I knew Josh well all four years at Wake. He was a solo recruit and he struggled to find his place on the team and at Wake. He admits that. He was always a shy kid, but I didn't know one person who felt Josh was mean-spirited or had an attitude. He was selfish at times during his sophomore and junior year because he didn't like it here. He spent most of his time with his friends from high school, his family. As mentioned, as a kid Josh thought Wake was literally "just some trees" and it became a commuter school when he first enrolled. Then Skip entered. He helped him focus. He motivated Josh. Josh became more comfortable in his own skin. He committed himself. I distinctly remember partying with him in the fall of senior year when he told me he was going clean for the whole season. People can pretend that it's no big deal and maybe it isn't, but it illustrates progress. What people also don't realize is that Steve Lepore joined Josh's class his junior year so he now had a classmate on the team and they became close, roommates even. Steve helped get Josh to open up, went out to campus parties with him, etc...Lepore wasn't much on the court those years, but he helped Josh a great deal. Josh Howard is exactly what makes Wake great. He matured here, became a great player, and he also recognizes how much Wake helped him even though it was a struggle at times. He's had his hiccups and was never great with the media. Sad thing is I doubt Josh Howard would last with this current regime if he were to step on Wake's campus right now as a freshman. Josh required patience from teachers and coaches alike--he was a typical teenager in that way. But for those of you who witnessed Josh getting his diploma--huge grin on his face, snapping a picture of himself and Hearn as the student body roared--then you can certainly understand why patience is a virtue when it comes to kids like Josh Howard.
