The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER C harlotte transfer Torin Dorn knew the difference between NC State and Miami as soon as he made his trip to Coral Gables. "I had a good feeling about NC State," said Dorn, who officially visited Raleigh May 31-June 2 and then followed with a trip to Miami June 4-6. "I didn't necessarily get that feel at Miami. Miami was a great visit and I love the coaching staff there, but I just didn't get the same 'home' feeling that I got at NC State." As a result, Dorn didn't waste any time and picked NC State June 7. The 6-5, 201-pounder averaged 12.0 points per game and shot 50.5 percent en route to being named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2014-15. He will sit out next year per NCAA rules and then have three years of eligibility remaining. This marks the fourth straight year the Wolfpack have added a transfer. Ralston Turner (LSU) and Trevor Lacey (Alabama), who both completed their NC State careers this past season, and current redshirt junior shooting guard Terry Henderson (West Virginia) joined the program the previous three years. Dorn, who was recruited by Wolfpack assistant coach Bobby Lutz, credited the NC State players for accepting him during his official visit to Raleigh. "They made me feel like I was already on the team," Dorn said. "NC State had a plan for me. I felt like I fit with that plan and the chemistry. It felt like the right fit for me." Dorn also likes NCSU head coach Mark Gottfried's success with previous transfers that have come through the program. "He outlined the spots he wanted me to play," Dorn said. "I know I'll be effective in his sys- tem. The way he has de- veloped transfers in the past, those were all the factors for me. I know he's a good coach to learn from." Dorn comes from a close-knit family, with both his parents having attended North Carolina. His father, Torin Dorn Sr., played cornerback in the NFL from 1990-96. NC State is also recruit- ing Dorn's younger brother, Charlotte Vance senior athlete Myles Dorn, to play wide re- ceiver for the football team. Having his family close by was another positive for NC State. "I wasn't necessarily worried about being super close to home, because if I am fortunate enough to play at the next level, I won't have a say on how far or close I am," said Dorn, who plans to major in communications. "I wasn't really worried about it, but it's defi- nitely a plus to be close to home. "Myles now has the option of going to school with me if he wants to." Dorn cracked double digits in 22 games last year, highlighted by a 26-point explosion (plus 10 rebounds) in a 74-66 loss at Western Kentucky Jan. 8. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.6 assists and 5.0 re- bounds per game his senior year for Vance, and ended up picking Charlotte over Appalachian State and UNC Wilmington the first time around. "It was definitely smoother this time," Dorn said of the recruit- ing process. NC State Adds Charlotte Shooting Guard Transfer Torin Dorn TRACKING THE PACK Dorn was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.0 points per game and shooting 50.5 per- cent from the field during the 2014-15 campaign. PHOTO COURTESY UNC CHARLOTTE Bruce R. Poulton was a fan of NC State athletics, a loud, imposing presence in the Chancellor's Box who arrived in Raleigh the summer before the men's basketball team won the 1983 NCAA championship. He befriended Wolfpack basketball coach Jim Valvano, eventually supporting the coach's promotion to athletics director in 1986. He approved the hiring of football coach Dick Sheridan. In the end, Poulton's tight bond with athletics cost him his job in 1989, when he resigned just before the release of results from a six-month investigation into Valvano's program and serious allegations about academics in athletics. Poulton — who died on Friday, June 19, at his home in Raleigh at the age of 88 — left a huge legacy at NC State beyond the alleged athletics improprieties during his relatively brief reign as the school's 10th executive officer: the acquisition and development of Centennial Campus. In addition to tripling the physical size of the university, Centennial Campus has become the national model for public-private research partnerships over the last quarter century. Poulton worked with Gov. James Martin and Gov. James B. Hunt to acquire more than 900 acres across Western Boulevard and worked with the city of Raleigh to change blanket zoning laws to develop the research campus. Poulton charged College of Design dean Claude McKinney to lay out the campus, which eventually became home to the College of Engineering, College of Textiles, the graduate research programs, the Park Alumni Center, the chancellor's residences, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course and the Hunt Library. "We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Chancellor Bruce Poulton," Chancellor Randy Woodson said of his predecessor. "He was instrumental in the master planning for and development of Centennial Campus and led a major expan - sion of the university's research budget. On behalf of the entire NC State community, I'd like to extend our deepest condolences to the Poulton family." Poulton came to NC State on July 1, 1982, and was installed as chancellor in Sep- tember 1983 at the McKimmon Center in nontraditional ceremonies that included a three-day university-wide symposium exploring "The Role of Continuing Education in a High-Tech Society." Among the achievements during his tenure were the broadening of NC State's liberal arts offerings, the expansion of the College of Textiles and celebration of the university's 100th anniversary in 1987. He was also responsible for the expansion of the university's graduate research programs, and for laying the foundation for NC State acquiring a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. After resigning, Poulton spent two decades as the head of the university's Literacy Systems Center, helping less privileged workers around the state improve their read - ing skills. Since officially retiring in 2010, he has worked on a manuscript about the history of Centennial Campus. — Tim Peeler Former Chancellor Bruce Poulton Passes Away