WHITEVILLE, N.C. - As the 100-degree sunshine baked the ground outside the high school gym where he first created a buzz that will follow him into the world of professional basketball, Chris Wilcox savored his past and relished his future.
Close friends and family lingered nearby, waiting for him to finish signing autographs for adoring fans, some of whom had rushed over from church still wearing their Sunday best. They wanted his signature on a shot of No. 54 in a familiar pose, hanging in mid-air just about to throw down a vicious dunk for the national champion Maryland Terrapins. Wilcox patiently complied with each request.
It was Chris Wilcox Appreciation Day in this city of 5,400 - a warm gesture that locals hope will keep him coming back to his roots long after Wednesday's NBA draft sends their favorite son to some faraway place.
"He's doing really good for being 19, but he's going to have to grow up really fast," said Wilcox's sister, Tehesia, 29. "We want him to stay the same. He wants to be the same regular person. But it ain't like that anymore."
Proving Wilcox is clearly a cut above regular was the group that came to the gym in his honor. Mayor Anne Jones presented him with a collage tracking his career from his anonymous days at a Columbus County middle school to the brief time he spent helping Maryland win its first NCAA title as one of the college game's most athletic power forwards. There were politicians, a preacher and Glenn McKoy, the Whiteville High coach who recalled Wilcox's early exploits in a commanding, baritone voice.
Outside, Wilcox looked like a 6-foot-9 1/2 , 230-pound star who needed a nap. His sore hamstring bothered him. The six-hour drive the night before from College Park had taken a toll. So had the long days of workouts in preparation for the NBA draft in New York, where he is expected to be among the first seven players chosen.
Yet Wilcox clearly was content to be in his element, knowing his life was about to change in ways he had envisioned for years.
Ever since he chose to attend Maryland - primarily because the Terps made an aggressive recruiting push, were a perennial NCAA tournament team and had a way of sending players to the pros - Wilcox had planned all along to stay in college for two years tops, with a chance at winning a championship.
Went there, did that.
Soon, he is expected to sign a multimillion-dollar contract. Soon, his mother, Debra Brown, who has worked for the Columbus Correctional Institution for 26 years, will retire early.
"Christopher never gave me any trouble. He was happy just playing ball all the time," said Brown, who has seen nearly every one of her son's high school, college and AAU games and raised him alone after divorcing Raymond Wilcox when Chris was a toddler.
Familiar turf
By coming back home one more time, Wilcox could hang out for one more night with old buddies like Demetreus Powell and Carlos Geathers. He could devour his favorite, a pork chop sandwich at Pigford's Chicken. He could stop by Jean's Game Room out in the country to holler at Franklin McDonald, the 55-year-old owner and a distant cousin who has known Wilcox since he could barely walk, let alone soar.
"Christopher was the first one to jump up and pull the rim down and bust the backboard when I put up a hoop in the parking lot. I had no idea he would grow up to be as tall and as fancy as he's gotten now. I never did think it would come to this," said McDonald, who often baby-sat Wilcox.
"A lot of people know me here. I feel comfortable here. This is where it started for me," said Wilcox, who grew up in nearby Chadbourn, surrounded by fields of corn, tobacco, cucumbers and strawberries, and will turn 20 on Sept. 3.
"I've always had dreams, like what if I played in a national championship game? Eventually, it's going to be draft day and I'm going to be walking across that stage. I try not to look back on things. I try to keep straight ahead. It all happened real quick for me."
Wilcox has had an eye trained on an NBA career since he blossomed as an elite college prospect while leading the Whiteville Wolfpack to a Class 2A state title as a junior.
As only the second North Carolina player to sign under 13-year Maryland coach Gary Williams (assistant coach Matt Kovarik was the other), Wilcox was the teen-ager with the muscular body of a man and the freakish leaping ability who oozed raw talent but lacked an outside shot and other refinements.
No matter. Despite barely playing as a freshman at Maryland, Wilcox could dazzle with a cameo appearance, and he was part of the 10-man rotation that pushed the Terps to their first-ever Final Four. A starter for most of his sophomore year, he usually played third fiddle behind seniors Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter. Still, no one hogged the highlight reels more than the acrobatic Wilcox, with his array of jump hooks, thunderous put-backs and fast-break slams.
While drawing his share of criticism for inconsistency, Wilcox made the most of big-game opportunities. No player more affected regular-season victories over second-ranked Illinois and top-ranked Duke than Wilcox, whose domination of Blue Devils forward Mike Dunleavy changed the course of that 87-73 victory on Feb. 17.
"I thought if Terence Morris had left early the year that I came in, I might have had a chance to be a starter and leave in one year," Wilcox said. "It took me two years, but I think I'm in a better situation. I didn't want to say anything [about leaving Maryland] too early, but that Duke game really picked me up."
Peaking in the spotlight
Duke was merely a warm-up. At Maryland's second straight Final Four appearance, Wilcox toyed with Kansas All-American Drew Gooden in the semifinals, then controlled Indiana forward and Big Ten Player of the Year Jared Jeffries in Maryland's 64-52 championship victory.
"If you only average 12 points and seven rebounds, your team had better be winning. Chris didn't always run plays perfectly, but with us winning 32 games and having Juan and Lonny as seniors, he had a chance to showcase his remarkable talent," said Williams, who battled Wilcox at times over his practice habits.
"I'd be on him pretty hard in practice, and he would block a shot into the stands or dunk and look at me as if to say, 'See?' He would make everybody just stop and say, 'How did he do that?' " he added. "There was no way Chris was going to stay for four years."
Wilcox is expected to be the first among possibly four Terps drafted, ahead of Dixon, Baxter and senior Byron Mouton.
This was not the first time Wilcox fell behind early, only to catch up in a hurry.
At Chadbourn Middle School, he was cut from his seventh-grade team, only to gain a roster spot as a starter and lead the school to an eighth-grade title. At nearby West Columbus High as a 6-5 freshman, Wilcox made the junior varsity, then was left behind when several teammates, including Powell, were promoted to the varsity in midseason.
Wilcox and his mother then moved into a six-room bungalow she had purchased, allowing him to transfer to Whiteville High, where another rapid ascension began. He improved steadily as the Wolfpack made it to the Class 2A state semifinals. The next year, Wilcox carried Whiteville to the state crown and became a top 15 Division I prospect.
"In the seventh grade, Chris was a nobody. He was very raw. The only thing he needed was somebody to work with him," said McKoy, who has won 464 games in 27 years at Whiteville High and taught Wilcox the jump hook.
"Very seldom do you get ballplayers whom you have to beg to shoot. He was one of those kids. Not a selfish bone in his body. And you talk about a finisher," added McKoy, who ranks Wilcox as the best he has coached. "Chris was always nonchalant, even-keel. He acted the same if he scored 40 points or 14, as long as the team won. The most popular man on campus with the ladies and the teachers."
Demetreus Powell chuckled at the memory of the younger, undeveloped Wilcox.
"When [he] was 11 or 12, he was about 5-8, real skinny. He deserved [to get cut]. Couldn't dribble, shoot or dunk," said Powell, who pressed Wilcox to commit to improving his game. "Coach McKoy gave him a look, and he's been on his way ever since."
After his breakout junior year at Whiteville High, Wilcox moved two hours away to Raleigh, where he played at Enloe High, a Class 4A school.
"He had won the 2A championship, and it was felt he needed to play in a 4A championship for the experience. Adjusting wasn't much of a problem," said Brown, who watched her son lead Enloe to the state semifinals.
"He always liked playing basketball. That's why he was so hurt in the seventh grade. Then he grew five inches that summer to about 6-3, and he's still growing," she said. "It's a blessing."
North Carolina, Maryland and North Carolina State led the early recruiting push for Wilcox, who initially had trouble qualifying academically. That narrowed the field to N.C. State and Maryland, and Wilcox liked the fact that nine Terps under Williams had gone on to the NBA.
Brown said once Williams assured her that Maryland would hold his scholarship for another year if Wilcox had to attend a prep school, the deal was done. Wilcox then passed his SAT on the fourth try and went straight to College Park.
"It's a big deal that Chris is going away to play pro ball," said Whiteville principal Kyle Ramey, "but it was a mega-deal around here when he said he wanted to go to Maryland" rather than remain in the state.
As for the future, the NBA is intrigued by the Wilcox package. A handful of executives say he could be a top five pick. Some see him going to Cleveland or New York, which hold the sixth and seventh selections.
"I remember one of our scouts saw him early and didn't write much. He saw him a month later and told me I really needed to see this guy," one Eastern Conference general manager said. "He blocks shots, rebounds and he can really get out on the [fast] break and finish.
"He made lots of progress as the year went on. People are always looking for big men who have athletic ability. He has huge potential," he said.
Wilcox is not the first exceptional athlete to leave Whiteville for the big time. Chester McGlockton, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who plays for the Denver Broncos, is a Whiteville High graduate. So is former major-league pitcher Tommy Greene, who threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991. Otis and Donnell Nixon, former major-league baseball players, attended West Columbus High.
Wilcox has made it a point to give something back as he prepares for his pro career. Last month, he returned to Chadbourn, his birthplace about 10 miles from Whiteville, to be the grand marshal in the town's annual strawberry festival. He also ran in Columbus County's Relay for Life charity event in late May, and had his high school jersey retired during another visit.
"He's down-to-earth, regular people, and he's comfortable here. I wish he could come here and eat in peace without being bothered. I hate the way he gets swarmed," said Edith Davis, the manager at Pigford's Chicken. "It might not be as often, but I think he'll always come back."
Home ties bind
Wilcox said the thought of making a living in a metropolis like New York scares him, which is understandable.
Whiteville, an hour's drive from the coast, is a sleepy place. In 2001, the police department recorded one murder, one aggravated assault, 15 robberies and not a single rape. The city, which thrives on farming and the paper and plywood industries, will welcome a Super Wal-Mart next spring. There is talk about a second movie theater opening.
"What's there to do around here? Not much," said Carlos Geathers, a close friend who plans to be with Wilcox in New York on draft night. "We run together, work out together, hang around each other's houses or other friends' houses and stay away from trouble."
Wilcox is eager to take care of his mother and sister. He plans to start a lupus foundation. He lost an aunt to the disease, and Tehesia has been diagnosed with it. Debra suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and her son wants to ease her pain. Wilcox also is determined to maintain his close-knit group of friends, while keeping the hangers-on at bay.
"I've got family members calling me for money, and I don't even have any money yet. I can't take care of you just because you gave me a dollar a long time ago," Wilcox said. "I've got my friends who I'm tight with. I want to take care of my mom. She's taken care of me for 19 years."
Had he stayed in school, Wilcox could have been the NCAA's preseason Player of the Year pick and a probable first-team All-America choice. He might have been able to lead Maryland to another Atlantic Coast Conference title, maybe one more Final Four. He might have been a certain top three pick in next year's draft.
But Wilcox refuses to look back or second-guess himself. In the end, he said he really had no choice but to fulfill his dream.
"Sometimes, school isn't for everyone. You never know what tomorrow may bring. If I was to stay [at Maryland], anything could happen. I could break a leg or something that would hurt my draft status," said Wilcox, adding he hopes to return to school later and pursue a degree.
"I have a great opportunity right now, and there's a lot of money out there. I think I deserve some of it. It's a great feeling," he said. "I'm doing what I like doing. That's what it's about."
NBA draft
When: Wednesday
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV: TNT
Wilcox file
College: Maryland
Height: 6-9 1/2
Weight: 230
Age: 19
Hometown: Chadbourn, N.C.
High school: Enloe (Raleigh, N.C.) 1 season; Whiteville (N.C.) 2 seasons
College statistics: 70 games 554 points (7.9 avg.) 330 rebounds 71 blocks 69 assists
What they are saying: "Powerful and explosive. Will put fans in the seats and energize any team with his vicious dunks. Scouts love his 6-foot-10 frame and think he could become a big-time rebounder in the league." - Clutchcity.com
"He's still a raw project, but could ultimately develop into the best frontcourt player in this draft." - CBS Sportsline.com "He's very high-energy, energetic, unbelievable amount of explosiveness and quickness to the ball. What I really like, you put that guy in the open court with that size, he'll beat most guys down the floor." - Knicks coach Don Chaney
"Wilcox is too good to pass up in the top 10. He has a chance to go as high as No. 3 but more likely somewhere from 4 to 7. His skills are too tantalizing for teams." - ESPN.com