Jules Down Under

Long way from where he dreamed of being, but I have no doubt he's going to have a great career playing ball for a long time.


Hodge hyped for home debut

36ers topple Kings 115-93
The Age, Australia - 1 hour ago
Adam Ballinger top scored for the 36ers with 35 points, with Brad Davidson (31) and newcomer Julius Hodge (24) also decisive. Mark Worthington was superb ...

sportal.com.au

Hodge hyped for home debut sportal.com.au, Australia - Jan 10, 2008 Adelaide 36ers supporters can expect an entertaining Distinctive Homes Dome debut from recruit Julius Hodge when he and his team mates tackle the Sydney ... Angry Sixers planning regicide Advertiser Adelaide all 2 news articles »

36er wants another crack at NBA sportal.com.au, Australia - 14 hours ago A dominant defensive performance against one of the NBA's best players has left Adelaide 36ers recruit Julius Hodge hungry for another crack at the big ...

'People person' Hodge eyes NBL play-offs ABC Online, Australia - Dec 23, 2007 New Adelaide import Julius Hodge is confident of making an immediate impact in the NBL when the 36ers play the South Dragons in Melbourne on Wednesday night ...

sportal.com.au

36ers unleash Hodge on Dragons sportal.com.au, Australia - Dec 20, 2007 The Adelaide 36ers are set to unveil their latest US import, Julius Hodge, against the South Dragons in Melbourne on Boxing Day. The 201cm recruit, who will ...

Hodge released, but not ready Adelaidenow, Australia - Dec 17, 2007 JULIUS Hodge is up in the air - but not in a plane the way the 36ers want him to be - and Josh Pace has not been picked up by the NBA. ...

Julius Hodge on 36ers' radar as import replacement Adelaidenow, Australia - Dec 12, 2007 JOSH Pace has declined the 36ers' offer to play out the NBL season as Mike Chappell's replacement but Julius Hodge is considering the move. ...

Ex-NBA player could be Sixers' saviour
The Age, Australia - Dec 26, 2007
New Sixers signing Julius Hodge was drafted high in the 2005 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, but played only a handful of games in the world's best ...

Josh Powell Sighting

Clippers add frontcourt depth by signing forward Josh Powell

The Clippers added frontcourt depth Tuesday by signing former North Carolina State forward Josh Powell.

Elton Brand, the Clippers' starting power forward, ruptured his left Achilles tendon earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined for the first several months of the season.

I've been pulling for Josh. When he left NC State, it sure seemed like one of those bone-headed moves destined to ruin his future prospects. No-one on the planet thought he was ready for the NBA, and he wasn't, but a long stint in the NBDL has turned him into a decent NBA player. We'll never really know how good he could have been in college, or whether staying in college would have made him a better pro.

It also seems that we may never know the real reasons he left college early. By all accounts, he was a great student and very bright, which led to a lot of speculation and rumors that he left either because he didn't get along with Herb, Julius Hodge, or Damien Wilkins. I've always thought that he may have resented being over-shadowed by Jules, and certainly people with some personalities might have trouble with Jules.

One moment always stuck in my mind. When Powell signed, it was a really big deal for Herb and the wolfpack. He was going to be the star of the class and was a sign that State was turning things around. But then Julius Hodge became the complete focus of the staff, media, and fans. At the yearly Red/White scrimmage, played at the RBC Center before a football game, both Jules and Powell were sitting baseline to watch the scrimmage. They were high-school seniors at the time. The fans, seeing Jules, started chant after chant of "Julius - Hodge". I sat, watching this and watching Powell during it. He seemed amused at first, then maybe slightly irritated. Finally, after 15 minutes or so the fans had the sense to change Josh Powell, but I've always wondered if the seeds of some jealousy were sown then, that eventually led to Powell's escape.

Just remembered one other thing on the topic. Powell's last game for the wolfpack was in an overtime loss to Cal in the NCAA first round in Oklahoma City. I made the insane drive from Raleigh to OK for that game. It was a very painful loss, punctuated by a failed end of game play that I don't really remember, but know didn't include Powell as the 1st or 2nd option. Powell had played a good game, but the staff drew something up for someone else at the end of the game. After the game, Julius Hodge called out the coaching staff, saying something to the media to the effect of "Josh owned those guys, and I can't believe we didn't keep going to him". No idea what the quote is, but it was very much out of character for Julius and I thought at the time it was a sign of trouble. In retrospect, I think it was Julius knowing that Powell was extremely frustrated and was possibly considering leaving, and was trying to do something to boost Powell and hopefully talk him into staying.