comfortable with him as a coach. "My whole thing was sitting out another year," Brown said. "Even leaving N.C. State. I had a good time here last year. Even though we lost a lot of games, I thought we could be better than what we were." And there was something else that kept him at State. "Just trying to be loyal to my teammates," Brown said. That decision came after a long talk with Harrow, who will sit out next season. "Whatever he wanted to do, I was going to support him," Brown said. "He really needed the year off to get healthy. Once he puts a lot of weight on, it's going to be trouble for people." A new point Many considered Harrow the team's future point guard after senior Javier Gonzalez graduated. Brown, who started 26 of 31 games as a freshman, must now take the reins at point guard, a position he is familiar with after playing it throughout his prep years. He also served as a backup point guard with the Pack. "His main focus is getting others the ball," junior forward Scott Wood said. "That's what makes him so dangerous. He can score ... he looks to get other people going first, but if that's not available he can score." Brown averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 turnovers in 28.8 minutes. He twice dished eight assists in a game, and in five games he handed out six assists. Most comfortable driving to the basket, he said he's working this summer to become a better ball distributor and gain more court awareness. "I'm a pass-first person," Brown said. "So if I can score, I can score, but if somebody's open that's [the option]." Known in high school as a prolific scorer, Brown said he wasn't happy with his offense last season. He said his reduced output may have come from staying away from the gym. This summer, you can find him most nights taking shots in the team's practice facility. When teammates gather, he's studying their strokes, looking for tips to become a better shooter. He admires Wood's shot, even nicknaming himself "Lorenzo Wood" when he's knocking them down. In control With the departure of Tracy Smith and Gonzalez, the Pack will look for leadership. Brown said he's eager to play the role, particularly as a point guard. "I like having control of the game," he said. "I like to talk to my teammates. I think my team likes to hear what I have to say. I'm not going to be too over aggressive." Showing up to the gym in July serves as one form of leadership. On this day, Brown was meeting his teammates for a shootaround. "Everyone who is here, their head's on straight," he said. "Last year around this time, nobody was in the gym. It was kind of disturbing to see that you have a free gym, 24-hour access, anytime you want, and nobody was in there. This time, everyone is in here." Count Brown as a believer in the program's ability to rebound. "He wants to get the program to where it was in the '80s," Wood said. "He looks at it as a challenge, and no matter the obstacle, he thinks he can come out on top." So far, with the season months away, Brown likes what he sees. "This year, a lot has changed," he said. "Coach Gottfried has changed a lot of people's mind-state. Just like that. Just staying on us. He's always coming to check on us. ... That makes us feel like we're wanted. Like they need us. That plays a big part in what's going on.""

the no-shows at the gym disturb me. what the fuck was Lowe doing? he clearly didn't motivate them to get better.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/07/21/1358636/brown-ready-to-step-up-for-pack.html
[Edited on July 21, 2011 at 7:38 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on July 21, 2011 at 7:38 AM. Reason : ebvrrph]

7/21/2011 7:31:43 AM

Yeah, that's pretty much what I got from the article... another example of Lowe not getting his guys to work hard. The blaim can't fall solely on Lowe, b/c the players should have the responsibility of working on their game individually.

Regardless, it looks like the culture is changing for this team, and I'm starting to get excited about this team again :busted: #magicdust.


lol "Lorenzo Wood"

[Edited on July 21, 2011 at 7:55 AM. Reason : .]

7/21/2011 7:54:38 AM

what's up with that? i really wonder why he didn't make them go shoot around.

7/21/2011 10:13:27 AM

lol blaim

7/21/2011 10:26:03 AM

This sorta makes Lowe look bad, but I don't feel bad for him. He had a responsibility to get the players ready for the season. Makes you wonder where Lowe's coaching staff was too, since they had more college coaching experience than he did. Seems like they would have been like "Hey Sid, the kids aren't working out - they need to."

7/21/2011 10:31:59 AM

While this cetainly sounds encouraging and makes Lowe sound bad, players said similar things in interviews last summer ("this summer we're so much more focused than last summer"), and the summer before, and the summer before......

[Edited on July 21, 2011 at 11:12 AM. Reason : ]

7/21/2011 11:11:54 AM

Quote :

"what's up with that? i really wonder why he didn't make them go shoot around."

The same way coaches don't make players go to voluntary workouts...

7/21/2011 11:32:42 AM

random, but just saw Ryan Harrow is listed as 6'2'' 175 lbs on kentucky's roster page...wasn't he like 5'11'' 150lbs on our page last year? I thought the 150 was pushing it

7/21/2011 11:42:47 AM

^ He borrowed some PEDs from our football team.

7/21/2011 1:20:35 PM

^^^ that was my point b/c coaches really do make players go to those get it?

7/21/2011 2:07:29 PM

the players need to be working out on their own, but i see it as an issue that Lowe didn't motivate them properly so that they wanted to be in the gym constantly. i remember how Lowe gushed about Hickson, how he was in the gym every morning, always working on his game by himself, and that he thought because of that he would be a good NBA player.

Gottfried is definitely changing things. just the fact that Brown comments on how Gottfried checks in on them when they're working out on their own tells me that Lowe was not necessarily a motivating presence, which partly explains our abysmal play the past few seasons.

7/21/2011 2:10:35 PM

Lowe came from coaching in the NBA. I think he was used to professional players who understood the importance of working out and knew that they should practice on their own. He may have assumed our players knew to do the same.

Unfortunately, Hickson was probably his only player that did it. Most college kids probably aren't used to working out, especially if they didn't do it in high school.

7/21/2011 5:10:58 PM

Just posted something similar in the recruiting thread, but it'd be better in here.

What positions do you guys think our players will settle into, and which of our young guys will contribute this year?

I haven't heard anything about Painter this summer, but everyone else seems to be having great summers so far.

I'm wondering what our rotation will look like this year with all these quality players - let me know who I leave out

Lorenzo, Alex Johnson, Scott Wood, CJ Williams, Jaquan Raymond, CJ Leslie, De Thay, Vandenberg, Richard Howell, Tyler Harris, Painter

[Edited on July 23, 2011 at 8:58 PM. Reason : raymond]

7/23/2011 8:57:06 PM

really interesting story:

Quote :

"Throughout the summer, Cornelius has been working out with Visionary Basketball in Melrose, taking 200 jump shots a day. He's confident, but he knows there are holes to fill in his game, mainly ball-handling and shooting. He says he's seen "major improvements." During orientation at NC State earlier this month, Cornelius had the chance to play some pickup games with Wolfpack players. He felt he held his own. "I've played against high-level competition before, and I'm not going to back down," he said. "It was good to get a little taste of it. The size difference for the guards I would cover at the college level isn't that different. I believe I'm just as athletic as most of them." Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_18536012#ixzz1T1TrdyIo"

he's also a 3 sport star. Looks like a damn good WR too (hat tip to PP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNeGzBkmqlY

[Edited on July 24, 2011 at 7:55 AM. Reason : ]

7/24/2011 7:53:57 AM

alright! a 6'2 guard with poor ball-handling and shooting ability!

7/24/2011 10:45:25 AM