C.J. Leslie Diary: Interview with a Point Guard
Words. C.J. Leslie
Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) star forward C.J. Leslie is the #10-rated prospect in the HSH Top 50. Previously committed to N.C. State, Leslie recently re-opened his recruiting and has opted to wait until the spring to decide on a college. That alone makes his one of the most intriguing stories in the 2010 senior class, and Leslie also happens to be one of its most exciting players.
C.J. has agreed to give HSH exclusive access and chronicle his thoughts in this bi-monthly diary where he’ll talk about everything from his season with Word of God to the recruiting process as he inches closer and closer to a decision. For this entry, he’s brought in Walton H.S. (Marietta, Ga.) star point guard Ryan Harrow, an N.C. State signee and the nation’s biggest McDonald’s/Jordan Brand All-American snub:
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C.J. Leslie: What’s up people, it’s your boy C.J, Leslie and I’m here with Lil Ugly…
Ryan Harrow: Ha ha! And this is your boy Ryan Harrow and I’m here with the infamous C.J. Leslie…
Leslie: I’ve seen a lot of diaries, but I figured I’d change it up a little bit this time and do it with my boy Ryan. I don’t think anyone’s done this before. We’re just down here chillin’, about to go catch this state championship tournament. I’m down here in the “A” staying with my boy Ryan for the weekend. My season ended too soon. It was frustrating because I was hurt for the last two games, and I couldn’t help my team because of an ankle injury. It sucked to have to watch the games, but there wasn’t anything that I could really do about it. I just got back to working out about three days ago, but other than that I’ve been taking care of my ankle, icing it and stuff.
Harrow: Well, my season wasn’t much better y’all. We lost in our first regional playoff game. Now I’m working with a trainer and with a strength and agility coach. I play in this men’s league, too. So I’m moving on.
Leslie: And just so you know, Ryan’s not down here recruiting me every second. We don’t really talk about it like that. We’re boys! We’re just hanging out and chillin’.
Harrow: Yeah, nothing like that.
Leslie: So right now I’m getting ready for the McDonald’s All-American game, and my boy right here SHOULD be getting ready to play in it, too. That’s CRAZY that he’s not in it! To be honest, there are a few point guards that shouldn’t be in it over him. I don’t think he got a fair chance because he committed so early. Either way, it’s crazy! It’s not fair.
Harrow: Yeah, you’ve got a point. It happens, though. Elite 24, Jordan game, McDonald’s game … It happens to me a lot. But it’s all good. I’m just continuing to go hard.
Leslie: True. Ryan’s still a monster out there so it doesn’t even matter! I know that a lot of the guys are starting to announce when they’re going to decide on colleges. Well, I’m going to announce sometime in April. Probably during the spring signing period. The crazy thing is I have the same list, but I read stuff that says I’ve cut my list of schools. It’s still UCLA, Oregon, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky and N.C. State. I haven’t cut anyone, and at this point I don’t think I will. I’ll just pick from what I’ve got. I’ll sit back and watch who’s going to be there and all of that and weigh out everything and pick. Other than that, it’s March Madness time now and I’ve already said that my boy John Wall is going to bring the title to Kentucky. I’m still picking him! What about you Ryan?
Harrow: Oh, you already know. My Final Four picks are: N.C. State, N.C. State, N.C. State and, uh, N.C. State! (Editor’s note: N.C. State is in the NIT.)
Leslie: True fan! Aiight then world, that’s all we’ve got for now. We’re gonna head out and catch this state championship tournament. Check back soon for my next entry. I’m outta here!
CCCCCCCCC JJJJJJJJJ!
Come to state baby! You, Ryan, and Zo will make the BEST recruiting class in the country.
I’ve seen Harrow’s passes. They are gift wrapped for you to yam all over the place. There’s only one place you can get that platter served up: NCSU!
Make the RIGHT decision, come to State!
CJ, thanks for a different diary, and I hope to see you this summer in Durham at the Summer League. Ryan, since you’ll be at State, feel free to attend and bring ya “A” game. Good luck fellas.
MY BOYS STAY READY 2 BALL C.J AND RYAN N$GGA PLEASE!!!!!!LETS GO!!!
CJ, this is a good article, we sure could use you next year at UK. You will be the next BIG thing after John Wall leaves. You may even be a bigger Celebrity than he was this year.
See you both next year,
signed,
NC State
Glad to see you are spending some more time bonding with your future PG. Wolfpack Nation is ready to blow the roof off the RBC after that first sweet oop form Ryan to CJ for the slam.
UK welcomes you with open arms CJ. It’s a decision that you will cherish for your entire life. Go Cats
Don’t break my heart again. Kentucky has had some great runs and some great players. You’d just be another one on the list.
At N.C. State you could be the ONE and ONLY. Harrow knows it. Brown knows it. YOU KNOW IT. Make it happen.
CJ, I just want to start out by saying that I’m sure EVERYbody could use you at their school. But I hope you don’t choose a school just to follow in someone else’s footsteps. Choose the school you’re comfortable at and make your OWN name for yourself. Why the hell would you wanna be the next John Wall when you could be the next CJ Leslie?? Duhh. haha good luck wherever you go, big guy. We’d love to see you at state though.
GO PACK
What a force you guys would be, not only with the recruiting class of you, Ryan, and Lo Brown. Combine that with Tracy, Wood, and Howell. That’s the squad that would put N.C. State back on the map!
Go Pack!
GO ANYWHERE BUT DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!! lol.
SINCE THEY R NOT EVEN ON THE LIST, WHERE EVER U GO I’M HAPPY FOR U, ITS EITHER STATE OR KENTUCKY IN MY BOOK.
I THINK ITS KENTUCKY, I WOULD LIKE STATE, EXCEPT IM A UNC FAN, AND I DONT WANT 2 SEE 2-3TIMES NEXT YR!
GOOD LUCK KID!
CJ and Ryan,
Nice interview. Keep them coming. Us fans really enjoy hearing about the life of highly touted recruits like yourselves, rather then listen to banter on message boards and whatnot.
Ryan, the Wolfpack family is overjoyed to welcome you to Raleigh next year. We are behind you, Coach Lowe, and the rest of the team. The excitement is building for you and Zo to down the red and white.
CJ, you know how we feel about you in Raleigh. Your addition to the incoming class will single-handedly change the face of a program; a program celebrated 100 years of basketball on Tobacco Road.
Good luck to you both. Go Pack!
THAT’S ALOT OF SMACK FROM 2 PLAYERS WHO’VE WON NOTHING INCLUDING A STATE TITLE. YOU 2 COCKY BIG MOUTHS BELONG AT NC STATE TO FOLLOW YOUR HISTORY OF WINNING NOTHING BUT TAKLKING A LOT. NC STATE WON NOTHING EITHER SINCE THE LATE GREAT JIMMY V. BY THE WAY 1 OF YOUR TOP 50 RECRUITS JUST DE-COMMITED TUE MAR 16TH. GOOD LUCK VS K, WITH KIRV, NSMITH, SCURRY, PLUMLEE BROS. AND ROY, BARNES, BULLOCK, MARSHALL AND REST OF ACC. YOU’LL NEED IT TO COVER THE CHECKS YOUR BIG COCKY LOSER MOUTHS HAVE WROTE.
It’s all about noise…you either create your own or follow the rest. I love the Kentucky fan saying you could be the next big John Wall. LOL. He’s a good player, but why be anyone but yourself?
Do what you want….love god, love your family and then love the Wolfpack! LOL.
Set the standard…dont be next in line.
Come TO Kentucky! You want a national championship and a lot of publicity, great weather, best fans in the college game? Kentucky! You’ll get more love from the fans than you could imagine and be a campus celebrity, because god knows UK students love basketball more than life.
You’ll have brandon knight and eric to gift wrap you some dunks, too.
CJ Leslie = best forward
Ryan Harrow = best guard
These two will be legendary at NC State next season
CJ,
If you ever want some good advice, David Thompson is a very fine man. If you ever watch tapes of him, you’ll see a wonderful role model on the court and off. Think about the rest of your life. You could go to Kentucky, and that would be your world, Lexington, KY. People can talk all the want about the UK aura, but hey, after you’re done with that, you live there for four years and those are the people you will know as you get out into the world.
NC State and Raleigh, right in the middle of the mix. The ACC baby. Ask State basketball alumni about their devotion to the place. Ask them about the fans. You will not find a more diehard, fanatical, devoted fan base. You join the Wolfpack family when you come there.
Great article. You guys are good.
Ryan, I LOVE your enthusiasm. Wolfpack, baby!
C.J. Hope you have a great time at the McDee experience.
March madness is here. I’m ready for some great basetball.
I appreciate the shared thoughts that you two have given us. It reminds me of my high school days and the great times and friendships that meant so much. I just wish CJ the best of luck. He knows what is most important to him and will decide for himself.
My selfish side leads me to wanting him in Raleigh. There is nothing that compares to the big 3 of tobacco road when all 3 are all elite programs! The media would go NUTS! Come to Raleigh where you will have a great time, great coach, great fans, and the most amazing conference…THE conference….the ACC!!!!!!!!!
i just hope you dont take money from uk,there coach want be there next year because he is going to nj nets. leaving another team on probation
CJ go to UCLA where you can be part of a great big man tradition, great weather, great coach who actually will make you a better defensive player in the pros (everyone can score but you will go higher in the draft if you can defend), wonderful connections for you after your career is over (nobody can touch UCLA in terms of famous, rich alumni). You can also play with Garnett, Kobe and all the pros who play at Pauley in the Summer. Look at the last 5 years of UCLA players sent to the pros…none of them stink..even Ryan Hollins an after thought is getting burn..why cuz he can play defense (never overrated – more dollars in your pocket in the future. Need I say more about the women, LA, education, connections,Kareem and Bill Walton teaching you and you and Josh Smith killing it…GO BRUINS
Yeah CJ go to UCLA…you have people talking to you about Raleigh and Lexington…How about a real city with things to do outside of bball…Los Angeles…where you can work on your game 24/7 . You should go away to school to become a MAN…If you go to UCLA you will be on tv…a young team and have a great defensive coach…If you are the man at UCLA, just ask Matt Leinart all of the benefits that you will receive..plus the cool blue away shorts
The city of Raleigh needs the both of you!!! We can take the ACC easily with some raw talent and athleticism.
CJ,
Looking at next years rosters, I think state will be as good as ky. You are the piece that would complete either team. I know there is nothing I can say to convince you to come – I just want to show some support!
Good luck with your decision. Hopefully you’ll be putting on a show next year in red and white!! To the poster from ky talking weather, really? North Carolina clearly has that advantage.
Sam! That could be the dumbest basketball statement ive ever heard. Think about what you are saying here NS ST as good as UK. We are talking one team domminating in the tourney and the other sitting home. Add Brandon Knight CJ Leslie along with the other four top twenty players we are going after and NC ST stands the same chance next year as they did this year…LESS THAN NO CHANCE. Your comparing the mecca of college hoops to a trird rate state school. I understand the optimism you guys have but why wouldnt cj go to NC or Duke if he wants to stay home at least those schools would have a legitimate shot. Come to UK and get the cover of SI,National title shot,and the top spot in the draft. Or go to NC ST and enjoy your scrub teammates and look forward to the NIT..
Stay boys!
College will be the best time of your life, Live it up. Enjoy yourselves. B-Ball is all about the fun, if you arn’t having it somthings wrong.
Wow! NC state are you serious. There are two reasons CJ would possibly choose such a middle of the road program. One being Ryan Harrow the other being its close to home. That being said its a pretty thin rope to hang the future of your program on. NC State is MAYBE the third best team in your state and the comparison with UK isnt even close. You can come to UK and have the exposure that a top ranked recruit deserves or go to NC ST and look forward to the NIT. Why would he want to join mid level players and wait till his junior year to have a real shot when you can come to UK for one year and be a multi millionaire the next. Brandon Knight will be a uk commit after the Mcdonalds all american game. That will be the big one then all the rest will join him. With a decommit early you guys need to try to hold on to what you have at home instead of shooting for the moon with Leslie. If he wants a championship or a shot at one it would be completely ignorant to choose NC ST
PS dont forget we came into your backyard and took John Wall. Good eye NC State
No, ole Calipari came in and slipped John Wall a nice lil check to take him to the U of K, which is why he alwasy leaves a nasty trail of investigations and probations behind him wherever he goes and there’ll surely be one at UK when he leaves there too.
This is going to be the argument every year. Next year it will be he paid Brandon Knight And Enis Kanter and CJ Leslie,Stacey Poole. The list goes on and on. Memphis is in no way, shape or form Kentucky. As far as paying off players the ncaa states marcus camby accepted money from boosters. Ok. Lets say he did. Calapari doesnt go home with the kids. If the player is approached with money and nothing in return of course he would take it. Derrick Rose NCAA states he was ineligible. Grades not money. The NCAA clearing house let him play they should have stopped that if he was not academically eligible. Did you see Calapari s house in lexington. He would not blow what he has on a specific recruit. Last season we had Ashley Judd,Magic Johnson,Ben Rothlisburger(No comment im a bengals fan)Lebron James at our games. I think that kinda thing is a hudge recruiting advantage. By the way its open fact that John Wooden paid a large portion of his players over their reign of domminance and know one seems to think it s a big deal.
CJL,
We already love you here in Raleigh. Be a hometown hero and run with the best 1 and 2 in the class.
Zo + Harrow + CJL = #1 class in the country
CJ plz come to NC STATE LESLIE ,WOOD, SMITH, HARROW, BROWN, GONZALEZ and the new and improved HOWWEL = potential champions of ACC and contenders for NCAA
PLZ CJ I AM BEGGING TAKE UR TIME AND TALK TO ALL THE STATE LEGENDS FOR ADVICE I HAVE SPOKE TO LORENZO CHARLES AND HE WILL GIVE U SOME ADVICE
LOVE, WOLFPACK FAMILY
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Come to the Pack Leslie. You don’t want to play in the SEC ne way!!! Help NCState Dominate the ACC. Why wouldn’t you want to play with your boy Ryan…
C.J. if you just watched what I did in the NIT when UCONN got jobbed by the refs, you can see that the Huskies are the best fit for you. They need your help to get back to the mountain top. Just take a moment and think of the competition you would face. Thanks for your time and make the decision that best suites your talent. Oh, and Kemba Walker has alot of heart to and would be throwing you some lobs also…
24,000 UK fans will come see you every game. A 100,000 at home. Like Wall said “you will have fun”.
CJ, I’m not sure you read these comments but if so I’ll offer some advice. I’m a diehard Kentucky fan originally from Kentucky but the path of life brought me to NC State which I also love. I can tell you that KY is the best basketball town in the nation, best fans, best atmosphere and the best history. On the other hand, NC State is in the best area for college basketball in the country, where else do you get to play UNC, Duke, WF and the rest of the ACC every year? You will certainly be appreciated in KY but not nearly as much as you will be at State because you will spark our rebuilding process. It all comes down to whether or not you want to be a huge celebrity for a few years at KY or stay loyal to NC and Raleigh and be cherished and appreciated for decades to come by all NC State fans. A true man of the game would take the challege of leading State back to basketball glory! Just don’t go to Florida!!!
Yea i can tell you something else about kentucky basketball. Their coach is the most crooked coach in the history of college basketball. He is a disgrace to all college sports, the SEC, and the school that he represents.
Let me guess tommy boy you know him? All you know is what the haters say. Just because he won 30 games in 5 seasons doesnt make him a crooked coach. It makes him a good one. Im tired of the flat out ignorant statements. As i stated before John Wooden paid most ALL of his players. But yet you claim Calapari is the worst of all time. Not so smart of a comment there tommy boy. Of course Calapari s peers talk smack. One reason he is higher paid than them the other is he gets the best recruits. I have met Calapari a couple times and can tell you he is anything but crooked he uses recruiting tools other schools dont even know about. Facebook,twitter,coachcal.com, these are tools available to all yet hes a crook for using them. Bottom line hes a good coach(He gives me a title i ll give him great coach). You would have a better argument saying he cant win the big one. Although you really should watch more sports because you dont have a clue about the history of college baskeball or some of its more shady characters.
I graduated from uk and went and became a professor at N.C. State
and i can tell you Raleigh and N.C. state is a much better environment. State will love you forever, kentucky turns their back.
p.s. Harrow we can’t wait for you to be suited up next season
So your a traitor. Self Admitted. NC state can have all the fans like you they want. By the way why didnt you go to college at NC State if its so good?
NC State all the way. Keep the national title coming back to NC and go down in history.
All this crap people are throwing out here is a waist of your time CJ. Here’s the bottom line.
UK basketball=fast road to NBA career
‘NUFF said!!! Case closed!!! See you in Lexington!!!!!
dear nick youre an idiot
im a 12 year old die hard state fan and i love nc state basketball with cj harrow and zo the pack would be unstoppable not to mention tracy and powell coming back
i live in raleigh and go to all of states games on tobacco road so hopefully youll chose state and become a part of the WOLFPACK NATION
Is there any need for the “Dear Nick”? Are you writing me a love note. Listen Boy you got alot to learn and im not going to be the one to teach you. Well i ll school you a bit while i got a sec. You say you 12 years old. And in an earlier post you tell kids to enjoy their college expierence. You are 12 dude you know less than nothing. Hey CJ take your college advise from some kid who has not even seen high school. By time you read this CJ will already be in lexington. Along with Doron Lamb,Brandon Kight,Enis Kanter,Stacey Poole for sure possibly Selby as well with Bledsoe Leaving. Not to mention Jones. Face it you guy are not going to get this dream class. I agree it could have been great but without leslie its over. Harrow and “ZO” be ready. Your gonna need it. They are going to be the third best team in North Carolina. AGAIN