I could have saved this for The Run Down on Friday, but where is the fun in that?
But I see five clear things that will need to get addressed in the next few weeks.
1. Landing a post player. I don't know if it will be Winthrop's DJ Burns, but he's the first one where it could be him. Burns can score, that is proven. What NC State will learn this weekend is more about his personality, conditioning situation and can he graduate this summer. It's not a slam dunk, but the clock is ticking on NC State to find some players.
So, if Burns checks the boxes and they push for a commit, he'd give the Wolfpack three big bodies at center, which is a 180 from last year. Both Burns and Utah transfer Dusan Mahorcic are offensive-minded but not rim protectors, and then Ebenezer Dowuona brings something different with his athleticism and shot-blocking.
2a. With 12 scholarships due to the NCAA sanctions, it's becoming clearer that there will be an either/or decisions. The rotation will likely be eight/nine players regardless, so it is about finding the right nine players. What is still needed for that top nine rotation — one more shooter on the wing. Landing a shooter in the portal would take pressure off what happens with Terquavion Smith's NBA Draft situation. One more shooter would also protect the up-and-down 3-point shooting percentages that point guard Jarkel Joiner, Jack Clark and Casey Morsell have had. Add in Smith's streakiness and it would be good have one (or two) players that are absolutely consistent shooters.
At the moment, the lone player that has mentioned NC State that fits that role at least at small forward is South Carolina-Upstate's Bryson Mozone. He is a career 38.5 percent three-point shooter. The irony is that USC-Upstate freshman guard Jordan Gainey could have been recruited with ease by NC State, and he shot 49.3 percent from three-point land last season.
2b. Why did I just say one or two more shooters? Well in a perfect world, it would be good to add a small ball power forward, who could stroke some. Three-point shooting wasn't ideal last year and much too dependent on Smith and Jericole Hellems. The only way to get a center, shooter and small ball four would also mean that both Smith and Dereon Seabron are gone.
Freshman Ernest Ross could use some help at power forward, and adding someone who is basically his opposite isn't a bad idea. Ross can fly around and be athletic and the other power forward can be a knock-down shooter. If Providence transfer regains his past form after suffering a hernia injury and knee surgery, then depth won't be a problem.
4. NC State will find out June 1 (or maybe earlier) on the final decisions for Smith and Seabron. Nothing has changed where the expectation is Smith will come back, but Seabron will leave. It has gotten more complicated with Smith landing in the 25-30 range on some mock drafts. Smith is polarizing and some love what he could be and others see what he isn't. I don't see that changing in the next year either because the essence of Smith is to let it fly. That some draft folks are talking about him being a point guard one day because of his size, but that just shows how little they've watched him.
5. It's not my style to tease or be vague, but I do expect something very newsworthy to emerge that kind fits in with what has happened in this offseason overhaul of the program. Then maybe going into June, the drama will be over from the "Silly Season" which I probably dubbed it 10 years ago and coach Kevin Keatts will know what he truly has moving forward.
We'll just call it the "when the other shoe drops" dynamic in the future.
But I see five clear things that will need to get addressed in the next few weeks.
1. Landing a post player. I don't know if it will be Winthrop's DJ Burns, but he's the first one where it could be him. Burns can score, that is proven. What NC State will learn this weekend is more about his personality, conditioning situation and can he graduate this summer. It's not a slam dunk, but the clock is ticking on NC State to find some players.
So, if Burns checks the boxes and they push for a commit, he'd give the Wolfpack three big bodies at center, which is a 180 from last year. Both Burns and Utah transfer Dusan Mahorcic are offensive-minded but not rim protectors, and then Ebenezer Dowuona brings something different with his athleticism and shot-blocking.
2a. With 12 scholarships due to the NCAA sanctions, it's becoming clearer that there will be an either/or decisions. The rotation will likely be eight/nine players regardless, so it is about finding the right nine players. What is still needed for that top nine rotation — one more shooter on the wing. Landing a shooter in the portal would take pressure off what happens with Terquavion Smith's NBA Draft situation. One more shooter would also protect the up-and-down 3-point shooting percentages that point guard Jarkel Joiner, Jack Clark and Casey Morsell have had. Add in Smith's streakiness and it would be good have one (or two) players that are absolutely consistent shooters.
At the moment, the lone player that has mentioned NC State that fits that role at least at small forward is South Carolina-Upstate's Bryson Mozone. He is a career 38.5 percent three-point shooter. The irony is that USC-Upstate freshman guard Jordan Gainey could have been recruited with ease by NC State, and he shot 49.3 percent from three-point land last season.
2b. Why did I just say one or two more shooters? Well in a perfect world, it would be good to add a small ball power forward, who could stroke some. Three-point shooting wasn't ideal last year and much too dependent on Smith and Jericole Hellems. The only way to get a center, shooter and small ball four would also mean that both Smith and Dereon Seabron are gone.
Freshman Ernest Ross could use some help at power forward, and adding someone who is basically his opposite isn't a bad idea. Ross can fly around and be athletic and the other power forward can be a knock-down shooter. If Providence transfer regains his past form after suffering a hernia injury and knee surgery, then depth won't be a problem.
4. NC State will find out June 1 (or maybe earlier) on the final decisions for Smith and Seabron. Nothing has changed where the expectation is Smith will come back, but Seabron will leave. It has gotten more complicated with Smith landing in the 25-30 range on some mock drafts. Smith is polarizing and some love what he could be and others see what he isn't. I don't see that changing in the next year either because the essence of Smith is to let it fly. That some draft folks are talking about him being a point guard one day because of his size, but that just shows how little they've watched him.
5. It's not my style to tease or be vague, but I do expect something very newsworthy to emerge that kind fits in with what has happened in this offseason overhaul of the program. Then maybe going into June, the drama will be over from the "Silly Season" which I probably dubbed it 10 years ago and coach Kevin Keatts will know what he truly has moving forward.
We'll just call it the "when the other shoe drops" dynamic in the future.
