North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes World: The Word on Wilkins
4/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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| Damien Wilkins hopes to follow in the NBA footsteps of his father and his uncle. (AP Photo) |
An outgoing, mature young man, Damien will certainly be missed at NC State if, in fact, he doesn't return for his junior season after exploring his NBA options. Beyond his on-court contributions, Wilkins set a positive tone for the Wolfpack from the very first day he stepped on campus two years ago. The work ethic and leadership he demonstrated in his freshman year helped to earn him the title of tri-captain prior to his sophomore season.
Damien's intensity, commitment to excellence, intelligence and eagerness to improve are his best attributes at this point of his career. His attitude alone will provide him with the opportunity to one day become the player he--and others--expect him to be.
But the high expectations that followed Wilkins to Raleigh a few years ago have been burdensome. Listed by one recruiting analyst as the top high school player in the nation, Wilkins was labeled as the best prospect to sign with NC State since David Thompson. Unfortunately, all too many people interpreted that assessment to mean that he was the NEXT David Thompson.
Damien Wilkins is a good basketball player who has a chance to be great, but he's not there yet. At 6-6, he could very well be asked to play the shooting-guard position in the NBA. The average shooting guard in the NBA has the ability to shoot accurately from the perimeter and to finish shots in the lane after breaking defenders down off the dribble. In his first two college seasons, Wilkins often struggled in both of those areas.
This past season, Wilkins averaged 11.7 points per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and just 27 percent from three-point range. As an offensive rebounder, he has few equals in the ACC. Almost half of his 151 rebounds last season came on the offensive end. In a six-point loss to eventual national champion Duke back in January, he almost single-handedly brought the Pack back from a 19-point deficit by grabbing a total of eight offensive boards.
Late in his freshman campaign, Wilkins showed flashes of greatness when he virtually carried NC State to a win over Virginia in the ACC Tournament and to a near upset victory over Maryland in the semifinals. In those two games, he converted 10-of-17 shots and scored a total of 36 points. He then averaged 16 points over the next four games as NC State qualified for the NIT Final Four in New York.
A career-high 25-point outburst at Florida State earlier this season included several clutch baskets and a spectacular second half dunk. But there were also many other stretches during which he struggled to score either inside or out.
There's really no denying the fact that Wilkins will leave behind a huge void if indeed he chooses to make a move to professional basketball next season. As someone who has played more minutes than any other NC State player the last two years, he would have provided maturity, know-how and leadership to what will be a very young Wolfpack team next season.
With so many perimeter players available to him in 2001-2002, NC State coach Herb Sendek will likely adopt a faster, more chaotic offensive system in which a player of Wilkins' abilities could excel.
Right now, Damien Wilkins needs some time to figure it all out. Either he'll decide to return to NC State or he'll choose the path that was laid out for him many years ago in the 'master plan.'
One way or the other, I hope the decision he makes works out for the best.
