My first chance to see this team in action as I missed Primetime with the Pack and the first exhibition game, so here are my thoughts from the 112-60 win over Barton. (Keep in mind there was a huge athleticism and talent gap between the two teams).
Abdul-Malik Abu: Picked up a couple of quick fouls, but Abu looks to be picking up where he left off. Active and athletic around the basket. I think he'll be better off when NCSU goes more traditional look and has him at the power forward versus center. Positive news is he made all four of his free throws, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds but also four turnovers.
BeeJay Anya: His conditioning level still has a ways to go. He's relying on his reach (and not any real bounce off the floor) to get his blocks (three) and finished with three points and three boards. I suspect at this point Anya is a 15-20 minutes a game guy once Yurtseven is full-go.
Torin Dorn: Probably next to Dennis Smith the player I was most impressed with. He seems to have a lot of quiet savvy in his game. He had a double-double of 13 points, 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four steals. He made 6 of 8 shots from the field. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and he is active around the court. Not sure he will be a prolific shooter and he is more of a run/jump leaper than explosive athlete, but to me he is the type of wing that every major program would love to have on its squad.
Terry Henderson: Really liked the form on his jump shot. He made 2 of 7 threes, but he has a nice follow through and I think will be a nice threat from the perimeter for NC State. Also liked how active he was throughout the game, and he finished with seven rebounds (to go with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting). Like Dorn, he plays within himself which should work well on this team.
Darius Hicks: Very active around the court and attacks things. Skills are raw but you see flashes in it. He did make a three-pointer in the waning moments to finish with eight points and four boards. He has a little Josh Davis-type game about him, slightly undersized power forward but very active. Probably will not play a ton when the action gets more competitive, but he can be a spark when he does get into the game.
Markell Johnson: Really like Johnson's potential and I think getting him will prove to be a nice move that paid off for Gottfried in the post-Smith era. I suspect Johnson will get a lot of playing time this year. Very quick and athletic, and he made his one three-point attempt. Finished with five points, six assists and no turnovers. He'll have his ups and downs as all freshmen do, but NC State is in a position where they can let him go through that without the team suffering as a result.
Shaun Kirk: This game certifiably proved that he can fly on the court. He finished with 10 points and eight rebounds and some of the most impressive leaping you will see, twice flying from deep on the perimeter to grab an offensive rebound and dunk it in. His skills (i.e. dribbling and shooting) still have a way to go, but he sure is athletic, which can help if he is called upon for a few minutes.
Maverick Rowan: Seemed more comfortable in his game on the court. He made 3 of 10 threes and 6 of 13 shots overall (including a nice one-handed dunk coming down the lane on a fast break) to finish with 17 points. Also had four assists and four rebounds. The biggest difference to me is that Rowan looks like a sophomore with confidence and comfort versus a freshman trying to find his way on the court.
Dennis Smith Jr: As advertised. I've seen a lot of talented players suit up for the Pack, but not sure I have seen someone with as much abilities as Smith play for them. He finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2 of 5 threes and 4 of 6 at the line. He had four assists and an impressive six steals. He is super competitive and may have to watch his demeanor on the court when the times get rougher and the competition heats up, but I am betting there will not be many times this year where Smith isn't the most talented player on the court.
Omer Yurtseven: The big freshman is obviously still feeling his way around, and I think it may take him a few games before he finds his comfort level in the American college game. He fouled out in 11 minutes with just two points, but he did have five rebounds. He deferred quite a bit when he got the ball in the post where I would have liked to see him use his skill. Also had a nice offensive rebound, grabbing the board high, but instead of going right back up with it he brought the ball low and had it stripped. However, he's not going to be a liability while figuring it out either. A few of those fouls were tough luck.
Abdul-Malik Abu: Picked up a couple of quick fouls, but Abu looks to be picking up where he left off. Active and athletic around the basket. I think he'll be better off when NCSU goes more traditional look and has him at the power forward versus center. Positive news is he made all four of his free throws, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds but also four turnovers.
BeeJay Anya: His conditioning level still has a ways to go. He's relying on his reach (and not any real bounce off the floor) to get his blocks (three) and finished with three points and three boards. I suspect at this point Anya is a 15-20 minutes a game guy once Yurtseven is full-go.
Torin Dorn: Probably next to Dennis Smith the player I was most impressed with. He seems to have a lot of quiet savvy in his game. He had a double-double of 13 points, 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four steals. He made 6 of 8 shots from the field. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and he is active around the court. Not sure he will be a prolific shooter and he is more of a run/jump leaper than explosive athlete, but to me he is the type of wing that every major program would love to have on its squad.
Terry Henderson: Really liked the form on his jump shot. He made 2 of 7 threes, but he has a nice follow through and I think will be a nice threat from the perimeter for NC State. Also liked how active he was throughout the game, and he finished with seven rebounds (to go with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting). Like Dorn, he plays within himself which should work well on this team.
Darius Hicks: Very active around the court and attacks things. Skills are raw but you see flashes in it. He did make a three-pointer in the waning moments to finish with eight points and four boards. He has a little Josh Davis-type game about him, slightly undersized power forward but very active. Probably will not play a ton when the action gets more competitive, but he can be a spark when he does get into the game.
Markell Johnson: Really like Johnson's potential and I think getting him will prove to be a nice move that paid off for Gottfried in the post-Smith era. I suspect Johnson will get a lot of playing time this year. Very quick and athletic, and he made his one three-point attempt. Finished with five points, six assists and no turnovers. He'll have his ups and downs as all freshmen do, but NC State is in a position where they can let him go through that without the team suffering as a result.
Shaun Kirk: This game certifiably proved that he can fly on the court. He finished with 10 points and eight rebounds and some of the most impressive leaping you will see, twice flying from deep on the perimeter to grab an offensive rebound and dunk it in. His skills (i.e. dribbling and shooting) still have a way to go, but he sure is athletic, which can help if he is called upon for a few minutes.
Maverick Rowan: Seemed more comfortable in his game on the court. He made 3 of 10 threes and 6 of 13 shots overall (including a nice one-handed dunk coming down the lane on a fast break) to finish with 17 points. Also had four assists and four rebounds. The biggest difference to me is that Rowan looks like a sophomore with confidence and comfort versus a freshman trying to find his way on the court.
Dennis Smith Jr: As advertised. I've seen a lot of talented players suit up for the Pack, but not sure I have seen someone with as much abilities as Smith play for them. He finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2 of 5 threes and 4 of 6 at the line. He had four assists and an impressive six steals. He is super competitive and may have to watch his demeanor on the court when the times get rougher and the competition heats up, but I am betting there will not be many times this year where Smith isn't the most talented player on the court.
Omer Yurtseven: The big freshman is obviously still feeling his way around, and I think it may take him a few games before he finds his comfort level in the American college game. He fouled out in 11 minutes with just two points, but he did have five rebounds. He deferred quite a bit when he got the ball in the post where I would have liked to see him use his skill. Also had a nice offensive rebound, grabbing the board high, but instead of going right back up with it he brought the ball low and had it stripped. However, he's not going to be a liability while figuring it out either. A few of those fouls were tough luck.
