by Alex Schwartz

During his freshman season, Brandon Costner was a star in the ACC for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, but he fell off during his sophomore year as Sidney Lowe's squad struggled and freshman JJ Hickson was the team superstar. This year, NC State is back on track and so is Costner, who attended Seton Hall Prep (NJ) before heading south. The team has opened up with a 9-2 record, with the two losses coming at the hands of Top 25 teams by a combined eight points, Davidson (by five) and Marquette (by three). Brandon's stats are similar to what they were in the 2006-2007 season. The 6'9 combo forward is averaging more rebounds, assists, and blocks, while turning the ball over less and shooting a better percentage from the line than he did in 06-07. Granted, his points per game is down, but Costner is averaging 7.5 less minutes per contest too, so he is having a very impressive season, and it far exceeds his performance from last year. Thus, it seems that as goes Brandon Costner goes the NC Wolfpack. The talented redshirt junior was at the Steve Nash Skills Academy "just hanging out" because he was "home for a couple of weeks [and] knew a lot of the guys there, so [he] just wanted to stop by and say 'what's up'." The ACC star said, "It's nice to enjoy. I'm a fan as much as I am a basketball player, and I'm a fan of all those guys [who participated in the event], so it's nice to come and workout." Brandon told me this when I spoke to him during the college players' workout time, a session that included coaching from Steve Nash himself. I also discussed much more with Costner, such as his game, his time at NC State, and his future.

NB: What did you think about your [former] teammate JJ Hickson getting drafted in the first round [of the 2008 NBA Draft]?
BC: Well, I’m very happy for him—‘congratulations JJ’. He worked hard for it and he deserves it, so I wish [him] the best.

NB: There had been a lot of talk earlier [on] that you were going to try to transfer. What was the story with that?
BC: I don’t know, I didn’t put that out there. [Laughs] It’s just something that was going around the internet. I don’t know, a lot have gone around the internet about me that are pretty false, so it just comes with the territory I guess.

NB: Did the idea of transferring ever even cross your mind?
BC: [Pause] Not really, not this season. It did when we had the coaching change, but not this season, no.

NB: Why did you shoot so much less this year?
BC: I don’t know, just [because I had] a different role, reduced role. The offense was going in a different direction, so I’m a player and if that’s what the coach feels like we need to do to win then I’ll accept that [and] play my role.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?
BC: I’d have to say my basketball IQ, I’m a really smart player, I can think three and four plays ahead, and I’m very versatile, so that allows me to overcome a lot of . . . negatives that I have in my game or in my athletic stature.

NB: What are some of the weaknesses in your game?
BC: I just feel like I [am] kind of a ‘tweener maybe, and I need to figure out [and] define [if I am] one or the other. I can always develop my right hand more, though I am pretty good with it. [Also], just be more consistent.

NB: How many years are you planning on staying in college?
BC: This is my fourth year, so it’s probably my last year.

NB: Aren’t you a redshirt junior?
BC: Yeah, I am, but I’m graduating early, so I don’t really want to stay too far back.

NB: You don’t plan on doing a grad school year and playing your senior season [of eligibility]?
BC: No.

NB: Do you have any goals for the Draft next year of where you want to go?
BC: Not really. Just to be drafted is a blessing, so hopefully that dream will come to fruition.

NB: Who was your favorite team growing up?
BC: Growing up? Probably [Pause] the Bulls, obviously because of MJ, but I was [also] a big Magic Johnson fan for a long time.

NB: If you could pick what team you’d play for, who would you play for?
BC: [The] Celtics. Kevin Garnett is my favorite player and I would love to learn from him.

NB: What do you think NC State is . . . capable of accomplishing [this] year?
BC: I think as long as we play together and play smart, and do what we’re capable of, we can be really good. I feel like we can finish in the top half of the ACC and make a run in the [NCAA] Tournament.

In addition, Costner had the following to say about his performance last season, when many feel he struggled:

“I wouldn’t necessarily say [that] my performance was that bad. If you look at it, my production was cut in half, and I took way—I took 50% less shots than I did my freshman year. So, if you’re taking 50% less shots, you’re production will be cut in half, so that’s what happened. So, I don’t really consider it such a terrible year other than the fact that we didn’t win." Whether or not that it is true, it is clear that Costner's success greatly impacts his Wolfpack squad. The question now is whether or not that success will translate into an NBA paycheck. As of now, DraftExpress does not project Costner as being selected in either round of the draft, but who knows what will happen. Regardless of whether or not Brandon ends up playing in the League, it is clear that he has a very good career at NC State, and it's not over yet.

Note- photo is from http://www.draftexpress.com/index.php.
Note- http://espn.go.com/ used as a source for information on North Carolina State and Brandon Costner.