/ STAFF WRITER
TORONTO – Brandon Ingram was in fourth grade when he met Jerry Stackhouse.
A two-time All-Star who spent 18 seasons in the NBA, Stackhouse returned to Kinston, N.C., nearly every offseason to work with the youth in his hometown. Ingram developed an early bond with Stackhouse and joined his Atlanta-based AAU-program several years later. He learned a variety of skills through pick-up games and film study, watching hours of footage of his mentor.
So, when it came time for Ingram to make his college decision, the answer seemed obvious to some. Ingram, who led Kinston High to four state titles, surely would attend North Carolina as Stackhouse once did after also starring for the Vikings.