No Surprise – Brandan Wright to the NBA

General NCS Basketball101

It isn’t a big surprise…but, it is welcome news for NC State and the rest of the ACC. (Link)

North Carolina freshman forward Brandan Wright will announce he is declaring for the NBA Draft on Monday afternoon at a 4 p.m. ET news conference, according to his former summer coach.

With Wright, the Tarheels were undoubtedly projected as the #1 team in America going into next season. Even without Wright, the Tarheels will sit atop many polls to start the season as their core star power of Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough will have PLENTY of experienced support with Bobby Frasor, Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, Alex Stepheson, Quentin Thomas and Deon Thompson.

If the Tarheels project an obvious hole in their roster next year then it is the role that Reyshawn Terry played this year — a true versatile wing at the 3F spot who can create and shoot with ample effectiveness from the outside.

With all of this returning talent, expect Roy Williams to hold on to the scholarship for the 2008 recruiting year. Carolina is already being mentioned on the top of the list for MANY of the Top 25 players in the country in 2008.

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General NCS Basketball

101 Responses to No Surprise – Brandan Wright to the NBA

  1. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 04/24/2007 at 12:03 PM #

    “…why is he [Hodge] struggling in the NBA or DNBA?”

    Because he still needs to put on about 30 lbs three years out of college. Not to mention having to deal with a rape charge and being shot early in his career had to be a distraction.

  2. noah 04/24/2007 at 12:42 PM #

    Hodge is also not a very good shooter. Nor is he a particularly good defender. Nor is he capable of playing point guard.

  3. Jeremy Hyatt 04/24/2007 at 12:47 PM #

    As flashy and rawly talented as Wright is, it was Terry that carried UNC when Hops was neutralized and the frosh panicked. Wright’s college career highly resembles that of Marvin Williams. It will be interested to see how Coach Williams handles some of his own medicine, waves of high energy, athletic players being thrown at him. Still unlike UNC of 2007, we have much more going for us then such a gimmick. Vital ACC experience and excellent in-game coaching. Not to mention our frontcourt is syck, with or without Tracy Smith. The potential has to give you goosebumps, especially after getting a preview of Hickson in the McDonald’s AA game. If the Degand/Gonzalez tandem can provide a steady hand, look out.

  4. westwolf 04/24/2007 at 12:58 PM #

    Hodge has the same weakness that many of our players had over the past ten years…he was a poor ball handler.

    Give the following players some serious ball handling skills, and they would be in the NBA:

    Hodge
    Grundy
    Scooter
    Atsur(although he improved this past year, and he may still be too slow)
    Bennerman
    Wilkins…would be more effective

    Similarly, both Gavin and Fells share as their primary weakness an inability to dribble and pass effectively. Fells will hopefully improve with good coaching. Crawford had the same weakness. Others?

    Perhaps the biggest change we’ll see next year is the effect of having three guys on the roster who are quick and are excellent ball handlers: Degand, Gonzalez, and Johnson. Add to that the folowing year Julius Mays and we’ll start to see a change in focus from our previous coach…with now a premium being placed on ball handling skills over being mid-sized and having good perimeter skills.

    The best ball handler we’ve had in the past ten years is Gainey, and he was signed by Les Robinson. Archie was ok until someone put pressure on him, just too small.

    Back to the original topic…anyone who claims that losing a 6 ‘9 guy with skills, is still improving, and who will only get physically stronger won’t have a negative impact on a team is simply delusional.

    Without Wright bailing them out late in the 2nd half, we would have won the Acc championship. I’m glad he’s gone.

  5. Dr. BadgerPack 04/24/2007 at 1:20 PM #

    Going slightly off topic (apologies), but keeping with the theme of early entries, Thaddeus Young has declared for the draft (no agent).

  6. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 1:51 PM #

    “If he was so good coming out of HS, what happened and why is he struggling in the NBA or DNBA? ”

    never developed a shot, not Herb’s fault. He also wasn’t overly athletic.

    “Give the following players some serious ball handling skills, and they would be in the NBA”

    that’s a bit of a stretch

  7. packpigskinfan23 04/24/2007 at 2:00 PM #

    development IS the coaches job… so he has to take some of the blame. maybe not ALL of it… but some for sure.

  8. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 2:00 PM #

    “The best ball handler we’ve had in the past ten years is Gainey”

    Crawford, Atsur, Bethel, & Hodge were all capable ball handlers.

  9. Jeremy Hyatt 04/24/2007 at 2:01 PM #

    westwolf: what evidence do we have that Johnson is a good ball-handler; the only information I have seen is on packpride recruiting link and says this is an area for improvement.

  10. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 2:08 PM #

    “development IS the coaches job”

    mostly the player’s job, especially something like shooting. Hodge’s previous coaches did him no favors letting him keep that horid form.

  11. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 2:38 PM #

    BTW, Javier made it official & signed with the Pack today.

  12. packpigskinfan23 04/24/2007 at 3:06 PM #

    cedar I would really like to hear more on this logic that its mostly the players job to fix their shooting?! isnt shooting something that is formed out of habit and reputituon? if you have bad habits… your gonna keep having bad habits. that is of course until your coach DEVELOPS good habits. and if hodges “previous coaches did him no favors letting him keep that horid form,” then Herb did him a complete injustice by not focing him to change it.

  13. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 3:17 PM #

    ^ you don’t think the staff tried to change Hodge’s form? It’s ultimately up to the player if he wants to put in the work required to become a good shooter.

  14. packpigskinfan23 04/24/2007 at 3:31 PM #

    I dont doubt that the staff TRIED… but the staff tended not to succeed much in the developmental area. so ultimately I have problems blaming Hodge.

    I do believe that he would have never become a great pro player though. his body type/skill set dosnt fit into the NBA AT ALL.

  15. MrPlywood 04/24/2007 at 3:34 PM #

    That last comment reminds of JoeKeem Noah, formerly of FLA. Did you get a load of his goofy screwball free-throw shooting motion? I wonder how many times Dunovan tried to get him to change THAT!

  16. choppack1 04/24/2007 at 3:41 PM #

    Actually – I don’t know if you tinker w/ someone’s shooting form. This is the equivalent of a college golf coach messing w/ someone’s swing (ask Jason Widener how that worked out)…Hodge’s shot was horrible – this was probably a result of playing outside a lot, and spinning more time playing the game and practicing the wrong way.

    IF Sendek Inc messed w/ Hodge’s shot there was a decent chance that his skills would regress so much he couldn’t even start. I’m sorry, but it’s much like Philip’s throwing motion – when something is that unconventional – and it’s what they know – don’t touch it unless you’re willing to deal w/ consequences.

    The risk to changing Hodge’s shot would be that he would end up being so bad, he wouldn’t even get drafted at all. He did get drafted – but he’s out of the league – now is probably the time to tweak his shot – he really has nothing to lose. That wasn’t the case since high school.

  17. choppack1 04/24/2007 at 3:41 PM #

    replace tinker w/ re-arrange – because Hodge’s shot didn’t need to be tweaked – it needed to be totally redone.

  18. CedarGroveWolf 04/24/2007 at 3:45 PM #

    “but the staff tended not to succeed much in the developmental area.”

    we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one

  19. gmoney 04/24/2007 at 3:54 PM #

    I’m very happy to see Brandan Wright going pro. Hopefully now McCauley, Costner, and the big frosh Hickson will dominate the matchups in the paint versus the tarheels this upcoming season. The Degand/Gonzalez tandem at point is the X-factor for the Pack. If they play well the Pack should be at the top of the ACC for much of the season. If they struggle at least Fells got some PG experience so he may be able to handle PG duties if needed.

    And yes, I agree that Brandan Wright needs some work on that shooting form!! Teams in the NBA are going to hammer this guy every chance they get to force him to the free throw line. Look at what the Pistons are doing to Dwight Howard!! I’m not saying Wright is the next Dwight Howard but he’s got potential with that freakish wingspan and athleticism around the rim.

  20. lush 04/24/2007 at 4:26 PM #

    cmon guys dont make me agree with cedar. herb was bad at plenty of things but we dont need to add this to the list.

    at the college level it is the players job to improve his shot. wasnt hodge a gym rat? he never got any better cause he just cant shoot. he was best at getting to the basket and getting to the line.

  21. pakfanistan 04/24/2007 at 8:49 PM #

    Hmm, if Hodge was a terrible shooter the way everyone is claiming, then why did he go from a 83% free throw and a 36% 3pt. shooter to a 67% FT shooter and a 25% 3pt. shooter between the 03-04 and 04-05 seasons?

    Hodge was at least a good shooter, and he was he was undeveloped.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=5128

  22. choppack1 04/24/2007 at 10:03 PM #

    Pakfanistan – I think part of the problems was that he tried to change his shot.

  23. brickman 04/25/2007 at 6:05 AM #

    hodge was a hard worker and a good player . but he was never great at one thing . i am glad as hell herb is gone . but i would not put that on him for hodge not being that athletic . that is crazy. terry and miller hurt us in acc tour. but am glad as that bw is going pro. should be very good season .well got the wolfpack golf tour. may 1 playing with one of football coachs see if i can get some inside info. go pack

  24. CedarGloveWulf 04/25/2007 at 7:54 AM #

    You boys are going to like Herb if it is the last thing I do.
    I have proven time and time again how great he is. How can you be so hard headed as to not agree with ME. I mean what person has the audacity not to agree with what I say. He WAS great all you need to do is accept it. Great minds like Lee Fowler knew he was great. He certainly is smarter than all you yahoos.
    So accept the truth that I gie to you and all will be good.

  25. CedarGroveWolf 04/25/2007 at 8:19 AM #

    “Pakfanistan – I think part of the problems was that he tried to change his shot.”

    yep

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