The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 ■ 13 TRACKING THE PACK BY TIM PEELER C lyde "The Glide" Austin was smooth, sometimes to his own detriment. The former NC State point guard (1976-80) and Harlem Globetrotter was a legendary recruit from Richmond's Maggie L. Walker High School, where he scored 2,158 points in a four-year career that predated the three-point shot. When he was signed by head coach Norm Sloan, he was one of the top five high school guards in the nation, arriving prepackaged with his iconic nickname and trademark golden front tooth. Many hoped he would return the Wolfpack back to the top of the college basketball world in the aftermath of the high-scoring Da- vid Thompson-Kenny Carr eras. And he came so, so close before ulti- mately becoming a second-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Draft, following a college career in which he scored 1,383 points and posted a then- school-record 473 assists. According to several family members, Austin died of a heart attack on Aug. 16 at his home near Las Vegas. He was 67. Austin was a key component in one of Sloan's top recruiting classes, which included Charles "Hawkeye" Whitney, Brian Walker and junior college transfer Tony Warren. However, the four years of Austin's career didn't exactly end up as a golden era of Wolfpack hoops. In fact, they came at the end of Sloan's 14-year tenure at his alma mater, before the coach headed back to Florida. The memories, however, were delight- ful. Austin glided from play to play, spot to spot, with a quickness and style that few have ever matched. Remarkably versatile, Austin led the Wolfpack in assists (5.0 average), steals (1.9) and free-throw percentage (.738) as a freshman, in rebounding (3.5) as a soph- omore, in scoring (14.4) as a junior and field-goal percentage (.511) as a senior. He was also involved in some of the most memorable plays in Wolfpack men's basketball history. As a sophomore, he was the leader of a team that did not make the NCAA Tournament but advanced to the final of the 1978 National Invitation Tournament. In overtime of its semifinal matchup against Georgetown, the Wolfpack watched helplessly as Craig Shelton gave the Hoyas a one-point lead by convert- ing a conventional three-point play with just six seconds remaining. Sloan called a timeout and gave a simple instruction: "Give it to Clyde and go." Austin intended to drive to the basket, but barely crossed midcourt when he let fly a 35-foot running jump shot that swished through the basket, putting the Wolfpack in a national title game for the second time in five years. Austin and the Pack lost to Texas in the final game. As a junior, when he was named the Most Valuable Player at the inaugural Sea Wolf Classic (later the Great Alaska Shootout), Austin was at the center of one of the most infamous plays in NC State basketball history. After storming back from a 21-point first-half deficit at Reynolds Coliseum, the Wolfpack took a one-point lead against the No. 2 Tar Heels. UNC's Dud- ley Bradley missed a jumper in the lane on one end of the court with 15 seconds to play. The Wolfpack got the rebound, and Austin tried to run out the clock but made the mistake of turning his back on Bradley. The UNC defensive specialist stole the ball and ran down the court for a game-winning dunk. Much was forgiven, however, in the final home game of Austin's career. He and Whitney cooked up a special play in practice before the game and, just seven minutes in, they were able to pull it off. Austin got a halfcourt lead pass, took a stride toward the baseline and whipped the ball in between his legs to a streaking Whitney for a dunk. Whitney scored 26 of the Pack's 63 points in the victory over the No. 8 Heels. Although Austin did not stick in either the NBA or the Continental Basketball Association, he did have a successful ca- reer with the legendary Harlem Globe- trotters. He had befriended Trotters star Twiggy Sanders, who grew up in Raleigh and often worked out with Sloan's Wolf- pack. Sanders helped Austin get a spot on one of the Globetrotters' traveling teams, and he eventually became captain of his squad. Through the end of his college days and into his professional career, Austin lived in Raleigh and was the minister of a church in Garner, N.C., before eventually moving to Las Vegas. He often spoke of his deep faith and desire to help those less fortu- nate than him. However, several attempts at build- ing financial wealth for members of his church turned into a national pyramid scheme that defrauded his parishioners of millions of dollars. He was sentenced to prison in 2004. Austin was released early and began working at UNLV. With his golden grin and his penchant for big plays, Austin was remembered fondly, at least for his college playing ca- reer. "I keep my smile," he once said. "If somebody saw me, and I wasn't smiling, they'd know something was wrong." ■ Austin led NC State in scoring as a junior, averaging 14.4 points per game. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Remembering Clyde Austin, An Artful Playmaker For The Pack Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu