The Wolfpacker

May 2018

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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56 ■ THE WOLFPACKER MEN'S BASKETBALL atts said after the contest. "They are one of the best backcourts in the country and the ACC, and I thought our guys stepped up to the challenge." Most heroic effort: South Carolina State team trainer Tyler Long, EMS workers at PNC Arena and the medical people at UNC Rex Healthcare helped save the life of Bulldogs point guard Tyvoris Solomon, whose heart shut down for three minutes on the bench Dec. 2. Having an automated external defibril- lator nearby was also crucial. The crowd went silent with 13:08 left in the first half, with the only noise coming from South Carolina State fans and players shrieking and crying around Solomon. The two teams elected to play the rest of the game, and NC State won 103-71. Solo- mon retired from basketball on the advice of his doctors. Best new tradition: One new fun tradition added by Keatts was the team got ice cream following road wins. The first chance came after the come- back 72-68 win at Pittsburgh. The game tipped at 9 p.m. and it proved difficult to find a place that served ice cream. The Wolfpack eventually did and flew back to Raleigh, arriving at 2:30 a.m. The squad later had "ice cream" wins at UNC, at Syracuse and at Wake Forest. Most memorable quote: "We took a group that most people said couldn't win or wasn't tough enough or what do you all call it, the 'NC State Stuff?' I don't know what that is. Right now, we have been able to stuff the stuff. We would love to not hear the 'NC State Stuff' any- more after this regular season." — Keatts following the Wolfpack's 76-69 regular-sea- son finale win over Louisville March 3. ■ NC State's 2017-18 campaign came to an end with a 94-83 loss to Seton Hall in the NCAA Tournament March 15, but head coach Kevin Keatts' first year in charge was a success. The Wolfpack finished with a 21-12 overall record and tied for third in the ACC with an 11-7 mark. Following the season, the Pack was in the rare position of only needing to fine-tune its 2018-19 roster this spring. The nucleus of the team was essentially wrapped up following the November signing period, and NC State has added Missouri fresh - man point guard transfer Blake Harris and Samford graduate transfer center Wyatt Walker since that time. NC State did lose sophomore center Omer Yurtseven, who trans - ferred to Georgetown, and both junior forward Shaun Kirk (North Carolina-Pembroke) and sophomore forward Darius Hicks (Eastern Kentucky) departed before this past season came to a conclusion. Redshirt junior forward Torin Dorn entered the NBA Draft, but didn't hire an agent and is expected to return to Raleigh for his final season. The nucleus of Dorn, sophomore point guard Markell Johnson, freshman point guard Braxton Beverly and freshman point guard Lavar Batts, Jr. will be bolstered by four Division I transfers, one graduate transfer, one junior college transfer and four high school signees. Dorn became a consistent force in 2017-18, averaging 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 53.1 percent from the field. Johnson led the ACC with 7.3 assists per game, and added 8.9 points and 1.7 steals a contest. The 6-0, 180-pound Beverly missed the first two games of the season while the NCAA ruled on his transfer from Ohio State, but he became entrenched in the starting lineup and averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point land. The athletic 6-2, 170-pound Batts mulled a potential transfer during the spring, but ap - peared set to return as of late April. He averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 assists in 13.2 minutes per game off the bench. Transfers C.J. Bryce of UNC Wilmington and Devon Daniels of Utah are likely to join Dorn and Johnson in the starting lineup. The 6-5, 195-pound Bryce averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 33.1 percent from three-point range during his sophomore year at UNCW in 2016-17. The 6-5, 200-pound Daniels averaged 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game his fresh - man year at Utah in 2016-17. The 6-9, 240-pound Walker averaged 12.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game at Samford in 2016-17, but suffered a sea- son-ending torn meniscus two games into his junior year. The skilled center, who has two years of eligibility remaining, had 17 double-doubles for points and rebounds during his redshirt sophomore year. The 6-3, 195-pound Harris will provide depth in the backcourt. The Chapel Hill native played in the first 14 games for Missouri and could sit out the first semester next season if he doesn't get an NCAA waiver. The five members of the class of 2018 will help fortify the Wolfpack up front and pro - vide positional versatility. Power forward Derek Funderburk redshirted his freshman year at Ohio State before making the move to Niceville (Fla.) Florida State College. The 6-9 Funderburk will have three years of eligibility remaining, and Rivals.com originally ranked him No. 77 overall nationally in the class of 2016. Small forward Saddiq Bey of Washington (D.C.) Sidwell Friends finished at No. 117 overall nationally in the final Rivals150. All four NCSU signees were ranked in the top 136 — forward Jericole Hellems of St. Louis Chaminade at No. 127, and Fayetteville (N.C.) Northwood Temple Academy centers Ian Steere and Immanuel Bates were No. 135 and No. 136, respectively. — Jacey Zembal Revamped Roster Will Shoot For Another NCAA Bid Guard C.J. Bryce, who averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore at UNC Wilmington in 2016-17, is among nine newcomers that will be on NC State's roster next season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN NC State's 2018-19 Roster By Class Player Pos. Ht. Yr. Immanuel Bates C 6-9 Fr. Saddiq Bey SF 6-6 Fr. Jericole Hellems SF/PF 6-6 Fr. Ian Steere C 6-8 Fr. Blake Harris* PG 6-3 So. Braxton Beverly PG/SG 6-0 So. Lavar Batts, Jr. PG 6-2 So. Derek Funderburk PF 6-9 R-So. Devon Daniels SF 6-5 R-So. Markell Johnson PG 6-1 Jr. C.J. Bryce SG 6-5 R-Jr. Wyatt Walker C 6-9 R-Jr. Torin Dorn F 6-5 5th-Sr. * Eligible to play in the second semester

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