North Carolina State University Athletics
1997-98 Men's Basketball Roster
vs
Texas Southern
Dec 17 (Wed)
7 PM
MBB Postgame Presser: Players (Kansas)
Saturday, December 13
Coach Wade Postgame Presser (Kansas)
Saturday, December 13
MBB Postgame Presser: Players (UNC Asheville)
Sunday, December 07
Coach Wade Postgame Presser (UNC Asheville)
Sunday, December 07
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.