The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 ■ 27 2021-22 MEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW player at Reidsville (N.C.) High, should add depth to the backcourt. His father, Cur- tis Pass, was a former college basketball player and coach in Reidsville that men- tored many youths, including Hayes, be- fore his sudden and tragic passing in 2019. "His dad was another father figure in my life," Hayes noted. Leaders In The Frontcourt Any discussion about NC State's bas- ketball team is likely to begin with the duo of Hellems and Bates, the two most established players on the Wolfpack roster. Hellems, a St. Louis native, was named honorable mention All-ACC last season when he averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 re- bounds per game while making 38.3 per- cent (31 of 81) of his three-pointers. He views himself as a leader, although Hel- lems is quick and careful not to say it is "his" team. "I think I am a vocal leader on this team, and I feel like I can give that to the guys because of my experience," Hellems noted. Hellems scored in double figures in all but seven of the 25 games he played last season and had three with 20 points or more, including a career-high 24 points at Syracuse and 23 versus Virginia in back-to- back contests. How and where Hellems plays in the lineup is to be determined, but Keatts hinted that he could play the power for- ward spot on the floor played last year by DJ Funderburk. He noted that Hellems could see a role similar to what Torin Dorn played when he was one of the Pack's lead- ing scorers and rebounders in Keatts' first two seasons at NC State. The coach labeled it a "big guard" on the court. "Jericole does it a little bit different be- cause this year we're going to allow him to come off ball screens," Keatts added. "He can really shoot it. He's one of the better shooters on our team." Keatts considers Bates, from Fayette- ville, N.C., to be an all-conference con- tender in the post. Bates improved his scor- ing average from 5.1 points per game as a rookie to 9.8 last season, and he went from Welcome to modern college basketball, where a player could suit up for one team in the ACC one season and then be playing for one of its conference rivals the next. Virginia fans are witnessing that firsthand, losing a pair of sophomores from last year's squad to two separate rivals on Tobacco Road — guard Casey Morsell to NC State and forward Justin McKoy to North Carolina. NC State head coach Kevin Keatts can remember seeing Morsell play during his recruiting days. When he was playing for St. John's College High in Washington, D.C., Rivals.com regarded him as the No. 11 shooting guard and No. 49 overall prospect in the 2019 class. Keatts recalls thinking that Morsell could shoot well, was effective in transition and played good defense. The 6-3, 200-pound guard did not get to show all of that at Virginia, though, which is a major reason why he is now at NC State and happy about it. "I think it's 100 percent better fit for me," Morsell said. "Strictly because I think, I guess on the offensive end, there is a lot more freedom, a lot more opportunity to play up and down, a lot more opportunity for me to be me. "Then secondly … I'm in a position where I'm not having to adjust or change completely who I am as a player and I am as a person to fit in." That's what Keatts expected when he signed Morsell out of the transfer portal in the offseason. Based on what the coach saw from Morsell as a high schooler, he thought the prospect would be better in NC State's system than perhaps at Virginia. "That's no knock against Virginia, because Tony [Bennett]'s done a tremendous job there," Keatts added. "… I think for what we need in this particular moment, he will be better in our situation, and he's a good player. "He starting to feel different about himself. He's playing a bit more like he's understanding what his value is here. He'll have a chance to start here, and I think that's a big selling point for him." During his sophomore campaign, Morsell averaged 4.4 points per game while hitting 26.3 percent of his threes, but he knows he is a better offensive player than he has shown thus far. "On the offensive end, I can score the ball, I can make plays," Morsell said. "I can do a lot of different things, and also I love to run. I love to get up and down the court. I think this is the best place to really get that done. "Also, on top of that, with the defensive end, I think defense leads to offense. If I can get going on the defense end, I can get a lot of opportunities on the of - fensive end." It has not taken long for Morsell to bond with his new teammates. He felt that it has been a smooth adjustment. "Here it's like guys are working every day, guys are hungry," Morsell noted. "I'm not saying UVA wasn't or we didn't when I was there, but I think the hunger and desire just to get to that level is a lot more obvious, a lot clearer. "It's known in the locker room this is what we have to do. Everyone says it, we talk about it every day. Our goal is to make it happen. We know what we have to do." — Matt Carter Following his prep career at St. John's College High in Washington, D.C., Morsell was rated the No. 11 shooting guard and No. 49 overall prospect in the 2019 class by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY UVA ATHLETICS Newcomer To Watch Virginia Transfer Casey Morsell Feels More Himself At NC State