2010-2011 NC State College Basketball Predictions

Head coach Sidney Lowe sports just a 20-44 record in ACC play in his four years with the NC State Wolfpack. This is a very important fifth season for Lowe, who is sitting on the hot seat. But expectations are very high this season, something that hasn’t been the case in his first four seasons. That’s because Lowe signed three five-star freshmen recruits to go along with three returning starters who managed to win six of their last nine games. Forward C.J. Leslie is a McDonald’s All-American, and two highly recruited guards in Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Wright will be the new faces you will see on the floor. Plus, senior forward Tracy Smith is back after leading the teams in points (16.5) and rebounds (7.3) a year ago. Also back are guards Javier Gonzalez (9.5 PPG) and Scott Wood (7.8 PPG).

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Frontcourt:

Originally, Tracy Smith entered his name in the NBA draft after a superb junior season. But he didn’t even work out for an NBA franchise, and withdrew his name almost immediately to come back for his senior year. Even with several big name recruits brought in, Smith will be the focus of this offense. Lowe loves working from the inside-out, and though Smith isn’t very big, he is great at getting to the rim and drawing fouls. C.J. Leslie opted against going to Kentucky to stay with his hometown team. His versatility gives him the ability to run the floor and play small forward, but his length at 6’8” enables him to defend the 4. Smith and Leslie will be their best scoring options inside, while sophomores DeShawn Painter and Jordan Vandenberg are solid defenders after playing here and there as freshmen.

Backcourt:

What the Wolfpack needed most was playmakers at the guard position, and they now have that with Brown and Harrow. NC State went through many periods last year where they couldn’t make a perimeter shot. Brown is 6’4” and brings with him a high basketball IQ. Harrow, though small at 5’11” and 155 pounds, makes up for it with toughness and leadership. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not Javier Gonzalez can show improvements and see significant time, as he’s been a starter for the better part of the last three seasons. He did lead the team in assists (3.7) and chipped in 9.5 PPG, but he was prone to turnovers at times and very inconsistent overall. Wood is one of the best shooters in the country, hitting 37.3% of his three-point shots last season. The trouble is that he cannot create his own shot, which makes him a one-dimensional player. Lowe will have some tough decisions to make in the backcourt, but at least now he has plenty of options.

Pick: 5th Place in the conference – I love the new guys coming in with three five-star freshmen, but I have a hard time believing that they will make a huge difference in their first year at NC State. The Wolfpack will be as sound as almost anyone in the ACC inside with Smith and Leslie, but there are still a lot of doubts with their guards. Lowe has not won more than 6 conference games in any of his first four seasons, and though I do believe they will transcend that mark this year, I feel they are still below Duke and North Carolina. This team has the potential to sneak into the Big Dance, but they will not contend for an ACC title. With such a good recruiting class, the prospects are bright for Lowe and NC State.

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