With TJ Warren, Tyler Lewis and Jordan Vandenberg gone, NC State basketball will have a very different look this season. We’ll be going position by position and talking about what you can expect and who we think will be stepping up to fill the voids.

In this installment we’ll be focusing on the guards.

Last Year’s Situation:
Coming into the season last year it seemed as if the guard position had some questions. State had a top tier PG coming in (Cat Barber) but also had a somewhat established youngster in Tyler Lewis. Lewis was definitely a fan favorite and a great floor leader, but his lack of athleticism and size left much to be desired for Gottfried. As for the 2 guard, that too was up in the air. Would Ralston Turner be able to provide enough versatility to play shooting guard or would State go with the more natural 2 guard in juco transfer Dez Lee. They also had the option of going with both Barber and Lewis at the same time.

Long story short, it all ended up being a mess. Lewis’ play dipped, Barber got hot and Gott went with the freshman. Barber then hit the freshman wall and needed to turn back to Lewis, who at this point had lost nearly all of his confidence. The two also did not especially like being on the floor together since neither felt their talents were showcased at the 2. Dez Lee was another guy whose season ended up being marred with inconsistencies. Lee started off strong and seemed as if he’d transition into being a pure scorer, but disappeared for much of the second half of the season. In the end it was only Ralston Turner who seemed to lock in his spot and really figure things out. Turner became State’s go-to scorer after Warren, averaging over 10 ppg and knocking down 37% of his 3s.

This Year’s Situation:
A lot has changed on the guard front. For one, Lewis left to play at Butler where he will be the only lead guard and not have the pressure of sharing time with Barber. As for Barber, reports are coming in that he has a renewed confidence and obviously has a brand new body. Check out the picture above (posted by NC State Basketball about a month ago)…Barber is stacked, folks. Talk about working in the weight room this offseason! This is what we talked about all last year  wanting to see from Tyler Lewis. Barber has gotten serious about his body and it’s certainly going to pay off. Building his upper body and giving himself more shoulder-width will allow him to create more space, absorb contact better, and finish at the rim against bigger, stronger defenders. This is really what you want to see out of your starting PG. They are handing him the reigns and he is preparing for those responsibilities. Expect big things from Cat this season.

Oh, and on another note… Barber will be wearing #12 this season. (Tyler Lewis’ old number)

Backing up Barber (and possibly starting at the 2) will be Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey. I’ve seen Lacey play on many occasions and love his game. He’s a solid scorer with a consistent shot and range beyond the arc. He’s definitely not as athletic or quick as Cat, but he will be a viable back-up for Gottfried and the Wolfpack. Now, before we go on I do want to make a quick statement. Everyone is talking about Lacey as a guy who is going to step in and take over for Warren. While I really think Lacey has great scoring ability and has the opportunity to be a very good player in this league, he isn’t Warren. He’s not going to go out and score 20 per night. Lacey is more than a role player, but he’s not a bonafide superstar yet by any means. I’m not saying he won’t lead this team in scoring, but I just want to be more realistic as to what you can expect. Don’t fall into the old State-fan trap of crowning some guy that hasn’t played a minute for your team, especially when he really hasn’t been a truly dominant player over his first 2 seasons of college ball.

So if Barber and Lacey are starting, what happens to Dez Lee and Ralston Turner? Well for one, you’re starting to see that this team actually has some depth at the guard position. I think you’ll see this team go to more of a 3 guard line-up with Turner at the 3 at times. You will also surely see Turner at the 2 on occasion, but it will be interesting to see how this shakes out. With Turner and Lacey on the court, you will have 2 guys that can really fill it up. Add in the fact that Barber will likely take a step forward as a shooter and you have a very dangerous backcourt. I do wonder where Lee fits in. I know there will be minutes for him to take, but he’ll have to really battle for them and carve out a slot for himself as their go-to on the ball defender. I think that is where he can provide the most value. On the same token, I think Dez can also be a big part of this offense if he can show more consistency. However, with Turner and Lacey vying for the same minutes, there are going to be some serious battles in the Dail Center.

Before you start wondering why we’re not mentioning Cody or Caleb Martin, it’s because I don’t think either of those guys are true guards. Cody is definitely not a 2 and although Caleb likes to list himself as a 2, I think he’ll end up seeing more time at the wing. That being said, I think this year’s guards/wings are going to kind of blend together. Turner and Caleb Martin are pretty similar in the way they play (with Caleb having the higher ceiling). We’ll certainly dissect this situation more in our next segment where we examine the wings.