At the end of the 2016-17 NC State men’s basketball season, there was a changing of the guard in Raleigh.
It seems like it was only yesterday when head coach Kevin Keatts was hired in March to take over the Wolfpack; now, it’s November and the exhibition game is just around the corner, Friday evening in PNC Arena.
Coaching changes nearly always bode high turnover, and the Pack felt the full effects of former head coach Mark Gottfried’s departure.
Eight players graduated, transferred, left for professional hopes or were denied a sixth year of eligibility; the most notable being Dennis Smith Jr., Terry Henderson, Maverick Rowan, Ted Kapita and Beejay Anya.
NC State will have to replace its top three scorers from last season, Smith, Henderson and Rowan, and find some paint presence. Sophomore center Omer Yurtseven, and senior walk-on forward Tucker Thompson are the only players listed 6-foot-9 inches or taller.
Keatts insists that height is nothing to sneeze at. He brings his patented small-ball up-tempo style offense to the Wolfpack this season; therefore, NC State could often see four guards on the court, with redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn seeing reps at power forward.
While Keatts hasn’t yet declared a starting lineup for Friday’s tilt with Mars Hill, sophomore guard Markell Johnson will fill Smith’s shoes at point guard.
Johnson held a secondary role behind the NBA-bound Smith in his freshman campaign. Johnson finished second in assists and steals for the Pack with 68 and 26, respectively. The former No. 48 ESPN recruit in the class of 2016 will received some well-deserved minutes running State’s offense.
Graduate transfer guard Allerik Freeman will likely replace the sharpshooting ability of Henderson. Allerik Freeman averaged 9.7 points per game in his third year at Baylor. The Charlotte native converted 38.9 percent of his attempts from long range, good for second on the Bears with 44 3-pointers on the year.
Returning players Dorn, Yurtseven and Lennard Freeman round out the probable starting lineup until fan-favorite Abu returns from an MCL injury. Also, the addition of freshman guard Lavar Batts Jr. coming off the bench alongside Johnson sparks an electric backcourt.
However, with months of offseason discussion and excitement surrounding the 2017-18 season, a healthy dose of patience is required when watching the Wolfpack.
The last time the Pack received an insurmountable amount of hype, NC State limped into the 2017 ACC Tournament after losing nine of its last 10 games, finishing 15-17 overall and 4-14 in conference play and firing Gottfried.
Keatts will have to tolerate the elevated expectations of Wolfpack fans; even if it’s only his first season at the helm.
Often regarded as a rebuilding year for NC State, SportsIllustrated.com ranks NC State as the 12th-ranked team in the ACC, and for good reason. The Pack faces tough competition as usual.
The ACC features five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 in No. 1 Duke, No. 9 UNC-Chapel Hill, No. 13 Miami, No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 16 Louisville — Virginia and Virginia Tech are both receiving votes.
The Wolfpack boasts a nice combination of experience in Lennard Freeman, Allerik Freeman and Abu and promising young talent in Johnson and Batts, but the Pack will be fighting an uphill battle early on in the season.
