The NC State men’s basketball team opened its season Sunday at PNC Arena with a convincing 71-54 win over the California State University-Los Angeles Golden Eagles.
The Wolfpack opened the game with a 12-2 run led by the starting lineup of junior Anthony “Cat” Barber, redshirt junior Terry Henderson, sophomores Caleb Martin, Cody Martin and Abdul-Malik Abu. Head coach Mark Gottfried chose to go with a smaller lineup, opting for the Martin twins over juniors BeeJay Anya and Lennard Freeman.
“We’re definitely not the same team as last year,” Abu said. “But we keep the same principles. We like to get out and run and just execute.”
Gottfried chose to go with a more defensive-minded starting lineup, as the Martin twins, Barber, Henderson and Abu bring more flexibility to the table on defense.
“We’re very long and athletic,” Abu said. “We’re a bunch of guys who like to have fun, get stops and get out in transition.”
The first two off the bench for the Pack were Anya and freshman wing Maverick Rowan. Rowan’s first action in a college game seemed a bit rocky. He missed his first two shots and looked a bit lost on defense.
Eventually, Rowan got it together on the defensive side of the ball. Obviously being a freshman there’s going to be a learning curve for Rowan, especially since he arrived to camp so late in the summer, but the four-star recruit still notched eight points on his debut.
After sitting out last season due to NCAA rules, West Virginia transfer Henderson made his debut for the Pack Sunday. Henderson didn’t light up the scoring sheet, totaling just five points of 1-for-6 shooting in 25 minutes of action, but rust is to be expected given he hasn’t played a competitive game in more than a year.
Abu and Barber led the Pack in the first half. Crashing the boards and scoring with his back to the basket, Abu showed he is ready to take on an increased role for the Wolfpack in his second year. Abu tallied 13 points and six rebounds in the first half for State. Barber started off a bit sluggish but regained control, as he recorded four assists and 11 points before the break.
“I feel great right now,” Barber said. “I’m the guy that everybody’s counting on. I feel like my confidence is high right now.”
The biggest threat for the Pack from beyond the arc came from Caleb Martin. Shooting 2-for-6 from three-point range, Martin showed off his improved shooting and confidence when taking long-range shots.
Anya and Freeman provided an excellent post presence off the bench. Freeman looked quicker and more agile than last season, grabbing boards and scoring easy putbacks for the Pack.
New for the 2015-16 season comes a shortened shot clock, from 35 to 30 seconds, and the quickened pace of play was noticeable in the Wolfpack’s first exhibition. Look for more shot-clock violations to occur in the first-half of the season as players and coaches are still adjusting to the more uptempo style of play.
One of the biggest questions entering this season was the Wolfpack’s lack of a backup point guard, but Gottfried and co. have found one in Cody Martin. During the few minutes Barber came out of the game, Martin was the floor general for the Pack. With the 6-foot-7 sophomore running point, the Pack did play a bit slower on offense as it lost Barber’s quickness and speed, but Martin proved he can provide solid play as the backup point guard this season.
Barber finished the day with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting and six assists. Abu finished with 17 on 6-for-12 shooting, falling one rebound short of a double-double.
The Wolfpack officially opens the season Friday at PNC Arena as it hosts William & Mary.
Junior guard Anthony "Cat" Barber throws a hard pass into the paint allowing for a quick layup and two points. Barber led the team with 21 points and six assists. The Wolfpack won its exhibition game against Cal State LA 71-54 on November 8th in PNC Arena.
