Abdul-Malik Abu, center/power forward: His athleticism is impressive and he's dedicated to doing the dirty work. His alley-oop dunk to start the game off a Dennis Smith out of bounds pass was as good as you'll see in college basketball. He tried a mid-range jumper, and it wasn't close. My gut says the coaches will let him take that shot during the non-conference slate, and if he shows he can't make it, it will disappear in the ACC. He also had four blocked shots, which was impressive and a by-product of NC State going small ball. He has to step up as a shot-blocker in that alignment, whereas in the past, I think he was cool with others being more defensive-minded, especially BeeJay Anya.
BeeJay Anya, center: Speaking of Anya, he looked to be about the same as always. He does work well in setting screens for Dennis Smith, but his offense will likely be dunks and tip-ins, and maybe an occasional half-hook, which he didn't show tonight. I am sure the small ball lineup is a clear message to Anya, but the Wolfpack probably won't play that many "taller" teams while Omer Yurtseven is suspended.
Torin Dorn, small forward/wing: Dorn quiety gets the job done, and then you look up and he has nine points and eight rebounds. I'm not sure what kind of an outside threat he is because he's judicious with his shot selection. He can slash to the basket, and he'll be a good dunker when he gets a head of steam. He obviously will benefit the most with Yurtseven out.
Terry Henderson, shooting guard: Henderson started slow, but he hit a pair of three-pointers and you can see how badly-needed that outside shooting is needed. Smith should be a solid three-point shooter and Rowan is streaky, but if Henderson can be steady to give the Wolfpack three capable guys from beyond the arc, that will be crucial. I also have a gut feeling that Henderson will be the player who sacrifices his offense at times. Rowan is going to get his shots up, he's focused about it. Henderson as a veteran will probably be smart enough to know that having two wings completely zeroed in on getting shots isn't the best for the Wolfpack. We'll see how that dynamic plays out.
Darius Hicks, power forward: He had a quiet night on offense, but he grabbed seven rebounds and had one nice pass. I figured he'd be the fourth big without freshman power forward Ted Kapita, and now he's the third big until Yurtseven is eligible.
Markell Johnson, point guard: Every time I watch him, I keep coming back to the same thing: he's going to be really good. Now, he hasn't shown any outside jumper yet between Red/White scrimmage and tonight, but he's athletic, passes well and has quick hands on defense. Bigger point guards might bully him a bit, but then how many bigger point guards will he really face. It's going to be a smooth transition to Johnson as the point guard next year.
Shaun Kirk, small forward: It has to be humbling to be the last scholarship player to check in, which happened with 15:21 left in the game. There has never been a question about his athleticism and length, which was evidenced when I saw him junior year when he was a complete and total unknown in the recruiting world. The key for him to gain the coaches' trust will be how well he defends and not losing his man, and if he can get to the rim in a halfcourt game.
Maverick Rowan, small forward: Rowan isn't as good a scorer as former star T.J. Warren obviously was, but they operate from the same offensive-minded playbook. Rowan got 10 shots off and made three trips to the free-throw line in just 22 minutes. He also had zero assists, but like I said in the Henderson segment, Rowan is going to get his. His teammates will need to sacrifice their offense when he gets hot. He went 2 of 7 on three-pointers, but he got good looks tonight.
Dennis Smith, point guard: Smith played a smooth game and rarely forced a tough shot. Maybe there was one step-back jumper from 18, but there wasn't many. His shot form looks good, but it's going to be interesting to see what he finishes this season from three-point land. Tonight, he was 2 of 4, and NC State would take that all day. He had five turnovers, and three of them he wishes he had back, I'm sure, but even if he ends up being a high-turnover guy, he'll find other ways to make up for it. As a passer, he's creative at times and operates in the pick and roll smoothly. If he just concentrated on passing, a la Rajon Rondo of the Chicago Bulls, he'd probably average 8-10 assists per game, but he's a bucket getter, and that will be his ticket to being a top 5-10 draft choice. The fun will begin when he gets really challenged and has to expand energy. He hasn't gone through that in quite some time.
Omer Yurtseven, center: Personally, it's just too early to know his full arsenal yet. He has good lower body strength, and I think if he adds 15-20 pounds over the next few years, it will be in the upper body. I see him more as a center than as a power forward. I think he's closer to 6-10 than 7-foot, which will probably get confirmed when the day comes that he goes to the NBA combine. I know there is a lot of noise around him about being a one-and-done, and maybe I'll change my mind on this, but I could see that second year of college being just huge for him. I'm not even concerned about the suspension. It's no different than a guy being injured and then returning to a team, which we see all the time (see Harry Giles at Duke). I just could see him being a 8-point, 6-rebound guy as a freshman, but then turning into a 17-point, 8-rebound guy sophomore year with more momentum. His mid-range jumper doesn't have a textbook release from what I can tell, but I think in time, he shoots a soft enough shot where he'll get it to fall. I'm not sure yet on the dream that he'll be bombing from three-point land.
BeeJay Anya, center: Speaking of Anya, he looked to be about the same as always. He does work well in setting screens for Dennis Smith, but his offense will likely be dunks and tip-ins, and maybe an occasional half-hook, which he didn't show tonight. I am sure the small ball lineup is a clear message to Anya, but the Wolfpack probably won't play that many "taller" teams while Omer Yurtseven is suspended.
Torin Dorn, small forward/wing: Dorn quiety gets the job done, and then you look up and he has nine points and eight rebounds. I'm not sure what kind of an outside threat he is because he's judicious with his shot selection. He can slash to the basket, and he'll be a good dunker when he gets a head of steam. He obviously will benefit the most with Yurtseven out.
Terry Henderson, shooting guard: Henderson started slow, but he hit a pair of three-pointers and you can see how badly-needed that outside shooting is needed. Smith should be a solid three-point shooter and Rowan is streaky, but if Henderson can be steady to give the Wolfpack three capable guys from beyond the arc, that will be crucial. I also have a gut feeling that Henderson will be the player who sacrifices his offense at times. Rowan is going to get his shots up, he's focused about it. Henderson as a veteran will probably be smart enough to know that having two wings completely zeroed in on getting shots isn't the best for the Wolfpack. We'll see how that dynamic plays out.
Darius Hicks, power forward: He had a quiet night on offense, but he grabbed seven rebounds and had one nice pass. I figured he'd be the fourth big without freshman power forward Ted Kapita, and now he's the third big until Yurtseven is eligible.
Markell Johnson, point guard: Every time I watch him, I keep coming back to the same thing: he's going to be really good. Now, he hasn't shown any outside jumper yet between Red/White scrimmage and tonight, but he's athletic, passes well and has quick hands on defense. Bigger point guards might bully him a bit, but then how many bigger point guards will he really face. It's going to be a smooth transition to Johnson as the point guard next year.
Shaun Kirk, small forward: It has to be humbling to be the last scholarship player to check in, which happened with 15:21 left in the game. There has never been a question about his athleticism and length, which was evidenced when I saw him junior year when he was a complete and total unknown in the recruiting world. The key for him to gain the coaches' trust will be how well he defends and not losing his man, and if he can get to the rim in a halfcourt game.
Maverick Rowan, small forward: Rowan isn't as good a scorer as former star T.J. Warren obviously was, but they operate from the same offensive-minded playbook. Rowan got 10 shots off and made three trips to the free-throw line in just 22 minutes. He also had zero assists, but like I said in the Henderson segment, Rowan is going to get his. His teammates will need to sacrifice their offense when he gets hot. He went 2 of 7 on three-pointers, but he got good looks tonight.
Dennis Smith, point guard: Smith played a smooth game and rarely forced a tough shot. Maybe there was one step-back jumper from 18, but there wasn't many. His shot form looks good, but it's going to be interesting to see what he finishes this season from three-point land. Tonight, he was 2 of 4, and NC State would take that all day. He had five turnovers, and three of them he wishes he had back, I'm sure, but even if he ends up being a high-turnover guy, he'll find other ways to make up for it. As a passer, he's creative at times and operates in the pick and roll smoothly. If he just concentrated on passing, a la Rajon Rondo of the Chicago Bulls, he'd probably average 8-10 assists per game, but he's a bucket getter, and that will be his ticket to being a top 5-10 draft choice. The fun will begin when he gets really challenged and has to expand energy. He hasn't gone through that in quite some time.
Omer Yurtseven, center: Personally, it's just too early to know his full arsenal yet. He has good lower body strength, and I think if he adds 15-20 pounds over the next few years, it will be in the upper body. I see him more as a center than as a power forward. I think he's closer to 6-10 than 7-foot, which will probably get confirmed when the day comes that he goes to the NBA combine. I know there is a lot of noise around him about being a one-and-done, and maybe I'll change my mind on this, but I could see that second year of college being just huge for him. I'm not even concerned about the suspension. It's no different than a guy being injured and then returning to a team, which we see all the time (see Harry Giles at Duke). I just could see him being a 8-point, 6-rebound guy as a freshman, but then turning into a 17-point, 8-rebound guy sophomore year with more momentum. His mid-range jumper doesn't have a textbook release from what I can tell, but I think in time, he shoots a soft enough shot where he'll get it to fall. I'm not sure yet on the dream that he'll be bombing from three-point land.
