The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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48 ■ THE WOLFPACKER MVP: Redshirt junior guard Trevor Lacey's legacy at NCSU will be a small but impactful one. He was named second- team All-ACC after leading the Pack in scoring at 15.7 points per game. He was a strong rebounder from his back - court position, averaging 4.6 a game, ranked second on the squad with 121 assists and led the team with 31 steals. He also developed a reputation for being a clutch shooter. Redshirt junior guard Trevor Lacey, shown celebrating in the aftermath of the Pack's home win over Duke, proved to be a clutch shooter this season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN BY MATT CARTER N C State reached its second Sweet 16 in four seasons under head coach Mark Gottfried, and the Pack's 22‑14 record made it four straight campaigns with at least 22 wins — the first time NCSU has accomplished that since Ev‑ erett Case began his tenure as head coach in Raleigh with 10 straight seasons of at least 24 wins, a run that ended after the 1955‑56 slate. Here is a final look back on the season that was for the Pack in men's hoops. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: F r e s h m a n f o r wa r d A b ‑ dul‑Malik Abu's maturation through the season allowed him to start 22 games as a rookie. He finished the year with averages of 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, the lat‑ ter number ranking second best on the team. His athleticism to go with his 6‑8, 240‑pound frame has NCSU coaches and fans excited about his future. BEST THREE-POINT BUZZER BEATER: The shot that may have saved NC State's season was Lacey's three‑pointer as time expired in overtime in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, propelling the Pack to an 81‑80 win. NC State needed some luck. Yellow Jack‑ ets sophomore forward Quinton Stephens missed a pair of free throws with five seconds left that could have iced the game for Tech. Stephens would make 14 of 17 free throws the rest of the year outside of his two misses late against NCSU. Freshman forward Cody Martin's defensive rebound and alert outlet pass set Lacey up for his running three from the top of the key. The win snapped the Pack's three‑game losing skid. BEST TWO-POINT BUZZER BEATER: At the end of every NCAA Tournament, CBS produces a musical montage to the tune of "One Shining Moment" by Luther Vandross, celebrating the memorable moments from March Madness. NC State sophomore center BeeJay Anya made a contribu‑ tion to the piece this year with his left‑handed hook shot that bounced through the rim with 0.1 seconds left on the clock, giving NC State a stunning 66‑65 comeback win over LSU in the second round of the Big Dance. BEST REGULAR-SEASON WIN: The oldest players on this year's team were Lacey and fifth‑year senior wing Ralston Turner, a pair of 23‑year‑olds. They were not even teenag‑ ers when NC State last won in Chapel Hill against bitter rivals UNC (2003). NC State snapped its 11‑ game losing streak in the Dean Smith Center by holding the Heels to their fewest points ever in the building in a 58‑46 win. The triumph sparked a celebration at the Bell Tower in Raleigh that included an im‑ promptu visit from the victori‑ ous basketball team. BEST POSTSEASON WIN: Only one No. 1 seed lost in this year's NCAA Tournament before the Final Four, and that was courtesy NC State. The Pack knocked off top‑seeded Villanova in the third round of ■ Interesting Factoid, Part I: This season, NC State defeated four coaches currently in the Basketball Hall of Fame: UNC's Roy Williams, Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Louisville's Rick Pitino. Those four coaches have combined for a collective 3,348 wins between them, a number that includes 108 vacated wins taken away from Boeheim this spring due to major NCAA violations. A LOOK BACK The 2014-15 Basketball Season Was Full Of Memorable Moments