Gold Rush: 100% Cotten
2/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2003
by Stan Cotten
"I wouldn't trade him for anybody."
Ask Wake Forest Coach Skip Prosser about his senior star forward Josh Howard and that's the answer you'll get. And he's right. It might take two or three players for Howard to make an even swap. Even then, you might get ripped off.
Howard is having a sensational final year as a Demon Deacon. His importance to Wake Forest cannot be measured. You just can't quantify what he means to this team that is raising eyebrows as the ACC season goes along.
Ask people to describe Josh Howard with one or two words - and they can't. Opposing coaches are trying to figure out ways to slow him down - and they can't. And NBA scouts who come to see him play and try to fit him into the mold of one particular kind of player can't do that either.
"A lot times people try to button-hole a particular player - is he a big guard or a small forward," says Mark Freidinger, color analyst for the Wake Forest ISP Sports Network and scout for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs. "You can't do that with Josh. The biggest thing is, you look at him and, defensively, he's very, very good. Very quick - hands on the ball all of the time. Offensively he's gotten better. He's obviously worked on his outside shooting and free throw shooting. He can go up and down the floor in transition, and that's very positive."
When you look at Howard's numbers this season compared with when he began his college career four years ago, the improvement is staggering. In relatively the same amount of playing time per game, his output has skyrocketed. His points and rebounds have nearly doubled. His shooting percentages at the free throw line and behind the three point arc aren't even close - .583 to .830 at the line and .286 to .425 from three point range entering the Feb. 2 game at North Carolina.
And consider this: Howard is the only player in the nation with at least 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and one block per game. He does it all. And ESPN analyst Dan Bonner has taken notice as he judges talent from across the country.
"I think Josh, both in the ACC and across the nation, would rank right up at the top," Bonner asserts. "I think his statistics say just about everything. You don't put up those numbers without being incredibly talented, but having your talents cover such a wide range of skills - you just rarely see that in a guy."
"If I were going to vote for player of the year in the ACC right now, not only would I vote for Josh Howard, but I would argue that there really isn't another candidate right at the moment. Somebody's going to have to have quite a second half of the season to even challenge him."
Wake fans love the fact that Josh is theirs. But he is a senior and won't be around forever. Freidinger says, though, that Howard-withdrawal will be short lived. He'll be playing in the NBA very soon.
"I think he certainly has the ability to be a pro," Dinger says. "Josh has the ability to do something special - defend. He can guard small forwards, big guards and really do a good job. And that's one thing that the NBA is looking for - players who can stop people. And that's where the majority of the big scorers are - the two-guard and small forward."
The good news is that half of the current college basketball season still remains. There's plenty of time for Demon Deacon fans to flock to the Joel Coliseum while Howard still wears black and gold.
I'll see you there.