NC State Basketball Star Gets Surprise After First Win as Head Coach
As it turns out, NC State basketball product Julius Hodge's Division II Lincoln (Pa.) Lions fared better than the Big 12 newcomer Arizona State Sun Devils against the No. 7-ranked Duke Blue Devils in exhibition action. The Lions fell, 107-56, in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Oct. 19, eight days before the the Sun Devils lost to the stacked Blue Devils, 103-47.
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And it looks as though Hodge and his Lions had no problem bouncing back from their preseason defeat at the hands of Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils.
On Saturday night, the Lincoln Lions tipped off their regular season with an 87-78 win over the Kutztown Bears at the CIAA/PSAC Challenge in East Stroudsburg, Pa.
In the squad's meeting room afterward, the Lions surprised the 40-year-old Hodge with a Gatorade shower to celebrate his first victory as a head coach:
We got our first victory of the season and Coach Hodge got his first victory as a Head Coach!! #WaterTheGarden 🪴 🚿 #lincolnlions🦁 pic.twitter.com/uhqeWtTI6R
— Julius Hodge (@Follow24Hodge) November 10, 2024
Julius Hodge, whose 2,040 points as an NC State basketball sensation in the early 2000s remain No. 3 on the program's all-time scoring list, is now guiding his group in a Sunday evening showdown versus the host of the CIAA/PSAC Challenge, the East Stroudsburg Warriors.
The former first-round NBA Draft pick spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant, including stops at Buffalo, Santa Clara, San Jose State, and most recently, Little Rock.
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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.