2003 Top 50 List: Not eligible
Dan Collins List: No
Chris Paul was a prized recruit from West Forsyth High School outside of Winston-Salem. Getting him to stay home was a coup for Skip Prosser. Paul immediately stepped into the starting lineup as a freshman, enabling Justin Gray to play off the ball, and giving the Demon Deacons one of the best backcourts in the country for the two years that Paul was there. He edged out Luol Deng as ACC Rookie of the Year. In his sophomore campaign, Paul was named first team All-America. His last college game was one of the all-time great NCAA Tournament games, the double overtime shootout with the Mike Gansey/Kevin Pittsnogle West Virginia team in which nobody could miss in overtime.
“I was at the top of our 1-3-1 zone,” Gansey said. “Paul’s second speed was my highest speed, my 10th speed. He just had an unreal gear to him. We’d put two or three people on him, and he still got where he wanted to go. We had to mix stuff up to try to stop him from getting in the paint. To this day he’s the quickest guy — herky-jerky, north, south, east, west — I ever played with or against. He just got what he wanted. I was trying my hardest, and he was still blowing by me.”
“Chris Paul is the quickest man I ever saw,” said the 6-10 Pittsnogle of the most demonic of the Deacons, the 6-2 Paul. “He’d throw one fake at me, and I’d still be reacting to it when he’d throw another one.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 24, 2015
The most interesting aspect of Paul’s record is that statistically, his freshman year was just as good as his sophomore year. Yet he couldn’t crack second team All-ACC as a freshman. Prior to the one-and-done era, it was rare, but not unheard of, for a freshman to make first or second team. Some who did:
- Skip Wise, Clemson, 1975
- Brad Davis, Maryland, 1975
- Gene Banks, Duke, 1978
- Jeff Lamp, UVa, 1978
- Mark Price, GT, 1983
- Johnny Dawkins, Duke, 1983
- JR Reid, UNC, 1987
- Kenny Anderson, GT, 1990
- Rodney Rogers, Wake, 1991
- Joe Smith, Maryland, 1994
- Antawn Jamison, UNC, 1996
Why didn’t Paul? Statistically, his freshman season seems outstanding. I’m not sure why the All-ACC voters didn’t see him as having a better year than, say, BJ Elder of Georgia Tech. Perhaps part of the reason was the presence of Gray in the same backcourt. He was a year older and had a great year in his own right. I’m guessing the voters didn’t feel it was justified having both Wake Forest guards on first team, and they gave Gray the first team votes because of seniority. The next year, both Gray and Paul had very similar statistics, but the voters could no longer deny Paul’s greatness, and their All-ACC positions flipped.
I attended the 2005 ACC Tournament. Along with UNC and Duke, Wake Forest came in as one of the favorites, but they were beaten soundly by NC State in the quarterfinal. I had forgotten that Paul was suspended for that game because of the infamous Julius Hodge groin punch. Between that loss and the West Virginia loss, it was a disappointing finish to Paul’s college career. Didn’t exactly hold him back though… he’s on a fast track to the basketball Hall of Fame. In fact, there is a very good argument that Chris Paul is the second-best pro player ever produced by the ACC. It’s either Paul or Tim Duncan.
Ah yes, the 2005 ACC Tournament. Where the 4 of us had 3 seats on one side of the arena and 1 lonely seat on the opposite side of the arena. Where our no-smoking hotel room smelled of cigarettes. Where we had to walk (briefly) through a shower of sleet on the way to the arena one day. Worst of all, we had to watch J.J. Redick and Duke win the championship. At least it wasn’t Carolina.
On the other hand, I was interviewed by a reporter and got a quote in the newspaper, slagging Maryland after the Terps lost the first game of the tournament on Thursday afternoon. And State did win a couple of games. I guess there are worse ways to spend a 4-day weekend than hanging out with Jake, Jeffrey, and Curt and watching a whole lot of basketball. Good times.