The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WOLFPACK BASKETBALL PREVIEW BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State is expecting its roster to be filled with offensively gifted perimeter players this season. The Wolfpack returns three key players and welcomes an- other three in what will be a competitive, athletic and deep group. Fifth-year senior Ralston Turner, se- nior Desmond Lee and sophomore point guard Anthony Barber all return from last year's 22-14 squad, which went 1-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Alabama redshirt ju- nior combo guard transfer Trevor Lacey and the dynamic duo of Caleb Martin and Cody Martin, identical twin brothers, join the veterans on the wing. If the veterans elevate their play and the newcomers adjust quickly, the Wolfpack could have an exciting array of performers on the perimeter. "For us to be good, Ralston has to be bet- ter," NC State head coach Mark Gottfried said. "Desmond has to be more consistent and score better. Cat offensively as a fresh- man was a typical freshman — up and down. He had some good games and some bad, and his shooting percentages weren't great. He has to be better." The 6-3, 213-pound Lacey is being hailed as the key piece to the puzzle this season. Gottfried expects an improved ver- sion of Lacey after he played on the scout squad last year. "He gives us some three-point shooting that we desperately need," Gottfried said. "He's a big strong guard that can get into the paint and make contact. He doesn't get knocked off balance. My expectations are going to be high for him and he'll be an impact guy in this league." The Huntsville, Ala., native averaged 11.3 points and 3.2 assists per game at Alabama in 2012-13. He shot 39.2 per- cent from the field, but was solid on three- pointers (37.3 percent) and should be a good addition at the free throw line (71.8). Lacey cracked double figures in 21 games, and had a season-high 23 points against West Alabama and 21 at Texas Tech during his sophomore campaign. Lacey shot 36.8 percent from the field and 35.2 percent on three-pointers en route to 11.4 points per game in 18 SEC games. Lacey's SEC high was 19 points (5-of-9 shooting on three-pointers) against Mis- sissippi. "There are a lot of things that I like," Gottfried said. "No. 1, he has a great basket- ball mind. He knows how to play and he's very unselfish. He enjoys passing as much as he enjoys scoring. The ball moves so well when he is involved in the play offensively. He is always finding the next guy." Lacey is expected to take some of the playmaking pressure off of Barber, and then log some time at point guard when Barber needs some rest. "I think he can score when he needs to score," Gottfried said. "He is one of those players that because he really understands how to play, he gives the coach a great feel- ing of trust in him. You really feel like he is going to make the right decisions." Gottfried went through a similar situa- tion with Turner last year after sitting out the 2012-13 season following his trans- fer from LSU. Turner took some time to shake off the rust, and Lacey will likely go through the same process. Turner gave star small forward T.J. War- ren scoring help last year. Turner came off the bench at one point last year, but took over for Lee at shooting guard and started 22 of 36 games. Turner tallied 20-plus points in three different games and made at least three three-pointers in 13 contests. He earned the respect of his teammates throughout the season. "Ralston is consistent and just Ralston," NCSU sophomore power forward Kyle Washington said. "He'll hit shots and give you length when he's guarding somebody at 6-5." The 6-5, 205-pound Turner had his sta- tistics in the SEC translate smoothly to the ACC. He averaged 9.1 points per game and shot 37.0 percent from the field and 37.2 percent on three-pointers his sophomore year at LSU in 2011-12. Last season at NC State, he improved to 10.5 points per contest and shot 40.6 percent on field goals and an identical 37.2 percent from behind the arc. Turner's shot-making ability on the wing helped prove to be the difference in making the NCAA Tournament. Turner expects the Wolfpack to earn a fourth straight trip to the Big Dance. "We have a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but you never really know until you play," Turner said. "I'll say this, I think we'll sur- prise some people again this year because we don't have T.J. A lot of people are kind of counting us out of some games. I think we have the opportunity to surprise some people." The electric Barber could be the X-factor on the Wolfpack. Lacey might be getting the preseason attention or hype, but the speedy Barber's presence will change how NC State approaches the game. Barber fin- ished third on the team in scoring at 8.5 points per game last season, and shot 40.1 percent from the field and 26.1 percent on three-pointers. "He is a lot more confident, but confi- dence comes from how hard he's worked," Gottfried said. "He has put a lot of time in. He has spent a lot of time shooting the ball, shooting the three. He has spent a lot of time with myself and the coaches, talking about the position." The 6-2, 180-pounder is a blur with the ball and a former McDonald's All-Amer- ican out of Hampton (Va.) High. Barber, who was ranked as the No. 27 overall player in the class of 2013 by Rivals.com, came off the bench to start the season, but broke through with a season-high 22 points in the 82-72 overtime loss against North Carolina Central Nov. 20, 2013. Barber took control of the team, but the elevation in play in the ACC proved diffi- cult, and then sophomore point guard Tyler Lewis regained the starting job. Barber aver- aged 6.5 points and shot 33.6 percent from the field and 5 of 22 on three-pointers (22.7 percent) in 17 ACC games (nine starts). Barber's pull-up jumper started to come around last March, and other than the Xavier game in the NCAA Tournament, he essentially split time with Lewis. "I think Cat came in and he's such a fast, quick and energetic guy," Gottfried said. "In high school, that is all he did. He'd Locked & LOADED Veterans And Newcomers Are Poised To Create A Dynamic Perimeter Game Last year, fifth-year senior Ralston Turner eclipsed the 20-point mark three times, and he made at least three three-pointers in 13 games. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN