The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1043000
70 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2018-19 BY MATT CARTER N C State fifth-year senior guard Torin Dorn considers himself a journeyman, even if you left out his transfer after one season at Charlotte and just profiled his time at NC State. "Every year it has been a different dy- namic," Dorn noted. "Different team, differ- ent coach, different playing styles." From head coach Mark Gottfried to Kevin Keatts, from a more deliberate tempo to a faster pace, from playing a traditional wing to a small-ball forward, from being the newcomer to playing with four newcom- ers last year and eight this winter, from an embarrassing 51-point loss at Chapel Hill to stunning the Dean Dome crowd with an overtime win — Dorn has indeed seen it all during his NC State career. The 6-5, 210-pounder has proven to be deft at adapting to changing surroundings, and with an upcoming season in which second-year coach Keatts insists will fea- ture its share of unconventional lineups, Dorn's versatility and experience make him a natural leader for a squad that will break in eight newcomers who have never worn a Wolfpack jersey in a game. "Being the oldest guy on the team classi- fication wise, the one who has been here the longest, me imparting some of the things I know on the younger guys puts me in a posi- tion where I can be a leader and step more into a leadership role than I was last year," Dorn noted. "It comes with a responsibility, but I'm really excited for it this year." Dorn's credentials are not questioned. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last year, both of which were second on the squad. More importantly, Dorn was consistent. In his debut season for NC State two years ago, Dorn averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, but his numbers and playing time both dipped dramatically dur- ing ACC play to 5.8 points and 3.8 boards while losing his starting job. Last year in league action, he averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing. "If there is anybody I think beside Omer [Yurtseven, who has transferred] who has benefited from our program I would say it's Torin Dorn," Keatts noted. "He's had some good non-conference games here at NC State, but for the first time he had a complete year for us." Dorn's greatest values for NC State come in his ability to play almost any position on the court in a pinch and his burning com- petitiveness. The latter is probably a genetic trait. His father, Torin Dorn Sr., was a star football player at UNC. Dorn's younger brother, Myles Dorn, is a starting junior safety for the Heels. The Dorn family is "super competitive" at just about everything, to the point where To- rin Dorn would argue he is a better football player than his brother is a basketball player. His competitiveness and versatility came out last season. "I kind of went back to who I was be- fore," Dorn said. Statistical evidence comes from his re- bounding average. It's a bit unusual for a 6-5 player to average almost seven rebounds a game. Yet one Wolfpack assistant coach joked to Dorn last year during a practice that a missed shot almost seems like a pass to Dorn. "I just want it," he explained. That competitive fire led Dorn to NC State after a successful rookie season at Charlotte, during which he was the Confer- ence USA Rookie of the Year and averaged 12.0 points per contest. He longed to prove himself at the highest level of college bas- ketball. It also may have played a role in Dorn testing the NBA Draft after last season. Dur- ing the process, he received a workout with the Charlotte Hornets. Such a decision would normally lead to consternation for the Wolfpack, but Keatts was unconcerned about it. "I never felt there was a point Torin wasn't coming back," the coach noted. "I'm very grateful that he had an opportunity to go through the NBA process to kind of fig- ure where he's at so he could work on some things he needed to do to have a chance to play in the NBA after his senior year." Dorn learned nothing new about his NBA prospects. "I'm a pretty self-reflective person," Dorn explained. "I think all the things they told me were things I kind of already knew: work on your jump shot, tighten your handle up a little bit. "Some things that I had on my list to work on in the summer." Dorn was also pulled back to NC State for one last go-round. His motto for the season is simple: "Go out epic." He wants to soak in every day of his senior year. "It feels so long when you are in it and when you look back you are like, 'Whoa that went by too fast,'" Dorn said. A determined senior that has seen it all and in some ways can do it all on the basket- ball court, it's hard to find a better candidate to be a leader for Keatts than Dorn. Dorn is the consummate team player and competitor who can probably be plugged in anywhere on the multitude of unconven- tional lineups that Keatts could put on the floor, and he embraces that role. "I'll play whatever they want me to play, whatever helps us win," Dorn said. ■ LEADING THE PACK Fifth-Year Senior Torin Dorn's Experience And Versatility Make Him A Natural To Take Charge Of The Team Last year, Dorn ranked second on the team in both scoring (13.9 points per game) and rebounding (6.3 boards a contest). PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "Being the oldest guy on the team classification wise, the one who has been here the longest, me imparting some of the things I know on the younger guys puts me in a position where I can be a leader and step more into a leadership role than I was last year." ■ Dorn