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as he leads them. His goal is to direct the Pack past the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. "Being the only point guard on the roster just makes me want to go harder," he explained. "Trevor [Lacey] can play the point as well, but being that I'm the only one on the roster right now, my confidence has to be high. "I can't let anything bring me down because I'm going to have to play, even if I'm not on. I'll do my best to get my teammates involved and keep the game flowing if that happens so we can win." Barber came to NC State as a McDonald's All-American, but he still had to make several adjustments from high school. In addition to battling for playing time, he experienced the ups and downs common for freshmen in the ACC. He started hot and averaged 28.9 minutes, 12.3 points and 4.5 assists in the first 15 games. Then he hit the rookie wall when competition picked up. His averages dipped to 20.9 min- utes, 5.8 points and 2.8 assists per contest the rest of the way, although he did experience a bit of a resurgence in the ACC Tournament. He torched Duke for 12 points in the semifinals and notched at least six assists in the first two games of the tourney. "I came in and was being a good role player," he said. "Coach knew I could be a great player, I just needed to fix a few things. I did that this summer, and it's going to be better this year. "I think I'm 10 times better. I'm not com- plete yet, but I'm better than what I was last year. I'll keep trying to grow as the year goes on." Barber's biggest strength is his quickness. However, he had to learn how to make his mind move as fast as his legs could in order to use it to his advantage on the college level last year. The evolution continued this offseason. "I think that he has tried to really learn and understand how to be a point guard," head coach Mark Gottfried explained. "He was one of those players in high school — because he was so gifted with his athleticism, speed and quickness — that it was 140 miles per hour every time up and down the floor. "He got to this level and sometimes that wasn't as effective as it was in high school. Now he has to really learn how to be a true lead guard, so he has taken a lot more interest in really listening and trying to understand how to get certain players involved at certain places. "It's time for him to take that next big step, as far as just playing as a point guard." The 6-2, 180-pounder focused mostly on his jump shot this offseason, but teammates and coaches have seen him emerge as a leader on and off the floor. They have seen his intan- gibles begin to match the immense physical gifts he possesses. "He's as fast as lightning, and you have to keep up with his pace," senior guard Desmond Lee noted. "There's nobody in the country as fast as Cat. "He's been more vocal and active in prac- tice. He's emerging as one of the leaders of the team." The Hampton, Va., native has always dreamed of being a lead point guard in the ACC, and now that he has that chance, he's not about to let the opportunity pass him by. Barber welcomes the pressure of being the guy that everybody expects to lead the Pack in 2014. With his customary job and number back, he is more comfortable than ever, despite new demands. "The dream has come true and now I feel like it's time to step my game up to another level," he said. "Being the point guard on a great team in a great program, I'm going to take advantage of that and do everything I can to help my team." ■