Mark Gottfried has his work cut out for him in 2013-14. He loses his entire starting five and as of now only has nine scholarship players. There are so many unknowns, it’s tough to settle on one starting lineup. I would say NC State’s lineup will be in constant flux, because there are a handful of players capable of playing multiple positions.
GONE BABY GONE: Just about everybody…Lorenzo Brown, C.J. Leslie, Richard Howell, Scott Wood, Rodney Purvis, Jay Lewis
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
PG – Tyler Lewis (SO), 5-11/165
SG – Anthony “Cat” Barber (FR), 6-2/165
SG – Ralston Turner (JR), 6-6/210
PF – T.J. Warren (SO), 6-8/235
C – BeeJay Anya (FR), 6-9/275
I’ll be straight up, I like Cat Barber better than Tyler Lewis. Don’t get me wrong, I think Lewis is going to have a great career in Raleigh. He’s a four-year guy, capable of being a three-year starter. However, Barber reminds me of a taller Ty Lawson. Of course I said that about my sandwich the other day, but this time I mean it.
He’s so quick with the ball (you can enjoy some ankle breaking moves in the video below), Barber can beat his man off the dribble with no help and he could be unstoppable in transition. He’s also should be a better defender than Lewis, the kind of guy that turns defense into offense faster than Dick Vitale can say the word “Duke.”
However, look for Gottfried to use them both, switching them from point guard to off the ball. Lewis is an underrated athlete, who has some solid dribbling skills, but it’s his IQ and leadership skills that the Wolfpack will want on the court. I honestly can’t imagine a time in a game where one of these two will not be on the court.
Of course to get these two together, that means both Turner and Warren will need to slide out of their natural positions. Turner is big enough to play the three, but he’s primarily a shooter (he led LSU in scoring as a freshman) and has mastered moving underneath and through screens without the ball. In fact, I expect his three-point shooting percentage to hit 40% since he won’t be asked to be the go-to guy this year.
That role falls to Warren. The sophomore is ready to be a star as one of the more impressive scorers in the league. However, I think he’d be better at the three, out in the open area where he can abuse his defenders with either his outside shot or an effective ability to drive inside. While I think Warren will still see plenty of minutes at small forward, as a team I think it’s better having both Lewis/Barber on the floor, instead of Freeman or Washington inside.
At center, I know the Wolfpack are dying for production from the Big Aussie, but it’s not going to happen. I suspect the five spot is going to be a problem all year. Gottfried has bodies, but none are ready to take on an offensive role. Personally, I like Anya. At the very least, you better have a rebounder inside. Anya isn’t tall, but he’s extremely long (7-4 wingspan) and he loves to own the paint with his refrigerator frame. He doesn’t have a back to the basket game, but he’s not afraid to bounce his big body for closer shots and put backs.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS
G – Desmond Lee (JR), 6-4/195
F – Lennard Freeman (FR), 6-8/240
F – Kyle Washington (FR), 6-9/215
Lee is a transfer from New Mexico junior college. From what I’ve read and seen, he’s a good shooter from the outside and loves to draw contact when he drives inside (always looking for a trip to the free throw line). However, it’s tough to really know much about a player by watching a couple edited highlight reels. At best, he should be a solid backup at the two. He has some ability to play the point, but it won’t be needed with Lewis/Barber.
Freeman and Washington will back up both the 4/5 spots, allowing Warren to slide back to the three. Both are athletic and long, both are great off the ball shot blockers and both can rebound. Washington is listed as a center, but the lefty likes to play facing the basket. Inside the paint, he’s raw. Because of his light frame (about 215), he’s a classic case for redshirting, but Gottfried doesn’t have that luxury this year.
Freeman is a little shorter than Washington, but he’s got good bulk (240). If you put him on the front line with Anya, then you’re talking about 515 pounds of beef in the paint. That’s a lot of meat, folks. He’s an active big man, who loves to play D and not afraid to take a charge. However, his offensive game…how can I put this…he doesn’t have an offensive game.
ROLE PLAYERS
C – Jordan Vandenberg (SR), 7-1/265
I don’t like The Dunker From Down Under. Seriously, it takes a rare bred of a human to get worse every year in college. Am I being harsh? Maybe, but he has no go-to moves, he rebounds like he thinks the ball has teeth and tell me if I’m wrong, he appears to be allergic to paint, because he still continues to play outside during his brief stints on the floor. I have him in the “role players” section only because I have to. The less time he plays, the better. Sorry.
LIMITED ACTION
No one.
