Over the offseason, the NC State basketball team saw some significant changes to the makeup of its roster. The Wolfpack lost key contributors but has welcomed four new faces in the backcourt that are eligible for 2017-18 season and two more for 2018-19. New head coach Kevin Keatts has added some much-needed depth to a team that lost its top three scorers from a year ago in Maverick Rowan, Dennis Smith Jr. and Terry Henderson.
It’s never too early to start thinking about basketball, so let’s take a look at what the Wolfpack roster may look like come November.
Graduate transfer guards Sam Hunt of North Carolina A&T and Al Freeman of Baylor University figure to see a significant amount of playing time as they add experience to an otherwise young guard rotation.
Hunt tallied 12.7 points per game for the Aggies last season while shooting 38 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-2 wing figures to be a key piece off the bench with his scoring capability.
Freeman logged 23.2 minutes per game for the Bears in 2016-17 while averaging 9.4 points per game on 42 percent shooting. The 6-foot-3 guard could slot in the starting lineup and be a primary threat from beyond the arc this season.
Playing alongside the two graduate transfers will be two freshmen in guard Lavar Batts Jr. and guard Braxton Beverly. Batts, a former Virginia Commonwealth University commit, is an athletic guard who is capable of running the point this season as a complement to sophomore guard Markell Johnson. Beverly, who transferred from Ohio State University following the departure of head coach Thad Matta, may not be eligible for this season due to NCAA transfer rules. If he ends up being able to play, look for the Kentucky native to come off the bench behind Johnson and Batts.
Johnson, who played his way into the starting lineup late last year alongside Smith Jr., will most likely open up the season as the starting point for Keatts’ squad. Despite his lack of scoring last year, Johnson proved to be a capable defender and dished out 68 assists last year, the second-most on the team.
Redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn and junior forward Shaun Kirk both return. Dorn started off strong last season but saw less playing time toward the end of the season. The former transfer from UNC-Charlotte averaged 9.5 points per game for the Pack last season while shooting an efficient 50 percent. Kirk played in just 14 games last year, averaging 1.8 points per game.
While the Pack boasts impressive depth in the backcourt, the team is considerably thinner down low. Redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman will return as a reliable rebounder and defender after missing all of last season with a leg injury. Sophomore center Omer Yurtseven decided to return to school after testing the NBA Draft waters. The talented 7-foot center averaged just 5.9 points per game last season but can still be a major contributor this season.
Senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu and sophomore forward Darius Hicks round out the backcourt for the Pack. Hicks saw limited minutes last season, but Abu proved to be an efficient scorer from close and mid-range. The Boston native flashed an effective mid-range jumper last season and will be a primary scoring option down low for State.
It remains to be seen how this team will perform and if the new additions will jell, but Keatts has certainly had a busy offseason transforming and improving upon a roster that finished 15-17 last year.
