NC State Basketball Star to Face Duke in Head Coaching Debut
The last time Julius Hodge squared off against Duke was on March 12, 2005. That day, the Blue Devils held the NC State basketball senior sensation, whose 2,040 points for the Wolfpack sit third on the program's all-time scoring list, to 11 points in the Wolfpack's 76-69 loss to its nearby foe in their ACC Tournament semifinal bout in Washington, D.C.
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At the time, now-third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer was just a high school junior in Illinois. It wasn't until two months later that the eventual All-ACC guard in Durham, the starting point guard for the 2009-10 national champions, committed to Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils.
Now, the 40-year-old Julius Hodge is set to lead his first squad as a head coach, the Division II Lincoln (Pa.) Lions, in an exhibition game against the 37-year-old Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils in Duke's famed Cameron Indoor Stadium at 1 p.m. ET Saturday (ACC Network Extra).
So, the New York native's first contest as a head coach comes against a Duke basketball squad that ranks No. 7 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll and features projected one-and-done No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.
After hearing his name No. 20 overall at the 2005 NBA Draft, Hodge, the 2003-04 ACC Player of the Year, saw action in 23 games between two seasons in the NBA before shining for almost a decade in various leagues overseas. He spent the past nine seasons as an assistant coach, most recently at Little Rock before accepting the Lincoln (Pa.) job in late July.
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Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of NC State Wolfpack on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining NC State Wolfpack on SI in 2024, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.