The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1190316
60 ■ THE WOLFPACKER [ ] T E A M OF THE DECADE BASKETBALL'S THE BEST IN MEN'S BASKETBALL FROM 2010-19 BY JACEY ZEMBAL T he last decade proved to be an exciting and bumpy ride for NC State men's basketball. The Wolfpack had three different coaches — Sidney Lowe (2006-11), Mark Gottfried (2011-17) and Kevin Keatts (2017-pres- ent) — but was able to make two Sweet 16 appearances, five trips to the NCAA Tournament and two showings in the NIT. NC State produced a pair of first-round NBA Draft picks in T.J. Warren and Dennis Smith Jr. Lorenzo Brown, C.J. Williams and Dennis Horner were players who finished their careers with the Wolfpack this past decade and also earned spots in the NBA, among Here is The Wolfpacker's All-Decade starting five with a sixth man: LORENZO BROWN POINT GUARD (2010-13) The smooth Brown was hoping to play for the Wolfpack in 2009-10, but needed a post-grad- uate year at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy, where he played for Keatts. Rivals.com ranked him No. 36 overall nationally in the class of 2010, and he played three years at NC State. The 6-5, 186-pounder spent his first year un - der Lowe and last two under Gottfried, before entering the 2013 NBA Draft. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 101 contests with the Wolfpack. He helped the Pack reach the NCAA Tournament twice, including the 2012 Sweet 16. Brown was named third-team All-ACC his sophomore year and second-team all-league his junior campaign, after he led the ACC with 7.2 as - sists per game. He was one of just three players in program history to reach 500 assists and ranks third in Wolfpack annals with 589. Brown was selected with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and he has played with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. He is with Crvena Zvezda in Serbia this season. T.J. WARREN SMALL FORWARD (2012-14) The son of former NC State player Tony Warren Sr., he simply became known as Tony Buckets during his two years at NC State. The gifted scorer from Durham, N.C., attended Durham Riv- erside High his first two years, Raleigh Word of God his junior year and Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Academy his senior season, where he was named a McDonald's All-American and ranked No. 17 overall nationally in the class of 2012 by Rivals.com. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during his freshman year, helping the Wolfpack reach the NCAA Tournament. He exploded as a sophomore with 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game en route to earning ACC Player of the Year accolades, while guiding NC State back to the Big Dance. In addition, the Associated Press named him a second-team All-American. His 871 points in 2013-14 marked a single-season school re- cord, as did his 31 20-point outings (in 35 games played). He scored 1,296 points in 70 games and 49 starts, both the lowest totals among all Wolfpack 1,000-point scorers. Warren was taken No. 14 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA Draft and is now with the Indiana Pacers. NC State honored his No. 24 jersey last year. ANTHONY "CAT" BARBER POINT GUARD (2013-16) The incredibly fast Barber was a gifted scorer coming out of Hampton (Va.) High, eclipsing Tony Rutland's career scoring mark in the Peninsula District. Rivals. com ranked him No. 27 nationally in the class of 2013, and he earned a spot in the McDonald's All- American Game. Barber started to blossom midway through his sophomore year after the death of a close friend. He exploded into a first-team All-ACC player his junior year, leading the league with 23.5 points per game while scoring at least 30 in eight games, which also paced the conference. He also contributed 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest that season, and finished his career 17th in school history with 1,507 points and eighth with 403 assists. The 6-2, 185-pounder entered the NBA Draft following his junior campaign, but was not selected. He has played in the G-League and overseas since his college days, and is with the College Park Skyhawks in the G-League this year. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL