RALEIGH— There’s a new sheriff in Raleigh and his name is Scooter Sherrill.
OK, maybe not the sheriff. But the former West Rowan star and the top diaper dandy on the North Carolina State basketball team is going to be as important of a deputy to Kenny Inge, Damon Thornton and Damien Wilkins as Chester was to Marshall Dillon.
And Scooter doesn’t limp.
Sherrill becomes coach Herb Sendek’s second straight McDonald’s All-American recruit, just another in the upgrading that N.C. State fans hope finally puts the Wolfpack into the NCAATournament.
Despite a 20-14 season (6-10 in the ACC), the Pack was relegated for the fourth straight season to the NIT. They made the most of it, going all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion and fellow ACCer Wake Forest.
But most of the key figures, outside of Justin Gainey, return and Scooter’s emergence on the scene can do nothing but help.
“I love Scooter Sherrill,” raved Sendek during Operation Basketball a couple of weeks ago. “He is eager to learn, he loves the game of basketball and he is a great competitor.”
Scooter, who averaged 25 points for his career at West, probably won’t start much in the backcourt early on. Clifford Crawford and Archie Miller have been assigned the starting spots with Anthony Grundy seeing major minutes.
Crawford and Miller combined for just 23 minutes and seven points last year.
“Ithink it’s important to get a good tag team going with Clifford and Archie,” said Sendek. “The strength is that they compliment each other very well.”
Crawford is from Winston-Salem Parkland and his team defeated West Rowan in the 1999 3A state championship game.
Grundy was the team’s leading scorer at 12.4 but shot just 40 percent from the field.
That’s where Scooter might help out.
“I knew Scooter was a great scorer, but to be honest with you, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the accuracy in which he shoots,” said Sendek. “I’m so excited to have him on the team.”
Sendek wouldn’t be surprised to see the 6-3 Sherrill muscling under the boards.
“He’s strong physically beyond his years,” said Sendek. “If he was on the sidelines of a football game, he wouldn’t be out of place.”
Also playing guard is freshman Trey Guidry, who can bomb from the outside and little-used Brian Keeter, a junior from Cary.
The Wolfpack will definitely be a quicker product this season.
“We’re going to increase tempo,” Sendek said. “Idon’t necessarily think we were slow last year. The scores didn’t reflect it because of the way we shot the basketball (42 percent). And we were last in free throw percentage (65 percent).
One of the reasons things will speed up is the frontcourt, which can run right along beside the guards. Senior center Ron Kelley is the biggest starter at 6-9. Seniors Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are each 6-8. But both are burly bangers.
Inge (10.3 points 7 rebounds) has to curb his temper and Thornton (9.5 ppg, 7 rebounds) has to be reinstated. Sendek said that Thornton is still suspended after being arrested recently for driving while impaired.
“Our guys are not overwhelmingly quick by ACC standards,” Sendek said. “We’re more of a quick, agile front line. We’ll need speed and quickness instead of brute strength.”
Kelley was hampered by a knee injury most of last year. He missed six games and the Pack lost five. A healthy Kelley should average increase his 8.1 average from a year ago.
Cornelius Williams, a 6-11 senior center, had his moments last year and could have his best season.
Some of the newcomers might help inside. Freshmen Michael Bell (6-9) of Raleigh and Marcus Melvin (6-8) of Fayetteville could play. N.C. State also has its first 7-footer in 7-1 Kristian Jensen of Denmark, by way of Southeastern Community College. But he weighs just 215 pounds and is definitely a project. Will roach is a 6-5 swingman from nearby Broughton High.
And then, there’s Wilkins, who only a sophomore, has become the leader of the team. As a freshman, the 6-6 forward started more games (34) and played more minutes (1,084) than any frosh in Pack history. He hit double figures in 21 games and had three double-doubles. In the postseason (ACC Tournament and NIT)he averaged 15.5 points.
Sendek is so happy over his team this season that he has changed his persona. During the Red-White Game, he came out with Slappy and Mean Gene and danced in front of the crowd.
“I was actually pretty good and I don’t mind saying so myself,” Sendek said. “Consider the pressure. When was the last time you decided to dance in front of 15,000 people.”
There will be more than that packed into the glittering Entertainment and Sports Arena. The Pack has sold the place out and has even been forced to refund money. And why shouldn’t the Pack fans want to be there? The team was 17-3 in their house, the top homecourt advantage in the ACC.
New guys like Scooter Sherrill are going to love it. And there is plenty of love to share.
“This is a team that’s pretty close right now,” Sendek said. “It’s a group that naturally likes each other.
“I like the people on our team. It’s a fun group to coach and they’re guys I really enjoy being with.”
But no one, whether it be the players, coaches or fans will enjoy a fifth straight trip to the NIT.
And no one is expecting it either.
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