Former North Carolina State standout Julius Hodge is the new men’s basketball coach at Lincoln University, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Hodge, the No. 20 pick in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, took over the program on July 2.

The versatile 6-foot-7 guard from Harlem played overseas for nearly a decade following his brief NBA career.

Hodge is quick to praise those who helped shape his basketball journey.

“I’ve always been around great men and great coaches, so I always had it in the back of my mind that coaching was something I wanted to pursue after my playing days ended,” he said.

After he retired, Hodge worked at the Atlantic Coast Conference Network before he joined the coaching staff at Buffalo under Nate Oats. Hodge was also an assistant at N.C. State, San Jose State, and, most recently, the University of Arkansas.

But long before any of that, Hodge’s coaching foundation started at home.

“My core values as a coach were instilled in me as a young kid by my older brother,” he said. “Be disciplined, be committed to excellence every day, and be accountable.”

Read more about Julius Hodge joining as basketball coach at Lincoln University in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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