1997-98 Men's Basketball Roster
vs
North Carolina Central
Nov 3 (Mon)
7 PM
Will Wade Press Conference (Sept, 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22
Will Wade Summer Press Conference
Wednesday, July 09
Will Wade on ACC PM
Wednesday, May 14
Coach Will Wade Chats with Matt Chazanow and Jeff Gravley
Wednesday, March 26
Jersey Number 5
Ishua Benjamin
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Concord, NC
- High School:
- Concord
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 194
One of the ACC’s rising young stars … Took over the Wolfpack point guard post last season as a freshman … Started all 72 Pack games in 1994-95 … Although he labored at times, Ishua also showcased his tremendous potential … With added maturity and strength, he could enjoy and all-star campaign in 1995-96.
Freshman Season: Second team freshman All-American according to The Sporting News … Leading vote getter on the ACC’s All-Freshman team … No newcomer’s contributions meant more to his team than those Ishua made to the Wolfpack … He led all ACC freshmen in scoring (14.0) and assists (4.6) … Started every game for the Pack and finished the regular season as State’s second-leading scorer (14.0) and the team’s leader in assists (125) and steals (48) … He also was second on the team in field goals, free throws and three-point field goals made, His 377 points were the fifth-highest ever by a Wolfpack freshman, while his 14.0 points per game average was the third-highest by a rookie in school history … Scored a career-high 29 points in the season opening win over Prairie View when he made 11 of 13 field goal attempts, including seven of eight from behind the three-point arc … Scored 26 points against Duke in the first round of the ACC Tournament … Also tallied 20 or more points during the regular season against Duke (23), UCLA (22), and Kansas (22) … Was in double figures in scoring 22 times in 27 games … He led the Pack in assists in 18 contests.
High School Career: A fourth-team Parade Magazine All-America as a senior … Earned all-state accolades from the Associated Press and The Greensboro News & Record … Leading vote getter on the AP all-state unit … Selected Mr. Basketball for North Carolina by The Charlotte Observer … Averaged 20.5 points, 6.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 steals per outing as a senior for Coach Bo Brickles at Concord High School … Connected on 45.6 percent of his field goal attempts and 71 percent of his free throws … Scored 27 points in the state 3-A semifinals, but Concord fell to Winston-Salem Parkland, 100-94 in overtime, to end its season at 24-5 … Scored in double figures in all 29 games with a high of 27, which he reached twice … Had three games where he collected 10 or more steals … Participated in the N.C. East-West All-Star Game, scoring a team-leading 19 points for the West squad (also had six rebounds, five assists, and three steals) … Rated as the 10th best point guard in the country by recruiting analyst Van Coleman … Ranked among the Top 80 big guards by Blue Chip Illustrated … Listed as the 49th best player in the nation by Dave bones of Cage Scope … As a junior, he contributed 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 5.1 steals per game … Led Concord to a 22-5 record … A member of the 1993 News & Record all-state team … As a sophomore starter, he averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 4.1 steals … In the summer of ’93, he led Charlotte-based teams to the 17-and-under AAU national championship in Winston-Salem as well as the 19-and-under AAU national championship, which was played in Tennessee … Received the MVP award from the 17-and-under event and earned All-America status at the 19-and-under tournament.
Personal: Undecided on a major at this time … Born on November 7, 1975.
Freshman Season: Second team freshman All-American according to The Sporting News … Leading vote getter on the ACC’s All-Freshman team … No newcomer’s contributions meant more to his team than those Ishua made to the Wolfpack … He led all ACC freshmen in scoring (14.0) and assists (4.6) … Started every game for the Pack and finished the regular season as State’s second-leading scorer (14.0) and the team’s leader in assists (125) and steals (48) … He also was second on the team in field goals, free throws and three-point field goals made, His 377 points were the fifth-highest ever by a Wolfpack freshman, while his 14.0 points per game average was the third-highest by a rookie in school history … Scored a career-high 29 points in the season opening win over Prairie View when he made 11 of 13 field goal attempts, including seven of eight from behind the three-point arc … Scored 26 points against Duke in the first round of the ACC Tournament … Also tallied 20 or more points during the regular season against Duke (23), UCLA (22), and Kansas (22) … Was in double figures in scoring 22 times in 27 games … He led the Pack in assists in 18 contests.
High School Career: A fourth-team Parade Magazine All-America as a senior … Earned all-state accolades from the Associated Press and The Greensboro News & Record … Leading vote getter on the AP all-state unit … Selected Mr. Basketball for North Carolina by The Charlotte Observer … Averaged 20.5 points, 6.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 steals per outing as a senior for Coach Bo Brickles at Concord High School … Connected on 45.6 percent of his field goal attempts and 71 percent of his free throws … Scored 27 points in the state 3-A semifinals, but Concord fell to Winston-Salem Parkland, 100-94 in overtime, to end its season at 24-5 … Scored in double figures in all 29 games with a high of 27, which he reached twice … Had three games where he collected 10 or more steals … Participated in the N.C. East-West All-Star Game, scoring a team-leading 19 points for the West squad (also had six rebounds, five assists, and three steals) … Rated as the 10th best point guard in the country by recruiting analyst Van Coleman … Ranked among the Top 80 big guards by Blue Chip Illustrated … Listed as the 49th best player in the nation by Dave bones of Cage Scope … As a junior, he contributed 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 5.1 steals per game … Led Concord to a 22-5 record … A member of the 1993 News & Record all-state team … As a sophomore starter, he averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 4.1 steals … In the summer of ’93, he led Charlotte-based teams to the 17-and-under AAU national championship in Winston-Salem as well as the 19-and-under AAU national championship, which was played in Tennessee … Received the MVP award from the 17-and-under event and earned All-America status at the 19-and-under tournament.
Personal: Undecided on a major at this time … Born on November 7, 1975.