Coming off the bench may be disappointing for some, but for junior center DeShawn Painter, he’s just happy having the opportunity to play.
This season, Painter has definitely taken advantage of his opportunities by providing energy off the bench. This energy can be attributed to the hard work Painter has put in during the off season. In the offseason, Painter has had former professional players help him out on his game. One of these pros – a former Wolfpack star – is none other than Julius Hodge.
“Julius and I are like brothers,” Painter said. “I even talk to him now while he’s overseas.”
Painter also claims that working with Hodge has elevated his game to new, higher levels.
“Julius has really challenged me to be a top competitor,” Painter said. “I’ve always had the ability to shoot the ball pretty well and he’s inspired me to keep doing that and to have confidence.”
Like any other athlete at N.C . State, Painter takes pride in the sport that he loves.
“I always try and work really hard and try to be the best,” Painter said. “I want to play basketball in the future, so I just go as hard as I can. I am really passionate about this game. It’s something that changed my life, so I take pride in it.”
Even though Painter does not play the same number of minutes as the starters on his team, Painter has been more than capable of coming off the bench, scoring and giving quality minutes. According to Painter, head coach Mark Gottfried wants Painter to do the things he knows he can do, like knock down open shots and be an excellent defender.
“[ Gottfried ] wants me to be a great rebounder, a tenacious defender and to hit the open shots,” Painter said. “Within a team, everybody can be great, but he wants me really to defend well and knock down my shots.”
This year Painter has proven he can score just as much as a starter can. Painter has come up as a key player when the Wolfpack needed him. When other players were in foul trouble, Painter would step in and prove not only to be a capable scorer but a great rebounder as well.
“I started off in the beginning of the season playing really well, I have been in the right place at the right time and was able to knock down shots,” Painter said.
Painter playing well coming off the bench came full circle when the Wolfpack played Miami on the road. During that particular contest, Painter finished the game with 18 points.
Another shining moment for Painter this year was when he knocked down the game winning shot against a tough Princeton team. Painter describes how that shot is something that everybody dreams of when they play basketball.
“That is a shot that everybody dreams about, it was a great experience,” Painter said. “Most people don’t get the opportunity to do that. I knew that I was going to make that shot.”
With Painter showing he has the ability to score and make rebounds, the Wolfpack has an excellent opportunity to compete with the top teams in the ACC.
