The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK T he Wolfpacker Podcast records at least once a week and also features postgame reflection episodes with former players and expert analysts. The show is always available to listen to on TheWolfpacker.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and most everywhere else podcasts can be heard. Here are some excerpts from when former NC State basketball player and current ACC Network analyst Ernie Myers joined the show to preview the men's and women's bas- ketball seasons: How would Jim Valvano have done with the idea of a bubble and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic? "He would have been pulling his hair out. He was a guy that liked to be everywhere all the time. He loved people, being around peo- ple. He loved an audience. I don't know how he would have handled this, it would have been tough. This has been tough on everyone. "I was just watching [Duke head coach] Mike Krzyzewski on TV, and he was talk- ing about how they get tested every day and how they're progressing, all that kind of stuff. It's just unbelievable what's going on. You just don't know." How will the men's basketball team replace the production of senior guards Markell Johnson and C.J. Bryce from one season ago? "That's the big question right there. You have [freshman] Sha- keel Moore. He's very athletic — he was a four-star player coming in. He's going to be a freshman that could contend for a starting spot. [Fellow freshman] Cam Hayes is a talented, four-star guy out of Greensboro. "I think [senior] Braxton Beverly is definitely going to have one of those spots in the backcourt, assuming that he's healthy. It's go- ing to be tough to replace a guy like Markell and C.J. in a league like the ACC. The point guard is like the head of the team. "Braxton Beverly is not really a point guard, I see him as a shooting guard. He can handle the ball, he doesn't turn the ball over and he's been very consistent in that regard. But you would rather have him catching and shooting than trying to create and run a team. It's going to be very interesting to see. "The guy who starts the season might not be the guy that ends up being the pick for the rest of the year. It's going to be a lot of waiting to see who plays, how every- body meshes as the team goes on. "It's going to be a lot of guys in and out. That's how Coach [Kevin] Keatts runs his team. It could be a myriad of guys playing point before he decides on who's the number one guy." How comfortable would Keatts be playing a true freshman at point guard? "You're going to have to have thick skin to play point guard for Coach Ke- atts. He's really demanding of his point guard. Him and Markell had their little battles as far as the way he wanted to see his team ran and things he wanted him to do a certain period of time in the game." You played next to a pretty good shot blocker your freshman year in Thurl Bailey. What kind of difference does redshirt sophomore forward Manny Bates make with his shot- blocking ability? "Coach Keatts always talked about how he needed a rim protector and that's exactly what Manny Bates is — a big-time rim protector. I saw some pictures of him, and it seems like he's bulked up a little bit. He's looking good. "They have worked on his back-to- the-basket low-post moves. As a defensive player and rebounder, he should make a big difference this year. "I also think [junior forward] Jericole Hellems should be able to pick up some of the scoring as well. He had a couple of injuries last year. He can shoot the three sometimes, and I think he'll be a little bit more consistent this year." You've covered the women's basketball for the ACC Net- work. How far do you think that team could have gone in the NCAA Tournament after winning the ACC championship if the Big Dance had not been canceled? "I think they would have gone to the Final Four. That team was jelling. At the end of the season, they had a little bump in the road on what they wanted to do and how they were playing. Once they got to the tournament, they cleared all those problems up, and they were able to win the championship. They had a lot of confidence. "The young players, [then-freshman forward] Jada Boyd and [then-freshman wing] Jakia Brown-Turner, were coming into their own, along with [star center Elissa] Cunane and Ace [senior guard Aislinn Konig]. Konig was the MVP — she was struggling with her shot, but she started looking confident. I think they would reached the Final Four." ■ Redshirt sophomore forward Manny Bates ranked sixth in the country last year with 2.93 blocks per game and became just the second player in program history to lead the ACC in the category. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN ERNIE MYERS Former NC State basketball player and ACC Network analyst PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS