North Carolina State University Athletics
A `Hodgepodge' of Statistics
1/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Talk about someone who's doing a little bit of everything. A quick look at the latest ACC basketball statistics shows that Julius Hodge has become a Jack of all trades. Whether it's scoring, rebounding or dishing out assists, the NC State sophomore has found a way to become an impact player in a number of areas.
The ACC's top scorer heading into last weekend, Hodge is currently second behind Clemson's Edward Scott by just percentage points. Following a 21-point outburst in the Wolfpack's 75-63 win over Virginia on Sunday, the Harlem, N.Y. native is averaging 19.2 points per game.
But that's just the beginning.
Hodge also ranks 6th in field goal percentage (.488), 11th in free throw percentage (.789), 12th in rebounding (6.7 pg.), 10th in assists (3.80 pg.), and 7th in steals (1.90).
"He truly is a player without a position," said Wolfpack head coach Herb Sendek. "He has the ability to beat you in any number of ways; he doesn't need to do it just with scoring. He can help you win with any part of his game and certainly he is a very versatile player."
Hodge has become the focal point of the NC State offense, yet it's often difficult for opponents to know what his role will be on any given possession. A point guard one trip down the floor, he might score from the low post the next time down. And much like Anthony Grundy last year, his ability to score or set-up teammates from the high post spot in the middle of zone defenses has added an important dimension.
"I think Julius has continued to get better in every way," Sendek said. "If you look back to this time a year ago, I don't know if there's any area of his game that he hasn't come some distance. The good thing about Julius is that he's easy to coach and he wants to continue in that same direction. There are things he needs to address to continue to improve."
In a game against North Carolina A&T at Reynolds Coliseum, Hodge became the first men's basketball player in NC State history to record a triple-double when he tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He also has three double-doubles this season.
