J.J. Hickson - The Saga Continues

On April 19, 2006 Scout.com had the following to say about JJ Hickson:

Ohio State is showing interest in this highly ranked prospect from Georgia. Considered the #20 prospect overall in the 2007 class. Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan State, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Virginia Tech, Wake and New Mexico State have offered. He is also listing Arizona, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia.

Notice anythings missing from that statement? That is right, NC State was not even on his long list. Fast forward to August 17th, and that very same profile listed the following:

Hickson has a final 7 of Florida, Tennessee, Georgetown, North Carolina State, Arizona, Kentucky and Illinois.

So in a matter of four months, NC State had gone from not even being in the same tournament as the big guy, to sitting at the final table for all the marbles. There is a lot of speculation on just how Hickson got hooked up with Sidney Lowe, and this is what I have read about it.

Now this is an unconfirmed rumor, and all of the details are not clear, but there appears to be the possibility that Shareef Abdur-Rahim had something to do with this recruitment. It's not uncommon for recruits to get calls from NBA players in hopes of swaying their college choice. It is rumored that Shareef did just that, or spoke with JJ in person about playing for Sidney Lowe. When Sidney Lowe was the head coach of the Vancouver Grizzlies, Shareef was one of his players. It just so happens that Shareef went to the same high school that JJ Hickson now attends. Whether or not there was an actual contact between the two, and as to who sparked the interest is unknown at this point. It could be that Hickson liked State but had not been recruited yet by the Pack, and Shareef found out about it and gave Sid a call. It could be the exact opposite. I really don't know, but it is still a fun story to wonder about. Could Sid's NBA experience already be paying off?

No matter what happened, one thing we know for sure is that on October 12th, JJ made his decision public, and he announced that he would be attending NC State University. The fact that a kid this high on all of the recruiting boards would pick State is simply unbelievable. I want to once again point out that he was offered scholarships to Georgetown (infamous for it's success with big men), Florida (the defending national champs), Arizona and Kentucky.

Here is some more insight into JJ Hickson:

Scout.com lists Hickson as the 3rd best center in the 2007 class. He is also listed as a 5 star recruit, and will likely be a McDonalds All American this year.

Rivals.com also has Hickson listed as the 3rd best player in his position, only this time it is at power forward.

JJ is rated as the number 1 player in Georgia. Last season he averaged 21 points, 12 boards and 6 blocks. It will be interesting to see the numbers he posts this year, as he has set his sights high and wants to be known as the best player in the country.

Needless to say, Wolfpack Nation is ecstatic about JJ Hickson putting his faith in Coach Lowe and the future of the program. He mentioned that the style of play that Sidney is selling to recruits was one of the major factors in his decision. When coupled with Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner next year, the Pack actually looks to be forming a presence in the post.