The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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50 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. PACK PERSPECTIVE BY TIM PEELER T he enduring legacy of creating some- thing like the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame is the opportunity to recognize the contributions of remarkable athletes and coaches — even if it takes a little longer than might seem necessary. Thus is the case with this year's class, which was elected late last year and an- nounced just before Christmas. While all of the newest selections are worthy, one in particular sticks out for patiently biding his time to join several teammates in the hall, which was created in 2012 by then-athletics director Debbie Yow and has continued to add members ever since, initially on an annual basis and now biennially. Early on, there were obvious choices. The inaugural hall of fame class of 2012 included basketball players David Thompson and Genia Beasley; football players Roman Gabriel, Ted Brown and Jim Ritcher; soccer star Tab Ramos, distance runner Julie Shea Sutton and coaches Everett Case, Kay Yow and Jim Valvano. Thompson, of course, is the greatest basketball player in NC State and ACC history and one of the most influen- tial figures in the sport of college and professional basketball. However, there has always been a tough argument over who should be considered the second- greatest men's player. Tom Burleson and Ronnie Shavlik (2013), Dick Dickey and Lou Pucillo (2014), Rodney Monroe (2018) and Vic Molodet (2024) have all subsequently been elected, along with the 1974 and '83 national championship teams. This year, however, the selection com- mittee picked my personal favorite to sit one notch below Thompson among the school's top five players: powerful for- ward Kenny Carr, who played three sea- sons under head coach Norman Sloan in the mid-1970s, won an Olympic gold medal in 1976 and played 10 seasons in the NBA (1978-87). There are specific reasons to choose Carr that go beyond his three-year scor- ing (20.6 points per game) and rebound- ing (9.2 boards per game) averages. In 1976, he took over for Thompson as the ACC's scoring leader, with averages of 26.6 points as a sophomore and 21.0 points as a junior. In two victories over Duke in 1976, Carr had 45 and 44 points, which still rank as the seventh- and eighth-lead- ing single-game scoring totals in school history. Paul McNeil Jr. (47 versus Texas Southern this season) and Rodney Mon- roe (48 against Georgia Tech in 1991) are the only two Wolfpack players to have eclipsed those totals since. There are three features that make Carr's career unique in NC State men's basketball history. He was the first player ever recruited to NC State from DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., a high-cali- ber recruit unearthed by assistant coach Eddie Biedenbach while recruiting older teammate Adrian Dantley. Carr paved the way for Charles "Hawkeye" Whit- ney, Sidney Lowe, Dereck Whittenburg, Jordan Collins, BeeJay Anya and others to play for the Wolfpack. Secondly, Carr is one of only a few NC State players to ever make the U.S. Olympic team, following in the foot- steps of Tom Burleson, who played on the controversial 1972 team in Munich. Carr was selected after rigorous trials conducted by United States and North Carolina coach Dean Smith at NC State's Carmichael Gymnasium. Finally, Carr was NC State's first NBA hardship player, leaving after his junior season to begin his professional career. He was the first-round pick (sixth over- all) of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 NBA Draft and went on to play for parts of three seasons with the Lakers, three for the Cleveland Cavaliers, one for the Detroit Pistons and his final five seasons for the Portland Trail Blazers. "He was much more of a power for- ward, playing more inside with the abil- ity to shoot the jump shot at the top of the key and at the corners," Thompson said of his former teammate. "He was a real good rebounder. I was more of a finesse player, and he was much more of a power player." Physical and strong, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Carr was completely differ- ent from the 6-4 Thompson, who was known for his graceful, high-flying scor- ing. But Carr made a lasting impact on the program, including coming back to campus in his NBA offseasons to receive his bachelor's degree in education. "When he went to the basket, he just moved people out of the way," point guard Monte Towe said. "He was a great offensive player. Just look at his num- bers, in both college and the pros. I'm happy he's being honored." Carr stands out among the oversized class of 10 selections, which includes wrestling coach Bob Guzzo, wrestler Scott Turner, the 1979 and '80 wom- en's cross country teams, football kicker Marc Primanti, running back Willie Bur- den, women's administrator Nora Lynn Finch, swimmer Beth Emery, and a pair of NCAA champions — triple-jumper Tyrell Taitt and golfer Matt Hill. The induction celebration and gala will take place at Reynolds Coliseum on Sat- urday, April 25. ■ Carr averaged an ACC-best 26.6 points as a sophomore in 1976, and he followed by scoring 21.0 points per game as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Kenny Carr Is An Overdue Entrant Into NC State's Athletic Hall