What's a good solution for fixing a team that hasn't done much in the last four years? If you're Sidney Lowe, you go out and get one of the top recruiting classes in the country. And he will need this incoming freshman class to grow up and play well right away. It's very possible that Sidney Lowe's job may be on the line this season, and the success (or lack thereof) of this class could dictate that.
Backcourt
While Javier Gonzalez has been the starter since his freshman year, he has some company at that position that might overtake him. Gonzalez has been benched at times during his career, but has always found his way back in to the starting lineup. The senior has improved his scoring average each year, averaging 9.5 points per game last season. Ryan Harrow is there to provide depth, and to be the point guard of the future, if not the present. Lorenzo Brown is another freshman who will play a lot this year. Brown is a good shooter and is a playmaker at the shooting guard position. C.J. Williams will backup at the shooting guard. Williams isn't much of a scorer, but is a solid defender.
Frontcourt
The strength of the Wolfpack is the frontcourt. Tracy Smith is an All-ACC caliber player who has seen his stats rise from three points per game as a freshman to 16.5 points per game last season. Smith is an excellent rebounder as well, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game last season. He will have a lot of help in one of the most highly coveted freshman of the 2010 class. C.J. Leslie is a freak of an athlete who can score and rebound very well. He does have some work to do on defense though. At center is Richard Howell, who came on strong during conference play. Howell is a good defender, and can hit a 15 footer when needed. Scott Wood, who will play on the wing and likely will start, is the team's biggest three point threat. Wood shot 37% last season from behind the arc last season. Deshawn Painter will log a few minutes at power forward and center, primarily as a defensive presence. Jordan Vandenberg is also a prime candidate to play some at center. Vandenberg is a seven footer who can block shots and rebound very well.
Schedule
There are three games on the non conference schedule that are intriguing. The Wolfpack get Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, followed by a trip to Syracuse. Another nice game is a home date with Arizona. In conference play, the Wolfpack get home and home games with Duke and UNC, and get Virginia Tech at home as well.
Prediction
The freshmen on this team will dictate how this season goes. They are clearly talented enough, but chemistry is the biggest key. There have been talented NC State teams recently, but the lack of chemistry has hurt them on the court. If this team plays with good chemistry, they will be playing in March. If not, their coach could be out of a job.
by Will Ojanen
Fantasy Player to Watch
If I were writing this before the season started, I would probably list Tracy Smith at the Pack's top fantasy performer. Now that I've seen the Pack in action, I'm leaning toward a Pack freshman instead. CJ Leslie is really talented, and if Sidney Lowe can raise his on-court energy level, the NC State freshman could put up huge numbers.
