The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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122 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State men's basketball star T.J. Warren had the kind of season that will rarely be duplicated and often be reminisced about in the future. Warren set out to simply dominate his sophomore season and enter the NBA Draft, and he achieved both goals this year. The 6-8, 215-pounder from Durham, N.C., went No. 14 overall to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA Draft June 26. Warren became the first NC State player to go in the first round since J.J. Hickson went No. 19 in the 2008 draft. Warren added some new chapters to the NC State record book en route to win- ning ACC Player of the Year and first-team all-league honors. He finished third in the nation and led the ACC with 24.9 points per game, and he led the league in field goal percentage (.525). He also set school records for points in a single season (871) and most 20-point games (31). Warren surpassed the legendary David Thompson, who set the school single-season points record of 838 during the 1974 season. Warren dropped 25 points in a 74-59 win over Xavier in the NCAA Tournament to surpass Thompson. Warren was linked to another NC State legend in winning the ACC Player of the Year. Julius Hodge was the last Wolfpack player to win the award in 2004. Other past NC State winners include Ronnie Shav- lik (1956), Lou Pucillo (1959), three-time winner Thompson (1973-75) and Rodney Monroe (1991). Warren had winning the ACC POY as one of his preseason goals, but the intro- verted personality usually deflected praise to his teammates. Warren won the award in a spirited battle over Duke freshman forward Jabari Parker. "It is special," said Warren, who lost 15 to 20 pounds in preparation for the season. "It's a wonderful award. The coaching staff and my teammates gave me a lot of confi- dence throughout the year. "This helps a lot [for his NC State leg- acy]. Coming up, I was familiar with the program and the tradition, with my father [Tony Warren Sr.] playing here. It's a tre- mendous award to get." Warren had a quality freshman year, earning a spot on the All-ACC freshman squad. He topped it with an encore cam- paign to remember. In addition to improv- ing his scoring average from 12.1 to 24.9 points per game, he averaged 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in 2013-14. "What I liked the best was his improve- ment from a year ago," NCSU head coach Mark Gottfried said. "He had a really good freshman year, but he didn't make many threes and shot about 54 percent from the foul line. He had some really nice games as a freshman, but then he [struggled] in some. He wasn't consistent. "Throughout this year, really starting in the summer, we all watched him become more consistent. He improved every part of his game, even the defensive side of things. He improved with his maturity. He had a phenomenal year, as good as anybody." Warren also earned second-team All- America accolades from the Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches and Sporting News. Warren became known for his ability to score without plays being called for him, his eye-hand coordination and body control around the rim, and his soft touch with run- ners in the lane. Warren had the ability to score on all three levels at times — from the paint to the mid-range to his improved three-point shot. When the latter was going, few could defend Warren. Pittsburgh learned that first hand March 3, when he poured in 41 points and went 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Warren then followed up with a busi- ness-like approach to scoring a career-high 42 points the next game against Boston College March 9, in what proved to be his last home game at PNC Arena. Warren be- came the first conference player to score 40 points in back-to-back ACC games since UNC's Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957. Former Georgia Tech point guard Kenny Anderson scored 40-plus points in two straight non- conference games in 1990. Teammates were in awe at times of War- ren's scoring prowess. "T.J. is the best scorer in the country," NC State rising sophomore center BeeJay Anya said. "There is no if's, and's or but's about it. I have seen it first hand in practice, open gyms. "He is out there, doing what he does. Sometimes, I think, 'T.J. hasn't scored in a while,' and I look up at the scoreboard, and he has 25 points. I am like, 'When did that happen?' When you look back at the film, he has a lot of tip-ins, runners and tough plays." Warren likely had a good idea that the BC home game would be his swan song, but let the seniors have the spotlight prior to the game. Warren appreciated his time at NC State, but has been driven to reach his dream of playing in the NBA. His work ethic and time he spent on his own to improve his game became part of his lore. "It's been a fun ride the last few years," Warren said. "I've had some great experi- ences and now I feel I'm ready to play at the next level. Playing in the NBA has been a lifelong dream of mine, and playing at NC State has prepared me well to achieve my dream." Opposing coaches were effusive with their praise of his game throughout the season. Warren and UNC sophomore point guard Marcus Paige were part of an epic duel Feb. 26 at PNC Arena. Warren had 26 of his 36 points after halftime, but the Wolfpack fell 85-84 in overtime. "T.J., we couldn't stop him," North Car- olina head coach Roy Williams said. "We absolutely couldn't stop him. He was as good a player as we have played all year long. ■ Male Athlete Of The Year SEASON FOR THE AGES Scoring Whiz T.J. Warren Won Awards And Set Records Warren poured in 24.9 points per contest to lead the ACC and finish third in the nation in scoring this season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "To have the year that he had, it puts his name up there with some of the great players that have been here." ■ Head coach Mark Gottfried on Warren 122-124.Male Athlete of the Year.indd 122 6/27/14 10:17 AM