North Carolina State University Athletics
CARR: Wolfpack's "Ice" is Now ACC Legend
3/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nobody could rattle Rodney Monroe.
Not the raucous Cameron Crazies at Duke. He laughed at their antics. Not trash-talking, harassing defenders. He silenced ‘em with his artful jump shots.
He was “Ice.” He was cool. He also was one of the hottest shooters in ACC basketball history and will be honored with 11 other league “Legends” at the men’s tournament in Greensboro March 11-14.
An All-American in 1991 and the Wolfpack’s career scoring leader with 2,551 points, Monroe is still in the game -- as a coach now at Lake Norman Christian School, where he doubles as athletics director.
Wearing shorts or sweat pants, Monroe turns practices into “Show and Tell” sessions, though not necessarily in that order.
“I tell them what to do and then show them,’’ said Monroe, who is physically fit at age 41, plays in an adult league, and can still hit the "J."
His players have responded. The middle school squad went undefeated (21-0) and won the regular season and tournament championships. The 9th graders excelled as well, winning about 80 percent of their games.
Lake Norman Christian is a K-through-9 school that opened last year with plans to expand to 12 grades. When officials were looking for a coach/AD to launch the program, Monroe was available and able.
Since moving near Charlotte following a successful 15-year pro career spent mostly overseas, he has conducted basketball camps, started a youth league, and taught private one-on-one lessons.
“It was a natural progression,’’ Monroe said. “I was basically coaching anyway.”
For his young teams, Monroe favors set offensive plays over motion schemes and employs multiple defenses featuring heavy pressure and trapping.
“I want them to be disciplined on offense, (but) I’m big on defense,’’ Monroe said, while acknowledging he was known as an offensive player. “If they are not playing defense they are coming out.”
BEYOND X’S AND O’S
The school is a comfortable environment for Monroe, whose goals include teaching more than shooting, defending and winning.
Having become a Born-Again-Christian 15 years ago, his role is to minister as well.
“God is No. 1 in my life,’’ he said. “I’m not afraid to say it or show it. I can share my faith and teach basketball on a daily basis. That’s what’s great about this job.”
Les Robinson, who coached Monroe at State in 1990-91, isn’t surprised to hear that spiritual message from his former shooting star.
“He’s very good for young people,’’ Robinson said. “He knows what he’s doing and is a good role model. He always was when he was playing [at State].”
With a wife (Judy) and three basketball-playing sons ages 12, 10 and 4, Monroe can envision coaching in college some day. But his calling now is to lead the young Storm teams at Lake Norman Christian.
“It’s been great to see a kid from day-one who couldn’t shoot or dribble, and not with a lot of confidence, at the end of the year be a totally different kid,’’ he said.
Monroe remembers his youthful days in Hagerstown, Md., where St. Maria Goretti high coach Cokey Robertson taught him the proper jump shooting form. And he remembers the exciting moments playing for the late Jim Valvano and Robinson at State, which almost didn’t happen.
CHANGING DIRECTIONS
A widely recruited prep All-America point guard, Monroe initially planned to sign with Maryland. But when Terps star Len Bias died from a drug overdose and coach Lefty Driesell was fired, he picked NC State.
"Going to State-- it couldn't have been better [for me],'' he said.
In four seasons with the Wolfpack, Monroe teamed up with point guard Chris Corchiani to form part of the famous “Fire” and “Ice” show.
“The label [Ice] was very accurate,’’ said Corchiani, who provided the fire. “That was his personality on and off the court. He was very laid back. We had a nice little chemistry. We fed off one another. A very large part of our offense was to make sure he was able to get shots.”
While Corchiani dished and set an all-time NCAA record for assists (1,038), Monroe lit up arenas and wound up with a 43.5 career shooting percentage from three-point range.
The sinewy, 6-3 shooting guard averaged 21.4 points as a sophomore, 23.2 as a junior, and 27.0 as a senior, when he also captured ACC Player of the Year honors. Not surprisingly, he was chosen as one of the best 50 players in the conference's first 50-year period.
Hot Rodney exploded for 30 or more points 21 times, which included hanging 48 on Georgia Tech and 40 on Iowa. He was the reliable go-to-guy.
Once during a time out, Robinson recalled setting up an in-bounds play with the first two options designed for Monroe to get the ball. If “Ice” wasn’t open, the plan was to look for Kevin Thompson, who showed concern in the huddle about his role as a third or fourth option.
“Don’t worry about that,” Monroe told Thompson, confident he would be taking the shot.
“Rodney said it in his polite way,’’ Robinson added.
Multiple game highlights are etched indelibly in Monroe’s mind. His fondest memories also include seeing NC State students camping out to get tickets, playing in Duke’s tumultuous Cameron Indoor Stadium and Carolina’s Dean Dome -- and hearing the band in Reynolds Coliseum playing “Ice Ice Baby.”
After those record-setting days at State, Monroe was selected in the second round and 30th overall in the NBA draft by Atlanta. But he played just one season with the Hawks, one year in the CBA, then took his game overseas and flourished as a high scorer in Greece, Israel, Australia, Spain, the Philippines and Italy.
Monroe was a long way from home and gone a long time, but not forgotten. “Ice” is an NC State "Legend," his name and game forever frozen in Wolfpack lore.
Not the raucous Cameron Crazies at Duke. He laughed at their antics. Not trash-talking, harassing defenders. He silenced ‘em with his artful jump shots.
He was “Ice.” He was cool. He also was one of the hottest shooters in ACC basketball history and will be honored with 11 other league “Legends” at the men’s tournament in Greensboro March 11-14.
An All-American in 1991 and the Wolfpack’s career scoring leader with 2,551 points, Monroe is still in the game -- as a coach now at Lake Norman Christian School, where he doubles as athletics director.
Wearing shorts or sweat pants, Monroe turns practices into “Show and Tell” sessions, though not necessarily in that order.
“I tell them what to do and then show them,’’ said Monroe, who is physically fit at age 41, plays in an adult league, and can still hit the "J."
His players have responded. The middle school squad went undefeated (21-0) and won the regular season and tournament championships. The 9th graders excelled as well, winning about 80 percent of their games.
Lake Norman Christian is a K-through-9 school that opened last year with plans to expand to 12 grades. When officials were looking for a coach/AD to launch the program, Monroe was available and able.
Since moving near Charlotte following a successful 15-year pro career spent mostly overseas, he has conducted basketball camps, started a youth league, and taught private one-on-one lessons.
“It was a natural progression,’’ Monroe said. “I was basically coaching anyway.”
For his young teams, Monroe favors set offensive plays over motion schemes and employs multiple defenses featuring heavy pressure and trapping.
“I want them to be disciplined on offense, (but) I’m big on defense,’’ Monroe said, while acknowledging he was known as an offensive player. “If they are not playing defense they are coming out.”
BEYOND X’S AND O’S
The school is a comfortable environment for Monroe, whose goals include teaching more than shooting, defending and winning.
Having become a Born-Again-Christian 15 years ago, his role is to minister as well.
“God is No. 1 in my life,’’ he said. “I’m not afraid to say it or show it. I can share my faith and teach basketball on a daily basis. That’s what’s great about this job.”
Les Robinson, who coached Monroe at State in 1990-91, isn’t surprised to hear that spiritual message from his former shooting star.
“He’s very good for young people,’’ Robinson said. “He knows what he’s doing and is a good role model. He always was when he was playing [at State].”
With a wife (Judy) and three basketball-playing sons ages 12, 10 and 4, Monroe can envision coaching in college some day. But his calling now is to lead the young Storm teams at Lake Norman Christian.
“It’s been great to see a kid from day-one who couldn’t shoot or dribble, and not with a lot of confidence, at the end of the year be a totally different kid,’’ he said.
Monroe remembers his youthful days in Hagerstown, Md., where St. Maria Goretti high coach Cokey Robertson taught him the proper jump shooting form. And he remembers the exciting moments playing for the late Jim Valvano and Robinson at State, which almost didn’t happen.
CHANGING DIRECTIONS
A widely recruited prep All-America point guard, Monroe initially planned to sign with Maryland. But when Terps star Len Bias died from a drug overdose and coach Lefty Driesell was fired, he picked NC State.
"Going to State-- it couldn't have been better [for me],'' he said.
In four seasons with the Wolfpack, Monroe teamed up with point guard Chris Corchiani to form part of the famous “Fire” and “Ice” show.
“The label [Ice] was very accurate,’’ said Corchiani, who provided the fire. “That was his personality on and off the court. He was very laid back. We had a nice little chemistry. We fed off one another. A very large part of our offense was to make sure he was able to get shots.”
While Corchiani dished and set an all-time NCAA record for assists (1,038), Monroe lit up arenas and wound up with a 43.5 career shooting percentage from three-point range.
The sinewy, 6-3 shooting guard averaged 21.4 points as a sophomore, 23.2 as a junior, and 27.0 as a senior, when he also captured ACC Player of the Year honors. Not surprisingly, he was chosen as one of the best 50 players in the conference's first 50-year period.
Hot Rodney exploded for 30 or more points 21 times, which included hanging 48 on Georgia Tech and 40 on Iowa. He was the reliable go-to-guy.
Once during a time out, Robinson recalled setting up an in-bounds play with the first two options designed for Monroe to get the ball. If “Ice” wasn’t open, the plan was to look for Kevin Thompson, who showed concern in the huddle about his role as a third or fourth option.
“Don’t worry about that,” Monroe told Thompson, confident he would be taking the shot.
“Rodney said it in his polite way,’’ Robinson added.
Multiple game highlights are etched indelibly in Monroe’s mind. His fondest memories also include seeing NC State students camping out to get tickets, playing in Duke’s tumultuous Cameron Indoor Stadium and Carolina’s Dean Dome -- and hearing the band in Reynolds Coliseum playing “Ice Ice Baby.”
After those record-setting days at State, Monroe was selected in the second round and 30th overall in the NBA draft by Atlanta. But he played just one season with the Hawks, one year in the CBA, then took his game overseas and flourished as a high scorer in Greece, Israel, Australia, Spain, the Philippines and Italy.
Monroe was a long way from home and gone a long time, but not forgotten. “Ice” is an NC State "Legend," his name and game forever frozen in Wolfpack lore.
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