North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes' World: A Senior Salute
3/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
When their NC State basketball careers come to an end in the very near future, seniors Kenny Inge, Damon Thornton, Ron Kelley and Cornelius Williams will not leave behind a legacy of championships. And barring a miraculous run through the ACC Tournament, they'll depart having never played in an NCAA Tournament game.
But to define any of those four players by what they didn't achieve would be an injustice.
If and when the Wolfpack program begins to reach those goals its current senior class never achieved, it will behoove all of us to look back on those four players and recognize their sacrifices. We should thank them for taking a chance on a program that was, quite frankly, at rock bottom when they arrived.
Inge, Thornton, Kelley and Williams helped to bridge the gap between perhaps the most difficult era in NC State history and a return to respectability. Sure they wanted more than just respectability, but just like in real life, things don't always work out exactly the way we want them too.
When the Pack takes the floor against Wake Forest this Sunday, NC State's seniors will go through the same pre-game routine they've gone through so many times over the last four years. But this time won't be the same. This will be the last time. It will be the last time they'll slip on that home white uniform that says "NC STATE" and run out of the tunnel to the cheers of the home fans.
Sadly, a four-year basketball career comes and goes in almost the blink of an eye.
"In a way, it hasn't hit me that this is my last game at home," Inge said. "It goes so fast. I can recall coach Sendek saying in my sophomore year that I only had two more years left. Now it's here. Once this game is over, there'll be no more at the ESA."
The 6-8, 235 pound Inge admits to being a little stubborn in his first few years. But he's come a long way since those days when his attitude was often called into question by the coaching staff. Prior to this season, Inge was shown the ultimate respect by his coach when he was named a tri-captain along with junior Archie Miller and sophomore Damien Wilkins.
"Coach Sendek had to suspend me a few times," he said. "But now I'm much better for it. A lot of the credit goes to the coaching staff. When I was doing the wrong things they corrected me and took whatever measures were necessary to help me see what was going on. Now I see the big picture. Everything they've been doing from day one was meant to help me. I tell the young guys now that he (Sendek) may be hard on you right now, but if you listen to him and do the hard work, it all will pay off in the end."
Once a scowling underclassman, Inge now wears a big, broad grin from time to time. Maybe being around Kelley has rubbed off on him. When Kelley isn't laughing, he's usually singing. He could very well be the only player in the ACC who has never been in a bad mood.
"He's the worst singer in America, probably in the world" Inge said of Kelley. "He swears he can sing and he does it. I can recall road trips when I was his roommate and he'd be in the shower singing and making a bunch of noise. When I look back on it now it's funny, but when you're stuck in the room with him it's not too funny. Now it's kind of horrible, but down the road I'll be able to laugh about it."
Thornton, a power forward from Norfolk, came in one year before his fellow seniors. Following a spectacular start in his freshman year, he was thwarted by a series of debilitating injuries that caused him to take a medical redshirt year. When healthy, Thornton is one of the most spectacular athletes in the conference. At 6-8, 240 pounds, his combination of power and quickness is indeed rare.
The mystery man of this senior class is Williams, a 6-11 center from Alabama. Known for his intelligence on the court and in the classroom, Williams is a silent warrior who rarely speaks in public.
Said sophomore forward Damien Wilkins: "When Big 'C' speaks, people listen."
The Wolfpack's four seniors have seen a little bit everything during their careers. To go along with some devastating defeats, there have been a handful of memorable victories. They were also part of the transition from historic Reynolds Coliseum to the beautiful new Entertainment and Sports Arena. But what they'll probably remember most will be those moments the fans and media don't generally see: the laughs in the locker room, the long bus rides, the pre-game meals and the late night flights home following road games.
A college basketball team is a big family that wins together and loses together. And the camaraderie that's developed over a four-year period is something that often lasts a lifetime.
"We had a lot of good times practicing and just hanging out in the locker room," Inge said. "There's no part of it I won't miss."
Who knows, he might even miss Ron Kelley's singing in a few years. Thanks guys.
