Every spring an unknown in college basketball recruiting circles becomes well known in the state of North Carolina.
Current NC State senior signees Immanuel Bates and Ian Steere of Fayetteville (N.C.) Northwood Temple Academy went through some of that to varying degrees. Eventual Houston signee Nate Hinton of Gastonia (N.C.) Gaston Day exploded in his recruitment but stayed loyal to a program that was on him before the bandwagon started.
Ayden (N.C.) Ayden-Grifton High junior center Josiah Shackleford has a well known last name in basketball circles, but his recruitment is currently in the “before” category of before and after. The 6-foot-8 1/2, 205-pounder is the nephew of the late Charles Shackleford, who was a standout at Kinston (N.C.) High, NC State and six years in the NBA. The 6-10 Charles Shackleford amassed 1,625 career points, 1,448 rebounds and 148 blocks in 303 NBA games. He also played five years overseas.
Shackleford retired in 1999 and his post-playing days were full of ups and downs, but he became clean and sober and a mentor to his nephew, Josiah Shackleford, the son of Charles’ sister. Charles Shackleford passed away Jan. 27, 2017, after suffering a heart attack from an enlarged heart at age 50.
“I really didn’t hit a growth spurt until ninth grade,” said Shackleford, 17. “I used to be like 5-7 and fat [at one point]. Charles Shackleford inspired me a lot. I would write his name on my show. I would do it for him.”
Josiah became “real close” with his uncle in the last years of Charles’ life. His uncle and mother drive him to succeed on the court.
“My mom played high school ball and was a star,” Josiah Shackleford said. “She was a dominant post player and she taught me how to work down in the post. My mom didn’t start taking basketball serious until her freshman year.”
Shackleford hopes to add to the legacy in his basketball playing family. He was one of the top performers at the Phenom Hoop Report N.C. Top 80 Camp on March 11 in Greensboro, N.C. He measured in with a 7-2 wingspan and 40-inch vertical jump.
“This is a big next 4-5 months for me,” Shackleford said. “UNCG is showing interest. I want to be a dominant post player and rebound on the glass.”
Shackleford will be playing with Apex, N.C.-based Carolina Wolves traveling team and will get a pair of weekends in April to play in front of college coaches, many of whom could be watching him for the first time.
“It’s going to be very big, but I really can’t explain it,” Shackleford said. “I’ll be trying to develop my game more. I really wasn’t noticed last year.”
Shackleford started his prep career at Winterville (N.C.) South Central High his first two years, but transferred to his mother’s alma mater for his junior campaign. He averaged 12.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He had season-bests of 23 points, 17 rebounds (twice) and he blocked nine shots against Greenville (N.C.) Rose High in a 72-66 win Dec. 27. He flirted with a triple-double that night with 19 points, 17 boards and nine blocks.
“I loved playing at Ayden-Grifton,” Shackleford said. “I loved averaging ‘doubles.’ Toward the end, the guards started feeding me and I could carry the team.”
Shackleford played his old teammates at South Central, and had 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a 83-64 loss. Sophomore center Day’Ron Sharpe, who is a potential Wolfpack target in the class of 2020, had 24 points, 10 boards and four blocks in the big man battle.
“Playing against Day’Ron was amazing,” Shackleford said. “I had played with them in the summer, but I was a role player. When I came to Ayden-Grifton, it allowed me to show who I am as a dominant post player.”
