The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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54 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2016-17 Three Best Opposing Players • Shooting guard Grayson Allen, Duke The 6-5, 202-pound Allen was second in the ACC in scoring last year behind former NC State star Anthony Barber, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Blue Devils. He played twice against NC State last season and averaged 23.5 points per game in two wins. Allen earned third-team All-America accolades from the Associated Press, and he was first-team All-ACC. DraftExpress.com ranks Allen No. 25 in the 2017 NBA Draft. • Power forward Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson The 6-7, 220-pound fifth-year senior averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last year. He shot an impressive 44.6 percent from three-point land (45 of 101) and 51.3 percent from the field. NC State knows first-hand what he can do. He scored a season-high 33 points in a 77-74 loss in Raleigh Feb. 20 and topped 20 points in 16 contests en route to first- team All-ACC honors. DraftExpress.com ranks Blossomgame No. 27 in the 2017 NBA Draft. • Point guard Maurice Watson, Creighton He might not be a national name, but college basketball fans understood how good the floor general is for the Bluejays, who could match up against NC State at the Para - dise Jam Fest in the Virgin Islands. Watson, a Boston University transfer, led Creighton last season with 14.1 points and 6.5 assists per game. The 5-10, 175-pound, fifth-year senior poured in 32 points and seven rebounds in a 70-56 win over then-No. 5 Xavier last February. Two Stats To Watch 1. Shot Division: Departed point guard Anthony Barber shot 572 times and went to the free throw line on a staggering 274 occasions last year. Wings Caleb Martin and Cody Martin, who both transferred to Nevada, combined to shoot 496 times. Add in another 78 shots from senior center/power forward Lennard Freeman, who is expected to redshirt this season, and the Wolfpack will be going through an offensive overhaul. Freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has the offensive arsenal to gun for Barber's 23.5 points per game. Smith, who is coming off an ACL tear last year, won't need to average that many points or duplicate Barber's 38.7 minutes per contest. That also might not work well with the rest of NC State's roster. If the players end up watching the "Dennis Smith Show," the chances of contending in the ACC would likely be lessened. NC State also welcomes the return of fifth-year senior shooting guard Terry Henderson, who hasn't played in two years, other than a seven-minute stint in last season's opener. He suffered a campaign-ending ankle injury against William & Mary, which led to the Martin twins and current sophomore small forward Maverick Rowan having increased roles. Hender - son attempted 255 shots at West Virginia in 2013-14 en route to averaging 11.7 points per game. Charlotte transfer Torin Dorn is another tal- ented option on the perimeter, and he averaged 12.0 points per game for the 49ers in 2014-15. He went 147 of 291 from the field, and he can play three or four different positions. 2. Omer Yurtseven's contri - bution: It's hard to project a player who is new and from overseas, but that hasn't stopped NBA Draft gurus from predicting freshman center Omer Yurtseven will go in the top 30 of the 2017 draft. DraftExpress.com has the product of Istanbul, Turkey, at No. 21 overall. Several post players selected in the 2016 NBA Draft could be good com - parisons in terms of what Yurtseven could produce statistically. Utah sophomore center Jakob Poltl was picked ninth by the Toronto Rap- tors. The Austrian averaged 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game his freshman year. He made a big jump his sophomore year, posting 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a contest, and shooting 64.6 percent from the field. Post player Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania, who played two years at Gonzaga, was drafted No. 11 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The son of former NBA star Arvy - das Sabonis averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and shot 66.8 percent from the field as a freshman. He surged to 17.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per contest his sopho- more year, while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. Three Best Opponents 1. Duke: The Blue Devils had the perfect storm of landing a ban- ner recruiting class and having more veterans return than originally anticipated. The pundits recognize the situation, with most, including ESPN and CBS Sports, ranking Duke No. 1 in the country. The Blue Devils, which went 25-11 overall and 11-7 in the ACC last year, return a veteran nucleus of junior shooting guard Grayson Allen, fifth-year senior power forward Amile Jefferson, senior wing Matt Jones and sophomore wing Luke Kennard. Then add in Rivals.com's No. 2 recruiting class, which featured six players, five of whom were 6-7 or taller. Power forward Harry Giles is still trying to overcome knee issues, but was ranked No. 2 nationally in the class of 2016. Small forward Jayson Tatum is a versatile performer and was ranked No. 3 in the class. No. 12-ranked Frank Jackson will be the most watched freshman because if he can prove himself at point guard, that would allow Duke to play Allen off the ball more. 2. North Carolina The Tar Heels return three starters from a team that lost in the NCAA championship game and are expected to take a slight step backward this season after losing power forward Brice Johnson and combo guard Marcus Paige to graduation. UNC, which went 33-7 overall and 14-4 in the ACC, will build around senior power forward Isaiah Hicks, senior center Kennedy Meeks, junior small forward Justin Jackson and junior point guard Joel Berry. CBS Sports ranks UNC No. 6 nationally. 3. Louisville: Louisville, listed No. 16 in CBS Sports' preseason rankings, returns two starters, but has been recruiting well and could feature a deep roster. The backcourt of junior point guard Quentin Snider and sopho - more Donovan Mitchell will need to emerge. Snider averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 assists per game last year, and Mitchell could be one of the top five athletes in the ACC and chipped in 7.4 points in 19.1 minutes per game. A pair of sophomores could break out at the two forward spots — small forward Deng Adel and power forward Ray Spalding. Yurtseven, a freshman center from Istanbul, Turkey, has the potential to make a quick impact. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN