The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1419104
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER 2021-22 MEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW a 48.6 percent free throw shooter to 68.6 percent. "He's a good player, he's gotten better," Keatts noted. "He's gotten better from the day he walked in here to right now. … Ob- viously when he was first here he was more of a defensive player coming in the door, and I think you guys saw some glimpses of how good he can be offensively. "He's worked extremely hard in the off- season to change his body, increase his range. We stepped him out to 18 feet to make some shots, but he's also shooting threes now. "I like the direction he's going. He's a leader. He will be one of the leaders on our team, and we're expecting a big year from him." Who surrounds and supports those two in the frontcourt are some of the questions that Keatts has to figure out, but odds are good that redshirt sophomore Dereon Seabron from Norfolk, Va., will be in the mix. Seabron played in 24 games last year and got better as the season unfolded. He finished with averages of 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. He started seven of the final eight games of the season, and his 17-point, 13-rebound and three-block performance at Notre Dame help garner him ACC Freshman of the Week honors. "We've worked in the offseason on re- ally helping him work on his outside shot," Keatts noted. "As you guys know, he's more of a slasher than anything." Seabron made 5 of 20 threes last season and was 19 of 33 (57.6 percent) at the line. The question is, where will the rest of the depth come from after the primary front- court contributors? The best bet may be Providence transfer and junior Greg Gantt, who like Morsell was a highly touted pros- pect in the 2019 class. The 247Sports com- posite had him at No. 67 overall nationally that year. The Fayetteville, N.C., native is hoping that a move to playing college ball closer to home will jumpstart his career. He aver- aged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore playing for Providence in the Big East. However, Gantt has been slowed in the preseason by a sports hernia. Another option could be freshman Ernest Ross, the highest-rated signing in NC State's recruiting class, after he was listed No. 71 overall in the 247Sports composite. Keatts raved about the Alachua, Fla., na- tive's athleticism. "He may be the fastest of the guys we have that are at least 6-5," Keatts noted. "He can probably play both forward spots. … He's probably our best shot blocker on our team, other than Manny Bates. He's long, athletic, rebounds — a tremendous offensive rebounder." Two bigs that took a year to get accli- mated to the ACC are also back and hoping to show improvement. Sophomore Jaylon Gibson from Zebulon, N.C., played in 17 games a year ago and finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and two rejections in those contests. Ebenezer Dowuona, a native of Accra, Ghana, played in nine contests and had five points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. ■ No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown 0 Terquavion Smith G 6-4 160 Fr. Greenville, N.C. Helped Farmville (N.C.) Central win three consecutive state titles. He was named the state Player of the Year by MaxPreps.com, the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association and The Charlotte Observer after averaging 27.2 points per game as a senior. 1 Dereon Seabron G/F 6-7 180 R-So. Norfolk, Va. Over his final eight games last season, the versatile and athletic wing averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 boards per contest while making seven starts in that stretch. 3 Cam Hayes G 6-3 180 So. Greensboro, N.C. As a freshman, he started all but five of NC State's ACC and postseason games that he suited up for, and he scored in double-digits in four of the final five contests of the regular season, all against conference competition, including a career-high 20 points at Notre Dame. 4 Jericole Hellems F 6-7 200 Sr. St. Louis, Mo. One of the members of head coach Kevin Keatts' first full recruiting class, he has increased his scoring and rebounding averages each season at NC State, and con - tributed 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 2020-21. 5 Thomas Allen G 6-1 175 5th-Sr. Raleigh In his first season at NC State after transferring from Nebraska, he averaged 7.4 points a contest and shot 37.9 percent (25 of 66) from three-point range. 10 Breon Pass G 6-0 175 Fr. Reidsville, N.C. He was a two-sport star at Reidsville High and was named the 2020-21 Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. As a senior, he averaged 32.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 54.0 percent (34 of 63) on three-pointers. 11 Jaylon Gibson F 6-10 220 So. Zebulon, N.C. Played in 17 games as a freshman and made 5 of 11 shots to finish with 14 points while also grabbing 15 rebounds. No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown 12 Chase Graham G 6-1 180 Jr. Raleigh The walk-on from Athens Drive High in Raleigh has made 19 appearances in two seasons and scored 16 career points. 14 Casey Morsell G 6-3 200 Jr. Fort Washington, Md. The former consensus top-100 recruit started 16 games and played in 53 over the past two seasons for Virginia before transferring to NC State after the spring, averag- ing 4.2 points per game in that span. 15 Manny Bates F 6-11 230 R-Jr. Fayetteville, N.C. One of the premier shot blockers in the country — Athlon listed him the No. 7 rim protector in all of college basketball, while Lindy's dubbed him the top defender in the ACC — he showed an improved offensive game last season, raising his scoring average from 5.1 points per game as a rookie to 9.8 as a redshirt sophomore. 20 Alex Nunnally G 6-2 180 Fr. Cary, N.C. Walk-on from nearby Cary Academy was a four-year varsity player who once tied a school record with eight threes. 21 Ebenezer Dowuona F 6-11 225 So. Accra, Ghana He gained limited experience during a rookie season in which he was sidelined on occasion, playing in nine games. The Wolfpack is hoping that the big man can step up and add depth in the post. 23 Greg Gantt F 6-8 215 Jr. Fayetteville, N.C. He arrives at NC State after transferring from Providence, where he played in 53 games and made 12 starts. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest for the Friars. 24 Ernest Ross F 6-9 190 Fr. Alachua, Fla. Ross averaged a double-double as a senior at Santa Fe High School, contributing 17.9 points and 10.3 boards per contest. He was the highest-rated signee in the class per Rivals.com, checking in at No. 87 overall nationally, and all three major recruiting services listed him as a top-100 prospect. 2021-22 NC State Men's Basketball Roster