North Carolina State University Athletics
#TBT: Pack Hoops Great Vic Molodet
9/19/2013 12:00:00 AM
Sept. 19, 2013
With the arrival of Mark Gottfried and his coaching staff to Raleigh, Wolfpack basketball fans have been treated to an exciting style of basketball. Every day in practice, they preach playing hard, fast and smart. Often, Coach Gottfried will blow his whistle in the middle of a drill and stop it completely--simply to make sure his players know that he is unsatisfied with their pace.
"You're not going hard enough," he'll say. "I know you can run faster than that", and "Make sure you're under control".
Many people may view the presence of an up-tempo, "push the ball" attack as a more contemporary approach to the game of college basketball, but the truth is that it's been around forever. In fact, legendary and former Wolfpack head coach Everett Case pioneered the "run and gun" method in Reynolds Coliseum that was primarily orchestrated by All-American point guard Vic Molodet.
The 1955 All-American, three-time ACC champion and MVP tormented defenses with his uncanny ability to get into the lane and finish around the rim. The undersized Molodet (5-11) set an NC State record that still stands to this day by making 16 consecutive free throws in the same game. When you think about the amazing athleticism and the way Division I basketball players get to the rim today, it makes his record all the more impressive.
With the ability to take his defenders down low and post them up, Molodet was unlike any point guard in his era. He perfected the "hook" shot, a skill that most guards his size would find unbelievably difficult. Molodet was one of the first players to exhibit such a crucial characteristic of becoming an elite basketball player: versatility.
It's astounding to hear someone mentally sharp enough who played in the early 1950s to recount memorable stories with ease. One experience, however, sticks out as a thorn in his side. It was the opening round of the 1956 NCAA Tournament, where the Wolfpack fell to Canisius College in a shocking four-overtime thriller.
Molodet was forced to the bench because of three charging fouls called against him within the first few minutes of the game. To this day, the loss still eats at him.
"I can't shake that game," he said. "It was such a devastating loss that never should have been. The officiating was really bad, and Phil Fox had officiated a lot of our games. But he turned in a poor performance for that one. I just remember the kid for Canisius turned around at the top of the circle as if he was blindfolded and threw up a shot that miraculously went in and we lost the game by one point.
"That game still lingers in my mind."
As he reflected on more positive memories, Molodet mentions his fondness with Case and his recruitment to NC State.
"One of my closest friends was a scout for Everett, and Coach Case and I were tied together from the beginning," Molodet said. "He visited me a few times and I really enjoyed talking to him. He really was some coach, and he was a little more persuasive than everyone else."
Molodet, an East Chicago, Ind., native, felt refreshed upon moving to North Carolina. He still lives to this day in Greensboro.
"I just love the South, and I love the tradition down here. It's always suited me very well," he said.
"Tradition" in a basketball sense has always been deeply rooted in NC State, more specifically the location of the home games: the historic Reynolds Coliseum. Known to many as "hallowed ground", Reynolds has been mentioned by many ACC legends as the absolute toughest place to play in college basketball. In its prime, Reynolds was host to the Dixie Classic, one of the greatest holiday basketball tournaments of all-time. In the eyes of Molodet, it was the place to be.
"The Dixie Classic was something that Everett dreamed up and it was something people died for," Molodet said. "It was so hard to get tickets because they were all given as Christmas gifts as hand-me-downs, and everyone looked forward to it because it was the happening event around the holiday and you witnessed outstanding basketball."
The Classic also demonstrated that Coach Case was not only an outstanding basketball mind, but that he was also a pioneer in developing other parts of a basketball program, including the filming of games. The Classic was one of the first tournaments to do this. It has become a staple for college basketball programs, as nearly all of them have extensive video departments.
The 80-year-old Molodet, smiling through the phone, fondly remembers meeting his wife, Ruth Ann, during his time at NC State, whom he dated all four years he was in school.
"She went to a business school in the area, and they were all gals over there," Molodet said. "She was the prettiest one of them all though, so that's why I ended up with her."
Molodet majored in industrial engineering and his main curriculum was furniture manufacturing and management. After a stint in the AAU professional league, he earned a tryout with the Celtics (where Molodet went against Bob Cousy). After that, he settled into a career as a salesperson, a profession that he wanted to get into from the get-go.
The game of college basketball today is drastically different compared to the 1950s, but Molodet isn't shy about putting his skills up against the best. When asked if he could hang with today's guys, he admittedly said, "You know, I truly believe that I could."
For former players, the NC State basketball community is like a brotherhood, brought even further together by its current coach and his conscious effort of instilling the "stick together" attitude. Each year, Coach Gottfried hosts a gathering and dinner that welcomes any former Wolfpack basketball player. This year, the event was held in the Dail Center, with the practice court completely transformed into a gala-like atmosphere.
For Molodet, the event is one of his favorite weekends of the year. "It's probably one of the greatest things that's ever happened, as far as my era is concerned," he said. "When you get ball players from my era, there's nothing better than having a bunch of guys get together and tell old stories and reminisce a little bit."
As Molodet reflects on his life, he admits complete satisfaction. "I look back at my alma mater and it's one of the greater universities that you can go to," Molodet said. "I'm just so proud to say that I played ball and completed my education at NC State."
