The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1493632
26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER of these guys are face-up or pick-and- pop three players. "There's nothing wrong with that, but he gives us … something that we prob- ably haven't had in a long time, and many people in college basketball don't have: the ability to score with your back to the basket. You can throw the ball inside, and then he's a trusted passer. He really finds people." Winning Combination Burns noted that his trademark soft touch around the basket comes from pre-middle school days when his coach, Darius Jackson, had him do nothing but attempt hook shots during practice. He shot 62.6 percent as a redshirt ju- nior at Winthrop when he was named the Big South Conference Player of the Year. 2022-23 Men's Basketball Schedule Date Opponent Result/Time Nov. 2 LEES-McRAE (Exh.) W, 107-59 Nov. 7 AUSTIN PEAY W, 99-50 Nov. 11 CAMPBELL W, 73-67 Nov. 15 FLA. INTERNATIONAL W, 107-74 Nov. 19 ELON W, 74-63 Nov. 23 Kansas* L, 80-74 Nov 24 Dayton* W, 76-64 Nov 25 Butler* W, 76-61 Nov. 29 WILLIAM & MARY W, 85-64 Dec. 2 PITT L, 68-60 Dec. 6 COPPIN STATE W, 94-72 Dec. 10 at Miami L, 80-73 Dec. 13 FURMAN W, 92-73 Dec. 17 Vanderbilt** W, 70-66 Dec. 22 LOUISVILLE W, 76-64 Dec. 30 at Clemson L, 78-64 Jan. 4 DUKE W, 84-60 Jan. 7 at Virginia Tech W, 73-69 Jan. 14 MIAMI W, 83-81 Jan. 17 at Georgia Tech W, 78-66 Jan. 21 at North Carolina L, 80-69 Jan. 24 NOTRE DAME W, 85-82 Jan 28 at Wake Forest W, 79-77 Feb. 1 FLORIDA STATE W, 94-66 Feb. 4 GEORGIA TECH W, 72-64 Feb. 7 at Virginia L, 63-50 Feb. 11 at Boston College W, 92-62 Feb. 14 at Syracuse L, 75-72 Feb. 19 NORTH CAROLINA W, 77-69 Feb. 22 WAKE FOREST W, 90-74 Feb. 25 CLEMSON Noon (RSN) Feb. 28 at Duke 7 p.m. (ESPN) Mar. 7-11 ACC Tournament^ TBA * Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas ** Legends of Basketball Showcase at Chicago ^ at Greensboro, N.C. to the 1986 NCAA Elite Eight and might have gone further had the reserve center been able to play in the postseason. Fasoulas didn't see action in the Wolfpack's 64-62 loss to Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tourna- ment in Greensboro. He was not dressed for NCAA Tournament games against Iowa and Arkansas-Little Rock. When asked, Valvano said Fasoulas had a back injury. As it turned out, though, Fasoulas was being held out of postseason games because NC State athletics director Willis Casey was worried that he would be declared ineligible and any NC State wins would be in- validated, as part of the NCAA's crackdown on interna- tional players who may have been paid by club teams. Tom Gugliotta | F | 1988-92 No one knew that the forward from Huntington Station, N.Y., would become a beloved member of the Wolfpack, because only one person really knew he was coming to Raleigh. Valvano recruited Gugliotta as a favor for an old friend, Frank Gugliotta, Tom's father. As a freshman, Gugliotta barely got off the bench and Valvano subtly suggested he think about going elsewhere. And he did: He went to the weight room. Gugliotta added 30 pounds to his growing frame and quickly became one of the most well-rounded players in NC State basketball history. Fans showed their appreciation by yelling "Gooooogs" whenever he did something big, which was often after teammates Chris Corchiani and Rod - ney Monroe finished their careers. In 1992, he was chosen by the Washington Bullets with the No. 6 pick in the NBA Draft. He scored nearly 10,000 points and grabbed almost 5,600 rebounds in a 13-year career in the NBA. Julius Hodge | G | 2001-05 From the day he stepped foot on campus, Hodge was a much-anticipated fan favorite, a splash of red- and-white neon who added flavor to coach Herb Sendek's dry personality. Part of his popularity was because Hodge was the top recruit in a class of six that completely changed the trajectory of Sendek's program, returning the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament after a 10-year absence. A good bit of it, however, was Hodge's way with words. He threw out phrases that Wolfpack fans still repeat today: "When you're hungry, you eat. If you're a frog, you leap. If you're scared, get a dog." "I turned around, and he stole my cookies." "We're hard to kill — like roaches." Hodge really had no idea he was being colorful. He was just being Jules. "I say what's on my mind," said the 2003-04 ACC Player of the Year. "Some people love it; some people hate it." There's no doubt how most Wolfpack fans felt, especially on the seminal play of Hodge's career, when he took the ball with seconds remaining in a 2005 NCAA Tournament game against defending national champion Connecticut and scored the winning basket. Like Burns today, Hodge was a favorite not only because of what he said and did off the court, but because of the things he did to make his team suc - cessful. — Tim Peeler Guard Julius Hodge was part of a six-player recruiting class that helped return NC State to the NCAA Tournament after a 10-year absence. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS After the season, he put his name into the transfer portal and estimated that 95 percent of college basketball coaches called him. Ultimately, Burns picked NC State because he saw a mutually benefi- cial relationship. "I felt like this was a place where not only could I help the team, but the team could help me as well," Burns noted. From NC State's perspective, Keatts joked that prominent post players in the prep ranks are having their AAU coaches calling him now. And for Burns, he has found the per- fect spot to become a household name. "This team is definitely the most outgoing team I have been on," he said. "Everybody has a different personality, which is the thing I like about it." ■