The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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62 ■ THE WOLFPACKER son, and 746 would put him on pace to fin- ish fifth all time. Thompson ranks first (838 in 1974-75) and third (805 in 1973-74), Monroe is second (836 in 1990-91) and Carr ranks fourth (798 in 1975-76). Gottfried has always brought up War- ren's ability to make shots at all three levels — near the rim, in the mid-range and with long-range jumpers. "When the ball is tipping around, some- how or another, he is going to get it and score it," Gottfried said. "I can't remember when he hasn't somehow. "He has a knack to score in a variety of ways. It's unique. Right now, he's mak- ing the three. He has improved as a foul shooter." The ability to make three-pointers in a comfortable fashion, coupled with im- proved free throw shooting, are tangible evidence of how hard Warren has worked on his offensive game since last year. Warren finished the non-conference slate shooting 11 of 47 on three-pointers (23.4 percent). Usually, players' percent- ages trend downward in league play due to improved competition and advanced scout- ing. Warren, however, improved to 16 of 44 (36.4 percent) in his first 14 ACC games. Warren also has improved at the foul line, where he struggled to shoot 54.2 per- cent his freshman year. This year, he had bumped up his accuracy to 69.3 percent. "I've been in the gym after hours just working on it and adjusting my shot," War- ren said. "I just have to stay focused and concentrate on my balance. I have to keep going forward to it. I just have to take my time shooting it [three-pointers] instead of just throwing it up there." Veteran Florida State head coach Leon- ard Hamilton is perhaps the leading author- ity on Warren's scoring prowess. Warren exploded for 31 points and 13 rebounds in an 84-66 home win over the Seminoles his freshman year, and then had 30 points and seven boards in 34 min- utes in a 74-70 home win Jan. 29, 2014. Sandwiched in between, Warren had a passive eight-point effort in a road loss March 9, 2013. "He is an outstanding, talented, savvy player, who is kind of like being a good quarterback," said Hamilton, who has been coaching since 1971. "Some quarterbacks just know where to place the ball. In base- ball, it's having a knack for hitting the ball. T.J. has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. "He is a very efficient player who doesn't need a whole lot of touches. You don't have to run a whole lot of plays for him." Hamilton, who coached for the Washing- ton Wizards and is from Gastonia, N.C., half- joked that Warren can make shots that he would be afraid to let his own players shoot. "He has a good feel for the game and he never seems to be in a hurry," Hamilton said. "It's hard to speed him up. He has a tremendous touch. It's almost like he can shoot it, flip it or push it. He has a very unique skill that very few people have. He is the ultimate scorer." The NC State point guards have learned to make sure to feed Warren the ball when he's running hot. "Whenever T.J. is rolling, it is kind of easy out there," sophomore point guard Tyler Lewis said. "You just find him and get out of the way. He just scores so easily and it's so natural for him. I just look up and hit him, and it's two points." It took some time for Gottfried to know exactly what kind of player he was recruit- ing. NCAA rules back then didn't allow for college coaches to watch players in traveling tournaments in April 2011, which was the month Gottfried was hired by the Wolfpack. He finally got to see Warren play live and in person during the July evaluation period. "I can remember Julius Hodge mention- ing to me one day that out of all the young guys, that T.J. was one that I needed to keep my eye on more than anybody," Gott- fried said. "It didn't take long [in July], just a day or two of watching him play. His ability to score the basketball was evident from the first time I watched him at the LeBron James Camp." Warren has continued to put up eye- catching numbers, moving into the top-10 lists in the Wolfpack record book in the process. ■ "T.J. is a rare player who makes so many different shots, and I don't think that is something that he practices. It is kind of natural for him and the way he grew up playing. That makes him a great scorer." ■ Head coach Mark Gottfried on Warren Warren has a chance to become just the seventh player in NC State history to score more than 700 points in a single season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 60-62.TJ Warren.indd 62 2/25/14 3:13 PM