Inside 40 years of NC State basketball recruiting (part IV)

The recruiting baton was passed after a coaching change during the class of 1996, and numerous top 100 recruits started signing with NC State.

The majority of the class of 1996 was signed by head coach Les Robinson, but after he was let go, Herb Sendek was hired from Miami (Ohio). He added post player Damon Thornton, and then went to work on the recruiting trail to close out the decade.

Here is a breakdown of the classes from 1996-to-2000:

Related links: 1980-85 | 1986-90 | 1991-95

• Justin Gainey (6-0, PG, Greensboro (N.C.) Day)

• Andre McCullum (6-6, SF, Whiteville (N.C.) High)

• Tim Wells (6-7, forward, Winston-Salem (N.C.) Carver)

• Damon Thornton (6-8, PF, Virginia Beach (Va.) Atlantic Shores Christian School) From Norfolk, Va.

Overview: The class of 1996 was the class that new coach Herb Sendek mostly inherited from former coach Les Robinson. Thornton was later added to the group.

Gainey became known as the ultimate ironman his freshman year, when he played every single second of all four games (160 minutes) in helping the No. 8-seeded Wolfpack reach the 1997 ACC Tournament title game in his hometown of Greensboro. NCSU fell 64-54 to North Carolina in the title game, but the Wolfpack reached the NIT. Gainey earned ACC All-Tournament honors for his efforts.

The pass-first Gainey averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game over 128 contests for the Wolfpack. The three-year starter averaged 8.6 points and 2.8 assists per game his senior year, and made 38.0 percent of his three-pointers.

The bruising, athletic Thornton proved to be an effective rebounder throughout his NCSU tenure. He averaged 7.0 rebounds per game as a freshman — he was named to the ACC All-Freshman team — and exited averaging 7.2 boards a contest as a fifth-year senior.

Thornton enjoyed his best season as a redshirt junior in 1999-00, averaging 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a contest and he shot 53.5 percent from the field. He ranked eighth in the ACC in rebounds, ninth in field-goal percentage and sixth in blocks that season.

Thornton finished his career 15th all-time in school history in rebounds (771) and averaged 7.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks a contest. He shot an impressive 54.7 percent from the field, which is eighth all-time at NC State.

Wells was a steady reserve and good shooter when healthy during his four years at NC State. He enjoyed his best season as a junior, when he averaged 8.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, and he made 40 percent of his three-point attempts. Injuries limited him his senior year, and he finished his Wolfpack career averaging 4.9 points per game. He shot 40.5 percent on three-pointers in 97 career games.

McCullum had 27 points and 18 rebounds in 14 games his freshman year at NC State and then elected to transfer to Old Dominion. He became a solid wing for the Monarchs, averaging 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds a contest in 95 games. He averaged a little over 12 points per game his junior and senior years.

Interesting tidbits: Gainey went on to become director of operations for NC State, and then worked under former Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek at Santa Clara and ex-NCSU assistant coach Sean Miller at Arizona. He was just hired as an assistant coach at Marquette, where he used to be director of operations … Helping Gainey get hired at both Marquette (the first time) and Arizona was former NC State assistant coach Mark Phelps, who was an assistant coach at both programs at the time. Sendek hired Phelps, who had coached Thornton in high school, along with class of 1997 signee Kenny Inge at Virginia Beach (Va.) Atlantic Shores Christian School.

• Ron Anderson (6-6, SF, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy); From Fayetteville (N.C.) 71st

• Kenny Inge (6-8, PF, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy); From Virginia Beach, Va.

• Ron Kelley (6-10, C, Emory (Texas) Rains)

• Archie Miller (5-9, PG, Beaver Falls (Pa.) Blackhawk)

• Rouldra Thomas (6-7, PF, Natchez (Miss.) High)

• Cornelius Williams (6-11, C, Ft. McClellan (Ala.) Jacksonville)

Overview: Sendek's first full recruiting class at NC State arrived with much fanfare.

Inge rejoined his friend Damon Thornton at NC State, and immediately became a standout contributor. He proved remarkably consistent in averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals a contest in 123 career games in Raleigh. He shot 49.1 percent from the field.

Inge averaged between 10.3 points and 11.9 all four years, and he grabbed between 6.1 rebounds and 7.4 during the same time period. He was top 13 in the ACC in rebounds per game all four years. He earned first-team All-ACC Freshman in 1997-98, when he averaged 11 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.

He is 26th all-time in career points and eighth in boards at NC State.

Miller was a highly touted signing. He bombed away for the Wolfpack and shot 42.8 percent on three-pointers, including a blistering 57.5 percent in 2000-01, which is the second highest for a single season at NC State.

He got injured his sophomore year and redshirted, which helped set him up for his fifth year of college. He averaged 9.9 points and 2.9 assists per game, and made 39.8 percent of this three-pointers as a fifth-year senior. He earned first-team All-ACC Tournament honors that season and helped NC State break an 11-year drought in making the NCAA Tournament.

Miller played in 123 career games and he shot 42.4 percent from the field and 42.8 percent on three-pointers, the latter sixth best in school history. He averaged 7.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists a contest.

Kelley proved to handle the rigors of being an ACC center his freshman year. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game, and he shot 50.3 percent from the field. He built off that debut to enjoy his best year as a sophomore, with 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks a contest.

Kelley couldn’t match the numbers of his first two years, and he finished his Wolfpack career averaging 8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game, over 110 career contests.

The 6-11, 260-pound Williams was a career backup, who averaged 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 97 career games.

Anderson played 32 games in two years at NC State — 26 of them his sophomore year. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and shot 46.3 percent from the field.

Thomas logged six points and three rebounds in 12 games at NC State, and then he transferred to Temple. He only had 15 points and 14 boards in 20 games in his two years with the Owls.

Interesting tidbits: Miller’s college coaching successes has overshadowed his days at NC State. After his playing career ended, he became an assistant coach at Western Kentucky, NC State (2004-06), Ohio State and Arizona. He then became the head coach at Dayton from 2011-17, and now at Indiana the last three years. Miller reached the NCAA Tournament four out of six years at Dayton, and he helped the Flyers reach the Elite Eight in 2013-14 … Inge coached at Cary (N.C.) Academy after his playing career overseas came to an end.

• Keith Bean (6-8, PF, Pittsfield (Maine) Maine Central Institute); From Fontana, Calif.

• Anthony Grundy (6-2, 170, SG, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Institute); From Bowling Green (Ky.) Warren Central High.

• Adam Harrington (6-4, SG, Northfield (Mass.) Pioneer Valley Regional)

Overview: Grundy had originally signed with Bradley, but had a big senior year at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy under then coach Kevin Keatts, who is now the Wolfpack head coach. Grundy asked out of his letter of intent with the Braves, and he signed with NC State.

Grundy averaged at least 12.5 points per game his last three years, and had a terrific senior year in 2001-02. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and he made a team-high 47 three-pointers. He led the Wolfpack in all five categories. Grundy was named first-team All-ACC and to the all-defensive team, plus earned a spot on the All-Tournament squad in 2002.

Grundy played in 121 games at NC State, and he averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He is ninth in school history in career points, second in steals and 13th in assists.

Grundy embarked on a long career overseas and in minor league basketball leagues until he retired in 2014. He did get to average 4.3 points in 12 NBA games with the Atlanta Hawks in 2005-06. Grundy passed away in a homicide this past year in Louisville, Ky.

Ironically, the other two signees were more decorated pickups. Harrington was ranked No. 25 in the country and Bean was at No. 64 on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI). Neither player made it to his sophomore year at NC State.

Harrington averaged 11.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game his freshman season, and he shot 35.9 percent from three-point land in 32 games. He surprisingly transferred to Auburn, where he went on to average 12.9 points and 3.9 rebounds a contest. Harrington went undrafted but he played 19 games his rookie year between the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets in 2002-03.

Bean averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 24 games for the Wolfpack, but he elected to transfer to Texas A&M after the season. Bean would average 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a contest in 89 games for the Aggies. He made 57.7 percent from the field and 56.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The class of 1998 almost included prep legend Schea Cotton, who in a story ESPN.com noted, "Expectations for his future were as great as any pre-high school aged player ever, even LeBron James."

Cotton played at two high schools in Southern California, and first committed to Long Beach State, where his brother played, and then signed with UCLA. His SAT score was flagged — he took the test as a learning disabled student — and he ended up attending Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More for prep school.

Cotton signed with NC State, and then his SAT score prevented him from enrolling and he ended up at Long Beach City College. He finally made it to Division I college, playing at Alabama and then head coach Mark Gottfried, who later became the head coach for the Wolfpack. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 1999-00 and he entered the NBA Draft, but he never made it to the league

Interesting tidbits: Harrington became a “shooting specialist” or “skills trainer” following his overseas career, and current Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was one of his client. Coincidentally, Harrington was hired as an Nets assistant coach in 2016, and Durant joined the organization last summer.

• Clifford Crawford (6-3, 185, PG, Winston-Salem (N.C.) Parkland)

• Damien Wilkins (6-6, 220, SF, Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips)

• Marshall Williams (6-4, 202, SF, Milwaukee (Wis.) Vincent)

Overview: The class of 1999 had some of the same similarities to the class of 1998.

Small forward Damien Wilkins was ranked No. 11 overall in the country, Marshall Williams was No. 33 and Clifford Crawford was No. 81, but two of the three transferred out of NC State early.

The athletic Crawford ended up being the last player standing in the class. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while playing 124 contests for the Wolfpack.

Crawford enjoyed his best year during his senior season in 2002-03, when he averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Crawford, who was named to the 2002-03 ACC All-Defensive squad, finished second in the league in total steals and sixth in assists that season.

Wilkins ended up with the best career, but it proved to be a controversial path. The former McDonald’s All-American and second-team Parade Magazine All-American averaged 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game his first two years in Raleigh. He only shot 40.8 percent from the field and 30.0 percent on three-pointers.

Wilkins decided to enter his name into the NBA Draft, but Sendek eventually closed the door on his ability to return to the Wolfpack, which made national headlines at the time.

NC State went 13-16 in 2000-01 with Wilkins. Sendek took a calculated gamble to turn his back on Wilkins, which even in today’s game is still considered rare. Part of Sendek’s thinking process was that he had Julius Hodge arriving as a freshman, and Wilkins didn’t shoot well enough to play at shooting guard.

Wilkins elected to transfer to Georgia, where his uncle Dominique Wilkins played (his father is former pro Gerald Wilkins). Damien Wilkins averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 57 games at UGA, with his shooting percentages eerily similar to his time at NC State.

Wilkins went undrafted, but he still played 10 years in the NBA, averaging 6.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 582 contests. He also played overseas and in the NBA D-League (now called the G-League).

Williams was a legend at Milwaukee (Wis.) Vincent, where he helped them win three state titles, and he was fourth-team Parade Magazine All-American. He averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 20 games at NC State before leaving after one season. He initially intended to transfer back home to Marquette, but he ultimately elected to play at Vincennes (Ind.) J.C., instead. Williams then transferred to Wisconsin-Green Bay. He never played for the Phoenix and his college odyssey ended at Georgetown (Ky.).

• Michael Bell (6-9, 195, PF, Raleigh Enloe)

• Trey Guidry (6-2, 175, SG, Baton Rouge (La.) Central)

• Marcus Melvin (6-8, 225, PF, Fayetteville (N.C.) Douglas Byrd)

• Scotter Sherrill (6-3, 185, SG, Mount Ulla (N.C.) West Rowan)

Overview: NC State continued to bring in top 100 talent with three of the four signees landing there in the RSCI rankings. Sherrill was a McDonald’s All-American and ranked No. 38, Bell was at No. 95 and Melvin three spots behind him at No. 98. Guidry rounded out the group.

Melvin proved to be the best player in the class. He was a true inside-outside threat for the Wolfpack, and perhaps a player ahead of his time due to his three-point shooting.

Melvin went 170 of 450 on three-pointers for 37.8 percent in 122 games in Raleigh. He ranked 12th or higher in the ACC during his last three years in three-point field goals made.

The Fayetteville, N.C., native ranked 12th in the ACC with 14.3 points per game and he was fifth in the league with 8.1 rebounds a contest his senior year in 2003-04, earning second-team All-ACC and second-team All-Tournament.

Melvin finished his NCSU career averaging 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, and he is 28th in points at NC State. Melvin's career 40.5 percent three-point shooting is tied for ninth best among Wolfpackers.

Sherrill had big expectations, and he ended up averaging 10.5 points per game his last two years for the Wolfpack. Overall, Sherrill averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 rebounds a contest in 117 career games. Sherrill was named second-team All-ACC Tournament in 2003.

Like the previous two classes, two players ended up transferring prematurely.

Bell had 20 points and 20 rebounds in 18 games played his first two years at NC State, and he transferred to Florida Atlantic for his last two years. Bell blossomed at FAU, and he averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in 54 contests.

Guidry averaged 3.1 points and made 43.2 percent of his three-pointers in 25 games his freshman year, but then transferred to Illinois State. Guidry had a solid three-year career with the Redbirds, averaging 13.4 points a contest and shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and 83.1 percent at the free-throw line.

Interesting tidbits: Bell was considered the “third best player” at Raleigh Enloe High his senior. He played with future NBA players Chris Wilcox (Maryland) and P.J. Tucker (Texas), with the latter still playing in the league with the Houston Rockets.

——

• Talk about it inside The State of Basketball

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker

• Like us on Facebook