Jerry Stackhouse: Chooses Vanderbilt over NBA

[Just Sayin]

Jerry Stackhouse: Chooses Vanderbilt over NBA, texts Penny Hardaway and meets his new team


https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2019/04/08/jerry-stackhouse-vanderbilt-university-basketball/3372107002/

Influences from Dean Smith to Bible study
Most recently, Stackhouse swapped text messages with Penny Hardaway, a former NBA star player who became a first-time college coach at Memphis this season. They will talk in more depth in about two weeks.

But Stackhouse's lasting influences came long before his NBA career, which was apparent in an emotional moment from his opening statement. Stackhouse introduced his wife, son and other friends and family members in attendance and then choked up when talking about his parents, who were unable to attend for health reasons.

"I want to thank them for rolling me out of bed every morning at 5 a.m. to get on my knees and say my prayers, for waking me up every Sunday morning for church and for Bible study," said Stackhouse, who grew up in Kinston, N.C., as the youngest of 11 children. "That's why I'm here. I've had success in basketball, but (the combination of) those two people are what Vanderbilt is getting.

"They taught me integrity, how to treat people right and how to teach."

Stackhouse also mentioned coaching mentors from Smith, his Hall of Fame coach at North Carolina, to his junior high coach and long-time NBA coach Rick Carlisle. He said they taught him humility and a team dynamic that he will instill at Vanderbilt.

"I was averaging about 30 points a game, but (Carlisle) came in and said, 'If you could average about 23 points (then it would help the team)," Stackhouse recalled. "We went from a 32-50 team the year before to a 50-32 team. Sometimes less is more."
Stackhouse arrived at North Carolina as a McDonald's All-American, but he said Smith taught him the value of unselfish play.