North Carolina State University Athletics
Bailey to Represent Pack As ACC Legend
1/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - Thurl Bailey, the late-blooming 6-11 forward who helped NC State win the 1983 NCAA Championship, will represent the Wolfpack at this year's ACC Tournament and Legends Brunch.
The Seat Pleasant, Md., native was recruited by Norm Sloan, along with two other well-known guards from the Washington, D.C. area, Sidney Lowe and Dereck Whittenburg. He began his career as a project, but blossomed over his final three seasons while playing for head coach Jim Valvano. He led the Wolfpack in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots three seasons each.
In 1983, he was a first-team All-ACC pick, a first-team All-ACC Tournament pick and a first-team All-Final Four pick. He blossomed throughout the season as a scorer, rebounder, shot-blocker and, under the ACC's experimental rules, a 3-point shooter.
Perhaps no other player benefitted from the Wolfpack's miraculous run to the '83 title more than Bailey, who went from a decent professional basketball prospect to the No. 6 overall pick of the Utah Jazz. He spent the next 16 years playing professionally, 12 in the NBA with the Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves and four overseas.
Bailey now resides in Salt Lake City, where he is a post-game analyst for the Utah Jazz television network.
Others who will be honored along with Bailey are two former head coaches, North Carolina's Bill Guthridge and Florida State's Hugh Durham, and nine other players: Maryland's Len Elmore, Boston College's Michael Adams, Clemson's Greg Buckner, Georgia Tech's John Salley, Miami's Eric Brown, Virginia's Chris Williams, Virginia Tech's Wayne Robinson and Wake Forest's Robert O'Kelley.
Each ACC school will be represented during the ACC Tournament, from March 10-13, in Greensboro. The ACC Legends Brunch will be on Saturday, March 12, at 10 a.m. at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel. Ticket information for the brunch is available at www.theACC.com.
2011 ACC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT LEGENDS ROSTER
Name School Years Pos. Hometown (Current residence)
Michael Adams Boston College 1982-85 Guard Hartford, Conn. (Bowie, Md.)
Greg Buckner Clemson 1995-98 Guard Hopkinsville, Ky. (Carrollton, Texas)
Steve Vacendak Duke 1964-66 Guard Scranton, Pa. (Raleigh, N.C.)
Hugh Durham Florida State 1966-78 Head Coach Louisville, Ky. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
John Salley Georgia Tech 1983-86 Forward Brooklyn, N.Y. (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Len Elmore Maryland 1972-74 Center Springfield Garden, N.Y. (New York. N.Y.)
Eric Brown Miami 1985-89 Forward Brooklyn, N.Y. (Homestead, Fla.)
Bill Guthridge North Carolina 1998-00 Head Coach Parsons, Kan. (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Thurl Bailey NC State 1980-83 Forward Seat Pleasant, Md. (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Chris Williams Virginia 1998-02 Forward Birmingham, Ala. (Hoover, Ala.)
Wayne Robinson Virginia Tech 1977-80 Forward Greensboro, N.C. (same)
Robert O'Kelley Wake Forest 1998-01 Guard Memphis, Tenn. (same)
