The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197085
wolfpack basketball Trevor Lacey Braces For Redshirt Season By Matt Carter C State junior guard Trevor Lacey was not expecting to be in Raleigh, N.C., preparing for a redshirt season two years after graduating from Butler High School in Huntsville, Ala., in the class of 2011. He was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 24 player in the nation that year and had been named a Parade All-American. Lacey helped Butler win three straight state titles and became just the second player in state history to win multiple Alabama Mr. Basketball awards (Lacey did it twice). After averaging 31.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.6 assists per game as a senior, Lacey was supposed to be an instant impact player at Alabama. He had his moments in Tuscaloosa, starting 52 of 69 games and averaging 9.4 points a game during that span. Lacey made 62 three-pointers as a sophomore and averaged 11.3 points a contest. He had a career-high 23 points against West Alabama last year, one of three games in which he contributed at least 20 points. But after last season was over, Lacey decided he needed a change and transferred to NC State. That means the 6-3, 220-pounds Lacey will have to sit out this year. "It's going to be tough, but my teammates, coaching staff, family and friends have helped me out," Lacey said. "They talked to me about trying to get my body where I want my body to be, and get in the best shape I can be and get the most I can get out of this year off I can." Lacey's ultimate goal is show the form that made him such a prized recruit. He took official visits to Auburn, Kansas and Kentucky in addition to Alabama. Thus far, the transition to NCSU has been smooth and he believes he is on track to regain that status. "It's different styles of play, but I think my teammates and coaches have helped me adjust pretty good," Lacey said. He credited the NC Pro-Am during the summer on the campus at North Carolina Central for helping him show "the people that know me coming out of high school that I still have the same attributes that I had coming out of high school." Lacey will take the role that NCSU redshirt junior Ralston Turner, an LSU transfer who grew up about 45 miles away from Lacey in Muscle Shoals, Ala., had last year, spectator at the end of the bench during games and a major contributor in practices. N Lacey started 52 of 69 games and averaged 9.4 points per contest in his two seasons at Alabama. photo courtesy alabama Lacey is at least content watching Wolfpack sophomore forward T.J. Warren go to work. "I don't see anyone stopping him," Lacey opined. "I see teams having designated defenses for him. He is going to get the job done. He can score the ball with the best of them." Conference Welcomes Newcomers The ACC has always prided itself in its high level of basketball, but the league had been challenged in recent years by the Big East. However, conference realignment decimated the Big East, and the beneficiary has been the ACC. This year, the conference will welcome Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse into the league. Both Syracuse (seventh) and Notre Dame (22nd) are ranked in the preseason coaches' poll, and Pittsburgh received votes. Next year, Louisville, the defending national champion, will join the league. The result is a basketball conference powerhouse. "The SEC brought in Texas A&M and Missouri, two very, very good teams," NC State head coach Mark Gottfried noted. "Syracuse and Louisville play for national championships. Pitt and Notre Dame have been in the tournament every year. We've added four teams in this league that are coming in with expectations to be at the top. It really makes our league an unbelievable basketball conference. "Hopefully at the end, you get eight, nine or 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament because they deserve it." One of the byproducts of the ACC expansion is that the new conference should become more appealing to the top high school players in the country. Gottfried said that he has already seen the benefits of that first-hand when he recruits, and he thinks the rest of the league should notice it, too. "The addition of those three teams this year and Louisville next year should enhance everybody's recruiting. Everybody should benefit from having to sell the new ACC," Gottfried said. "As everybody's recruiting improves, the league should get better. "It raises the bar for everybody else. You better keep up and take the next step." Coaching in the new ACC may seem like a challenge, but Gottfried appreciates being Pack Picked 10th In New-Look ACC The ACC men's basketball preseason predictions from the league's sportswriters were released Oct. 16, and NC State was picked to finish 10th in the conference. The Pack did not have anyone on the preseason all-conference lists. Syracuse senior forward C.J. Fair was tabbed as the preseason ACC Player of the Year and Duke freshman forward Jabari Parker was deemed the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year. Here is the preseason predicted order of finish for the conference: Rk.Team (First-Place Votes) 1. Duke (50) 2. Syracuse (3) 3. North Carolina (1) 4.Virginia 5. Notre Dame 6. Pittsburgh 7. Maryland 8. Boston College 9. Florida State 10. NC State 11. Georgia Tech 12. Miami 13. Wake Forest 14. Clemson 15.Virginia Tech Points 805 753 668 612 608 477 473 457 334 332 311 224 220 141 65 44 ■ the wolfpacker 44,46.Wolfpack Basketball.indd 44 10/22/13 2:30 PM