Walk-ons, though they don’t generally see court time except at the end of a blowout, often develop a cult following among the fans of a college basketball team.
Sophomore guard Chase Cannon fell into that category last season, and that will probably continue despite the fact that the Morehead City, N.C. native is now a scholarship player.
Head coach Mark Gottfried awarded Cannon a scholarship this semester, making him one of 11 scholarship players playing for the Pack this season.
Cannon played in 12 of the Wolfpack’s 35 games in last season, making a three-pointer in a win against Cleveland State on Dec. 8, 2012.
“It started with staying here over the summer,” Cannon said. “Obviously I worked hard last year, but this summer I really started getting in the weight room and put on about five or 10 pounds.”
Cannon said he practiced during his free time to improve the little things that ultimately helped him earn a scholarship.
“Summer is geared toward individual workouts, whereas during the season it’s all about team improvement,” Cannon said. “This summer I was able to work on my defense, as well as offensive moves other than just shooting, like the one-dribble pull-up and ball handling.”
Cannon said that Gottfried and the rest of the coaching staff were instrumental in motivating him to go the extra mile. He said he believes that any and all improvement that the players may experience starts with the coaches.
“The coaches push us every day,” Cannon said. “They make us get the most out of ourselves so that they can get the most out of us as well. They really want us to be the best that we can be.”
Cannon, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 200 pounds, posted 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a senior at the Miller School, located just outside Charlottesville, Va.
He also works hard off the court, earning the honor of salutatorian of his graduating class at Miller. Before transferring to Miller, he played at West Carteret High School. He is one of seven North Carolina natives on the roster.
The star power of C.J. Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell and Scott Wood led the Wolfpack to its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Cannon said he noticed the difference in atmosphere from the previous season to this one.
“This year is a little different,” Cannon said. “There’s so many new guys and so many younger guys, we feel like we’re all on the same level. We all get along really well with each other. I really enjoy being with these guys.”
Though his scholarship status has changed, Cannon isn’t stopping there. He’s hungry to help the team return to the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season. It would be State’s first back-to-back-to-back tournament appearances since an appearance in 2006 capped off a string of five straight.
“I figured if I could make myself better, I’ll ultimately be able to make the team better,” Cannon said.
