When Anthony Barber came to NC State as a 5 star point guard, the fans knew a few things about him. For one, he was quick and I mean uber-quick, hence the nickname Cat. They also knew that he had broken Allen Iverson’s high school scoring record and that he very nearly committed to Louisville and Rick Pitino.
Now, don’t get us wrong, Gottfried gets a lot of good recruits, but he doesn’t necessarily make a habit out of landing 5 stars (aside from a few coaches, no one does). That is why when Gottfried landed Barber the fans expected a lot. Coupled with the aforementioned facts, Barber was the first highly touted true 5 star PG NC State had landed in a very long time.
At the time, State had Tyler Lewis who was another pretty highly touted kid coming out of high school and as a sophomore was being looked at as the future PG for the Pack. This put both players in a strange situation that really hindered both of them and cost them a real year of growth. Lewis was a kid who never in his life had to fear another PG taking his playing time and Cat was coming off of smashing a former NBA All-Star’s scoring record. Both felt they should be NC State’s leading man.
LEWIS OR BARBER?
Gottfried had his hands full with this situation. Lewis was the more steady PG at the time, but his size and quickness wouldn’t allow him to be as dynamic a scorer or defender as Cat. Lewis was obviously the better game manager while Barber was still just a raw athlete. This led to problems. Gottfried was asking two underclassmen to act like upperclassmen and fight for their spots. At first it was great, they could play together as interchangeable guards, but that quickly changed when faced with adversity. Lewis started getting beat on defense…enter Barber. Barber took the reigns for a time which sent Lewis’ confidence into a tailspin. He struggled mightily and when Cat started showing his flaws against tougher opponents, Gottfried turned back to Lewis, but Lewis was already shaken and questioning his role with the team. When he went back to Cat, he found a PG who was questioning everything as well and had lost his shot as well as his swagger. He was used to scoring at will, but the fans wanted more of a true PG. Lewis was that, but fans wanted a better athlete who could lock down opposing guards. Were the fans expecting too much, or were neither of these players actually ready for prime time?
READY OR NOT, CAT HANDED THE REIGNS
When the season ended Lewis saw the writing on the wall. It was either him or Cat and he wasn’t sticking around to find out the answer. This left Barber as the lone starting PG for this season, but his confidence was still shaken. He was being forced to change his approach to the game. No longer could he just breeze by defenders for uncontested layups, or toy with opposing guards until he felt like pulling up for an open jumper. Guards were quicker, stronger and more athletic. He was being bumped off balance by stronger defenders and the bigs in the middle were helping over to block most of his layup attempts. There was a point when Barber finally realized that his attempts to be a go-to scorer were futile. With Lacey, Turner and other weapons around him he might just need to turn into a distributor. So he tried.
BUILDING BARBER
Barber stopped attacking, he stopped shooting and he became a passer and a defender. Barber was trying to become a true PG, but the fact was that he didn’t quite understand exactly what that was. It’s real easy to talk about, or describe what a true PG is supposed to do, but becoming one is no easy feat. You have to have instincts of a point guard. You have to drive to score and in a split second read the defense’s rotation and switch your mindset to ‘drive to create.’ You have to know where all 5 defenders are and the other 4 of your teammates are. You have to anticipate and sometimes dictate the defense’s movement with look aways or mis-direction to open passing lanes that currently aren’t there. All of that happens within a split-second. For Barber, that depth of understanding and anticipation wasn’t quite there yet.
At a point this season Cat was even benched in favor of Lacey at the point. State simply needed more playmakers on the floor and with Barber just passing the ball around the perimeter, he was expendable. But don’t discount this time in his development. This was a very important phase for him. Barber was learning the position. He had played as the full-on scoring guard and when forced to abandon that style, he had gone polar opposite into the pass only point guard. For any great PG, this phase of learning to pass and create must occur. Some have it early on in high school when they realize that scoring isn’t going to be their forte. However, as a star scorer his entire career, it’s likely Cat never had this chance to develop skills such as pace control, game management or creating for his teammates.
Being benched was just another blow and many wondered if this was it. Actually, it could have been. Cat could have walled up, shut down and given up on this program. As much heat as he’s taken from some fans, as critical as some media members have been of his ability as a true PG (us included), and with losses piling up down the stretch, he could have mailed it in…He didn’t.
CAT LEADS THE PACK
Cat points to the closed-door team meeting the guys had prior to the Georgia Tech game as a turning point. They aired out everything and told him if this team was going to be successful he was going to have to be the catalyst. But you don’t just flick on a light switch in this game. You don’t just change your style of play from one day to the next and become a success. What Cat didn’t realize is that his year long struggle dating back to last year is what prepared him for this opportunity. He was forced to learn and understand the intricacies of a true PG. Someone who’s only goal is to win. If that means create for others, if that means score yourself or if that means lock down on defense. A PG must know what the team wants and be able to give it to them at that very moment. That was there, it had been building since he abandoned his role as go-to scorer. But of course, his ability to score the basketball never left and now it was time to couple that with his understanding of his position to lead the Wolfpack back into the tournament picture. His team provided him the only fuel he needed…their confidence.
He dropped 23 points and dished out 7 assists(with only 1 TOs) in the OT win over Georgia Tech. When no one else showed up against Wake Forest, it was Barber who led them to a near 20 point comeback. He finished with 28 points, 4 assists and not a single TO. Then against the nations best defense he again was productive going for 11 points and 2 assists without a single TO. That led to the game State fans will look back on as Barber’s true arrival, not just as a productive PG, but as a team leader.
In last night’s upset win over #9 ranked Louisville, Barber was the deciding factor. It wasn’t his best shooting night and he didn’t rack up big assist totals, but if you watched the game you understood. He was in control. He knew what his team needed when they needed it and he was able to deliver at every turn.
“My confidence keeps getting higher and higher,” said Barber “Coaches keep telling me, `Be me. Be Cat and do what Cat does best.’ I think I’ve taken that under consideration.”
Barber finished with 21 points, 4 assists and only 2 TOs. That’s this third 20 point game in his last four games and 17 assists to only 3 TOs in that span. But to really understand that he’s arrived you have to watch. You had to see him making plays down the stretch whenever the momentum started to switch back to Louisville. You had to see him hunting down the basketball as the clock ticked down so he was the one deciding the game at the free throw line (where he went 10-15). You had to see him hustle back down court on a Louisville fast break with 2 minutes left as they were looking for a 3 to cut the State lead to 5, and pick off the pass and squash the run.
THE PUZZLE COMING TOGETHER
Barber has always been the missing piece to Gottfried’s puzzle and a lot of us are just starting to see that. With his lock down defense, his ability to disrupt defenses, and now his ability to run his basketball team at a true point guard, NC State finally has all the parts to make this motor run right. In true Gottfried fashion this team could be peaking at the right time and players could be falling into their roles down the stretch with Barber leading the way.
But Cat’s transformation is not done, not yet at least. He’s shown he can handle adversity over and over again, but we haven’t seen how he handles success. Someone has to keep this team hungry and it’s not all going to come from Gottfried. The most powerful leaders in basketball are the ones on the floor and Cat now has his chance.
This win, while nice, must be flushed to allow the fire to keep burning. This must be the most intense, hard fought week of practice and a statement must be made against Virginia Tech. Not a simple win in the win column statement, but a pounding felt ’round the ACC. This is Cat’s chance to make a true, ‘here to stay’ type statement and show that this Wolfpack team, once seeminly left for dead, really does have 9 lives.
DanBasset wolfpack74 jimmydean12 First assumption is incorrect, I am not your friend. Second assumption is your idea of the real world. My world is just as real as yours.
DanBasset
8 years ago
wolfpack74 DanBasset jimmydean12 Call it whatever you want, my friend. Those of us living in the real world call in “whining.”
gdtann
8 years ago
wolfpack74 You missed the entire point. What was his point totals in those games? Most of them layups, thats great! We weren’t getting layups from Cat before. Of course you overlook the fact that the last two games were against two top 10 defenses in the nation and the best two defenses in the ACC. UVA has the toughest defense in the league! So lets not look at all the negatives. Before those two teams he was 20-38 in the previous three games. That is 5 star level. I”m sure nothing will change your mind if you can’t see what… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
DanBasset wolfpack74 jimmydean12 No whining here. I doing the only thing a single person can and that is express one’s opinion. If you don’t like it, then get off the thread.
Wolfer96
8 years ago
wolfpack74 Wolfer96 PackInsider Staff Well I’m not holding my breath on that late tourney run but if they can consistently play like they did against Louisville then anything’s possible.
Wolfer96
8 years ago
gdtann wolfpack74 You should be Cat Barber’s promoter. Not sure why you are being so defensive about the well deserved criticism of Cat? He has had a few good games this season and the remainder have been forgettable performances. For the majority of the season he dribbled the hell out of the ball and did nothing more than that. So why wouldn’t he hear criticism? Fair or not when you come in a heralded recruit fans are going to have higher expectations. That’s why fans get excited about 5 star recruits. If Cat continues to improve and play up to his… Read more »
DanBasset
8 years ago
wolfpack74 jimmydean12 Jesus Christ dude, do you need some Midol or something? If you hate our coach and all of our players so much then go cheer for UNC with the rest of the bandwagon fans. It’s not 1970 anymore and we’re not currently national title contenders, but we’re moving in the right direction. Get on board or get off, but nobody wants to hear so much whining from one person.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
Wolfer96 PackInsider Staff I agree. When he’s hot he’s hot but when he’s not he keeps shooting. We have several players that can score. They just don’t seem to put it together very often. Hopefully they can put it together for the final run to the tourney.
Wolfer96
8 years ago
PackInsider Staff I thought Cat played his best game this season but the team as a whole played great. I thought Freeman did a hell of a job on defense and scoring down low. But the key to the game was Turner. Turner did not take 12+ shots and he mixed it up by scoring inside/outside.
Turner single handedly lost several of the past few games with the large number of bricks he was throwing up.
Wolfer96
8 years ago
wolfpack74 I agree, we need to see more before forming any real opinions on Cat. Personally, I don’t believe he is playing better because he is shooting more but more due to him regaining confidence. How long he maintains that confidence is anyone’s guess. I have to say his last game was impressive. Especially his passing.
Lacey should be taking the most shots on this team.
Wolfer96
8 years ago
wormncsu Fanbases are the same everywhere. When you win fans love you and when you don’t they despise you. I don’t blame the fans for guys leaving. If a kid takes fan comments so personally that he has to transfer, I would argue that he is not mentally strong enough to be on the team in the first place. I think we just live in a world now where coaches leave all the time for more money and kids leave because either their expectations are generally not realistic or they are not happy with the role they are playing on… Read more »
gdtann
8 years ago
wolfpack74 gdtann DanBasset Well we agree on one thing. Our bigs need work in the paint but bigs usually take time and I like the approach gott has taken. Get some guys down there that can defend (Anya and Freeman) and some guys that can score ( Abu and Washington) and teach the defenders post moves and work on the scorers on defense. That way you have a mixture of guys. Remember none of our Bigs are upperclassmen, three sophmores and one freshman. All of the sophmores are better than they were last year except maybe Freeman, havent seen much improvement in… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
gdtann wolfpack74 DanBasset You young fans get on the bandwagon with a single big victory. These victories are wiped out by bad losses to Wake, Clemson, and Wofford, Look at the overall progress of this team. At 15-11, 19 wins before the ACC tournament isn’t going to happen and all you bandwagoners will have jumped off again. I die red and white, so I tired of this lackluster effort. With the guards we have, if we had some real improvement in the bigs, we would have a much better record now. We need real big guys, with real big guys moves down… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
DanBasset wolfpack74 I really enjoyed the last Wake and Clemson games, didn’t you? Gott’s NCAA record without Sidney’s recruits is terrible. I guess you really enjoyed last years NCAA tournament debacle, I know I didn’t. Be realistic, the program is better than Sidney’s, but no where it should be with all of these four star and up recruits passing thru.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
jimmydean12 wolfpack74 We were in the mix for 23 players in 2015. How many did we get? Probably zero is my guess. We need to stop wasting time on recruiting outside the southeast and Atlantic region. Whom was the last recruit from anywhere west of the Mississippi? I would love to see Barber become the five star player that we were lead to believe he was.
DanBasset
8 years ago
wolfpack74 DanBasset You sent to State over four decades ago. A lot changes in that amount of time. We are in the process of rebuilding and Gottfried is the right guy to spearhead that effort. Three tourney appearances in a row might not be good enough for you, but it’s good enough for me after watching Sendek and Lowe head a program mired in mediocrity for most of my life. I am more excited about State basketball than I think I’ve ever been. I can see this program improving, especially since Lowe’s recruits left the program. I loved Wood, Leslie, Brown,… Read more »
wormncsu
8 years ago
Wow people. That is the problem with our fan base for the most part we are either super high or super low on everything from the players to coaches to facilities etc. We need realize we as fans have helped push some players to transfer just as much as gott has. They can read our comments as much as we can. For the ones wanting Lewis back most of you were probably bashing him last year as a defensive liability. (Which he was.) Lewis was to small and slow to be a point guard of any caliber in the acc.… Read more »
jimmydean12
8 years ago
wolfpack74 jimmydean12 I said that State was in the mix for DSJ, not that he had signed a LOI. Secondly, the last four games of which I spoke of, Barber is shooting nearly 50% at 30-61.
gdtann
8 years ago
wolfpack74 gdtann DanBasset You are making a lot of assumptions. All of them negative. How about you get a grip? You don’t know what you are talking about and just realize that, sit down, and enjoy the games. I never said we are getting Ingram or Carter. I said who knows it could happen. A lot of things are in the balance right now. But what I did say is even if we didn’t get Ingram or Carter we’ll still have a good group next year. If anyone transfers its likely to be Freeman but I don’t see it. Everyone… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
jimmydean12 Don’t kid yourself that Smith is going to State. When Kentucky, Duke, NC, and Kansas come knocking, State does not have a chance. I would rather see Lacey double his number of shots, not Barber.
jimmydean12
8 years ago
Packinsider Staff, Cat averaged 7.4 shot attempts per game through the first 21 games. That has more than doubled the last 4 games. He’s averaging better than 15 attempts per game over that last 4. So I stand by more “cuffs off” statement. Coach K is a good example of letting players do what they do best. Is he not a good coach because he let players play their game, and don’t try to make them something they are not? State is in the mix for Dennis Smith Junior, don’t expect him to come in and average 10+ assists per… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
Wishful thinking guys. We don’t need a scoring machine that shoots 10-29 in the last two games.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
You guys are in to wishful thinking. He’s 10-29 shooting the last two games, with most of them layups. Over the last five games, he is a more respectable 30-67 but the team is 2-3, not exactly five star level. One good game of leadership and beating the pressure does not make a believer of me. Lead us to the sweet sixteen and I may change my mind.
jimmydean12 The cuffs were off of Barber last season and early in this season, but what you were getting was poor shooting %’s and mounting turnovers. We were critical because we understood how good he could be and how important he was to this team. This Barber you’re seeing is scoring, creating for his team, making smart decisions and making winning plays down the stretch. The ‘cuffs off’ Barber you’re talking about was doing none of these things last season and early in this season. He had a one track mind to score. We were critical because we knew he… Read more »
jimmydean12
8 years ago
Packinsider Staff, no one was more critical of Barber than you guys. I’m glad Gott finally decided to take the CUFFS off of him! Everyone knew that Barber was a scoring point guard coming in, so why would you try to make him something else? A coach use his player’s strengths, not try to change their game!
wolfpack74
8 years ago
gdtann wolfpack74 DanBasset You are kidding yourself if you think we will get Ingram or Carter. With regards to transfers or leaving early, Gott has lost whole recruiting classes at State and at least one transfer each year. We need to develop the big men. Washington has shooting capability but Gott seems not to be interested in his shot. I just think Gott has peaked at State. Time will tell and the AD has a fast trigger.
gdtann
8 years ago
wolfpack74 DanBasset how in the world can you say 2016 looks as bad as 2015 when 2016 recruiting is just warming up? Seriously so much can change between now and april for 2015 and honestly we don’t need any recruits for 2015. We have no evidence of transfers so far and we lose Lee and Turner but we gain Henderson which will replace Turner and with Lee gone both of the Martin twins will get more burn. This is really just sensationalist worry for no reason. And who knows State may pick up Ingram and a PG then this post looks… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
DanBasset wolfpack74 We are loosing Turner and Lee and probably a transfer or two. We need new recruits to continue the flow and fill in the missing pieces. If you call 15-11 a good record, then you will be happy next year with the same players. I must be spoiled because when I went to State (70-74) we had aspiration of perfect seasons and national championships. Now if we make the tournament, we think that is a successful season. 2016 looks to be just as bad.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
IanLong wolfpack74 PackInsider Staff That crap happened nearly 25 years ago to State. You will be negative too after twenty five years of listening to TarHoles and Pukes going off all the time.
gdtann
8 years ago
wolfpack74 this is an ignorant statement, is he TJ Warren? no few guys are but he controlled that game when it really could have gotten out of hand. The biggest thing about playing UofL is not turning the ball over. Barber defense is great, he is great on the ball in perimeter we haven’t had that in a long time. We are much better having having barber than lewis. Allow me to refresh your memory a bit, teams used to Iso lewis just so they can get that matchup. He was a huge liability on defense, his size just hurt… Read more »
IanLong
8 years ago
wolfpack74 PackInsider Staff wolfpack74, I’ll take a stab at your question. One would encourage you to be a little less negative. It’s not healthy. And two: SMU’s self-imposed penalty consisted of of a two-year probationary period, ending March 9, 2013. SMU also reduced its coaching staff’s recruiting time by 15 days and imposed a two-week ban on contacting recruits. NC Statesself-imposed penalties were (info pulled from Statefans: 1. No off-campus recruiting and no official paid visits for the 1989-90 academic year. 2. A limitation on basketball grants-in-aid [scholarships] to 12 for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 academic years. 3. A reduction in… Read more »
DanBasset
8 years ago
wolfpack74 To replace who? Turner is the only player we’re losing this year (assuming there are no transfers or NBA vacancies) and there aren’t enough minutes to go around as it is. The entire reason our roster is in such a great place is because of Gott’s “magic.” We have one of the youngest teams in the P5 and all things considered, we’re doing pretty well for our age. I think Gott leaves something to be desired with regards to a couple things (e.g., line-up chemistry, late-game tactics), but recruiting is absolutely not one of them. Henderson is coming in… Read more »
wolfpack74
8 years ago
PackInsider Staff I have always rooted for Barber and the rest of the pack to play well. I have done that for forty seven years, just to see it wasted on a brainless play like Martin against Virginia. Why has it taken so long for a program to recover from bad coaches and AD’s. Look at what SMU has done in a short period of time, what takes so long at State?
Now for Barber, I expect him to revert back or take way to many shots against VT. Hope not, go PacK.
IanLong
8 years ago
PackInsider Staff Agreed PackInsider. And we’re still developing as a program. I know that sounds crazy to some people who feel that we should be able to wave a wand and smoothly transition from one coach to another. We lost a lot with all of the nonsense that played out with our late and great Jimmy V. I don’t care what anyone says, we’re still recovering from those shenanigans that occurred back when we placed self-imposed sanctions for things that don’t even pale in comparison to the transgressions by a certain school that will go unnamed. This is a process.… Read more »
Just a straight up fact…NC State does not win last night without Barber. Say what you want about him (we have been vocal about his struggles in the past) but he’s stepping into a leadership role that has been vacant all season. If State is going to make a run, you’re going to have to root for Barber to play well.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
And what’s up with not getting any recruits for 2015. Gott has lost his magic.
wolfpack74
8 years ago
He shot 5 for 15. Not very impressive. All that does is eliminates shots for Lacey and Turner (when he was healthy). Good defense sometimes. Free throws down the stretch is pretty good. Overall not performing at a five star level. The team may have been better off with Barber transferring and Lewis staying. State really needs to hire an assistant coach that knows how to coach up and train the big guys down low. We never recruit and get the big guys that the top teams seem to get. Four guards and one big is not going to get… Read more »
UNC Guard/Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/210) is expected to be visiting NC State soon. According to a source, he was expected to take an unofficial visit tomorrow, but it has been rescheduled to Monday.
Styles entered the Transfer Portal on March 17th.
Over the past two seasons, Styles has seen limited action for the Tar Heels, averaging 5.9 minutes in 45 total games (15 this season).
Styles is no stranger to NC State. He played high school for Kinston (Kinston, NC), and was offered by Kevin Keatts. Styles was a consensus 4-Star prospect coming out of High School. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally in the 2021 recruiting class, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.
ON3 ranks Styles as the #21 player currently in the Transfer Portal.
Dunn averaged 15.3 points per game this season, earning 3rd Team All-AAC honors. He shot 41.1% from the field this season, and 34.8% from three-point land.
In 2021-22, he led the Owls in scoring (14.9), and earned 2nd Team All-AAC honors.
Dunn originally is from Kinston, North Carolina, but played his Senior season of High School for Meadowcreek in Georgia, finishing his high school career as a 3-star prospect.
With the almost guaranteed loss of Terquavion Smith, NC State will be in need for a dynamic scorer, and Dunn has proven that he can do just that at the collegiate level.
Currently, Dunn is the 16th ranked player in the Transfer Portal according to ON3.
Dunn is a Redshirt Sophomore this season, with 2 years of eligibility remaining.
I heard from a source that it was close to 50/50 whether Clark would return to NC State next year for his final year of eligibility.
Clark started in 17 of the 23 games that he played in for the Wolfpack this season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Clark led the Wolfpack on rebounding in 22-23.
When it’s all said and done, I wouldn’t be shocked to see NC State pull in 6 players from the Transfer Portal when all the dust settles.
As stated yesterday, NC State lost Ebe Dowuona and might lose a couple more guys to the portal eventually. They also are very likely to keep their core guys aside from Terquavion Smith who is almost surely headed to the NBA.
The Pack has a few glaring needs for next season. They need a starting PG, they need a starting SG and they need a 4/5 guy that can be the bruiser option at the 4 against bigger, stronger teams, and also a guy who can slot in as a backup behind Burns if Mahorcic’s knee doesn’t get back to full strength. Those are the direct needs at this moment, however, based on what guys on the current roster do, there might end up being other needs. That said, we’d going to focus on the needs of today.
There is always the case that transfers can via the portal with no prior connection to the team. That means they aren’t local kids and they don’t have a prior relationship with the coaching staff. While that is possible, it’s not usually how this plays out. What usually happens is a kid wants to come closer to home, or they have some prior relationship with the staff (sometimes both).
So right now we’re going to limit our focus to a few guys that are in the portal and either local or have a prior relationship with the staff. We’re also going to limit the discussion in this piece to just Point Guards.
What is a ‘Keatts’ Point Guard?
NC State runs their offense off of an initial high pick and roll, like many college teams today. That means they need a playmaking PG. Now, a playmaking PG doesn’t mean a guy who just puts up a ton of points (although that is what Joiner was for the Pack last season), but it could also mean a guy who can score but also get his team involved.
Remember, the high pick and roll is not designed to get a PG open shots. Sure, that is one option, but if you have a good PG coming off that high screen, they have 3 real options. Shoot it, pass to the roll guy/pop guy, or draw help and kick out to the corners. If you have a guy who can do all of these things well, then the high pick and roll is nearly unguardable. However, if you have a guy who only does one of those things, the high pick-and-roll looks pretty stagnant and one-dimensional.
Right now, Keatts is constantly criticized for his offensive system, and based on his personnel and how the offense ran last season, I get it. But with a pass-first PG (who can also score), this offense could be really efficient. I think for the sake of the team and the sake of his job, Keatts would be smart to prioritize a PG who is a little more pass-oriented and creates a little more havoc off that screen (meaning he keeps his dribble alive on the drive and probes, not to score necessarily, but to bait the defense to get out of position.) So, what would you say Keatts’ ideal PG looks like?
Well, we don’t really know. His first two recruited were Lavar Batts and Braxton Beverly, both taken in his first year and both kind of out of desperation. Then he landed Jalen Lecque, who was a 6’4 elite athlete PG, who opted to skip college and go to the NBA. Then he brought on Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore. Moore was a late addition, who I believe was taken to entice teammate Josh Hall to come to NC State (Hall also skipped college to go to the NBA after committing to State). Hayes, however, was a Keatts guy and Hayes was a 6’2, 185lb combo guard who was known as a shooter and good defender (he ended up being not much of either at NC State unfortunately). Then he brought on Breon Pass, a 6-foot guard who has given State some good minutes the past couple of years, but doesn’t look quite ready to take over as a starter. Pass was known as a good scorer at a smaller NC school, and a very good defender. So far his defense has panned out but not as much scoring as we expected. Next there was LJ Thomas last year. He’s a bigger 6’2 190lb PG. Not quite as quick but more physical. Not as much of a playmaker, but more of a scorer. Then Keatts brought in Joiner this year, a 6’1 scoring threat who never averaged more than 2.3 assists per game before coming to Raleigh.
So, to us, this is Keatts biggest flaw during his NC State tenure. He has an offense built around having an elite PG, and he really hasn’t decided what an elite PG in his system looks like. The best he’s brought in was Joiner, but the offense ended up being a lot of isolation and one on one play. To really reach the next level, Keatts needs to find a PG who is a playmaker and passer, one who can defend and then pair him with an elite scoring guard.
Who is out there right now that we should keep an eye on?
Jalen Cone Northern Arizona | 5’11, 175lbs | 18ppg, 2.5 assists, 40% from 3pt range | From Walkerton, NC
Cone started his career off at Virginia Tech. He was a 3 star kid who was super quick, and more of a scorer than a playmaker. He had offers from VT, Tennessee and Baylor, but that was really it. NC State was involved a little bit here but never given an offer.
He had decent stats at VT, but really came into his own when he transferred to Northern Arizona. Obviously, this is weaker conference, but he had 20pts, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against Michigan State, 17 points and 6 boards against Arizona State. He did get shut down against Texas, scoring just 6 points and turning the ball over 5 times, but this is a guy who had games of 45pts, 38 pts, and 29pts. He’s super quick and really a good shooter. He’s a less physical version of Jarkell Joiner if you ask me. So maybe Keatts sees this as a decent fit, but in my opinion, you need to target a guy who is more interested in getting his teammates involved (but I guess that depends on your ability to lock down an elite scoring 2 guard). I’m also concerned about his 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. You want your lead guard to be better than that.
Bobby Pettiford Kansas | 6’1, 190lbs | 2 ppg, 1.3 assists, 30% from 3pt range | From Durham, NC Pettiford is a stout, physical guard who can defend, but really hasn’t shown much on the offensive end. That said, he’s had a case of the injury bug during his two years at Kansas. He started with an ankle injury and then had an abdominal injury, both really slowed him down. When he committed to Kansas (after decommitting from Louisville) Bill Self really thought Pettiford was going to be a major contibutor to his team saying “We were very fortunate when Bobby opened up his recruitment last month. He became a priority immediately. We feel Bobby has a tremendous future, great upside and will make an immediate impact for us. His work ethic and drive are something I think every program hopes every player has.”
Pettiford is interesting to me. He’s a very physical guard, a good defender, and a good finisher around the rim, but he’s not super athletic, nor is he a great long-range shooter. He also isn’t someone who is explosive in transition. Those seem to be all things Keatts is looking for in a PG, so you’d think Pettiford isn’t going to be a major target for State, but you never know. He has a lot of talent, but I’m not sure he fits great with the pieces NC State currently has in place. However, in HS he was a really good shooter and showed a real scoring ability, so who knows.
Javon Small ECU | 6’2, 180lbs | 15.8 ppg, 5.6 assists, 33% from 3pt range | From South Bend, IN
Small isn’t a North Carolina prep kid, but his connection to the state is that he’s transferring from ECU. This is a kid who was a 3-star recruit and only had mid-major offers, but has erupted for the Pirates this season. He’s a big, strong PG who shot nearly 40% from the floor and 33.3% from long range. This year Jarkel Joiner shot 42.8% from the field and 35.4% from long range. So he’s not quite the shooter that Joiner was, but he’s not that far off. He also is more of a playmaker than Joiner. He averaged 5.6 assists per game and 3.4 turnovers per game. He was ranked 18th nationally in assist rate when he went down with a knee injury in mid-January. This is a guy that I think Keatts should try to bring in, and it looks like he’s already reached out.
ECU transfer Javon Small has heard from the following schools since entering the transfer portal, he tells @On3sports:
LSU
Mississippi State
Penn State
Clemson
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Maryland
NC State https://t.co/oY8D4CDfHM
Dayvion McKnight WKU | 6’1, 195lbs | 16.5 ppg, 5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 34% from 3pt range | From Shelbyville, KY McKnight is being listed here because NC State has reached out to him. I’m not aware of any connection with the staff, but he definitely fits the Keatts mold. He’s a little bit of a bigger, stronger guard, and honestly is like an undersized James Harden with the way he creates space and attacks the basket (He’s also a lefty). McKnight is going to be a really unique player no matter where he ends up. He’s got a knack for creating space, great footwork, a nice jumper and he really loves drawing contact on his drives to the hoop. I can definitely see why NC State reached out, and if he really does pattern his game after James Harden, then the NC State high screen and roll offense is the perfect system for him. Don’t look at his frame and think he’s slow, either. The kid has speed and while he’s not going to play above the rim, he’ll be a scoring threat no matter where he lands.
Western Kentucky transfer Dayvion McKnight has heard from the following schools since entering the portal, source tells @On3sports:
Kansas
Memphis
Iowa State
Purdue
NC State
Xavier
LSU
Oklahoma
Dusquene
Mississippi State https://t.co/rPam5GZvdb
DanBasset wolfpack74 jimmydean12 First assumption is incorrect, I am not your friend. Second assumption is your idea of the real world. My world is just as real as yours.
wolfpack74 DanBasset jimmydean12 Call it whatever you want, my friend. Those of us living in the real world call in “whining.”
wolfpack74 You missed the entire point. What was his point totals in those games? Most of them layups, thats great! We weren’t getting layups from Cat before. Of course you overlook the fact that the last two games were against two top 10 defenses in the nation and the best two defenses in the ACC. UVA has the toughest defense in the league! So lets not look at all the negatives. Before those two teams he was 20-38 in the previous three games. That is 5 star level. I”m sure nothing will change your mind if you can’t see what… Read more »
DanBasset wolfpack74 jimmydean12 No whining here. I doing the only thing a single person can and that is express one’s opinion. If you don’t like it, then get off the thread.
wolfpack74 Wolfer96 PackInsider Staff Well I’m not holding my breath on that late tourney run but if they can consistently play like they did against Louisville then anything’s possible.
gdtann wolfpack74 You should be Cat Barber’s promoter. Not sure why you are being so defensive about the well deserved criticism of Cat? He has had a few good games this season and the remainder have been forgettable performances. For the majority of the season he dribbled the hell out of the ball and did nothing more than that. So why wouldn’t he hear criticism? Fair or not when you come in a heralded recruit fans are going to have higher expectations. That’s why fans get excited about 5 star recruits. If Cat continues to improve and play up to his… Read more »
wolfpack74 jimmydean12 Jesus Christ dude, do you need some Midol or something? If you hate our coach and all of our players so much then go cheer for UNC with the rest of the bandwagon fans. It’s not 1970 anymore and we’re not currently national title contenders, but we’re moving in the right direction. Get on board or get off, but nobody wants to hear so much whining from one person.
Wolfer96 PackInsider Staff I agree. When he’s hot he’s hot but when he’s not he keeps shooting. We have several players that can score. They just don’t seem to put it together very often. Hopefully they can put it together for the final run to the tourney.
PackInsider Staff I thought Cat played his best game this season but the team as a whole played great. I thought Freeman did a hell of a job on defense and scoring down low. But the key to the game was Turner. Turner did not take 12+ shots and he mixed it up by scoring inside/outside.
Turner single handedly lost several of the past few games with the large number of bricks he was throwing up.
wolfpack74 I agree, we need to see more before forming any real opinions on Cat. Personally, I don’t believe he is playing better because he is shooting more but more due to him regaining confidence. How long he maintains that confidence is anyone’s guess. I have to say his last game was impressive. Especially his passing.
Lacey should be taking the most shots on this team.
wormncsu Fanbases are the same everywhere. When you win fans love you and when you don’t they despise you. I don’t blame the fans for guys leaving. If a kid takes fan comments so personally that he has to transfer, I would argue that he is not mentally strong enough to be on the team in the first place. I think we just live in a world now where coaches leave all the time for more money and kids leave because either their expectations are generally not realistic or they are not happy with the role they are playing on… Read more »
wolfpack74 gdtann DanBasset Well we agree on one thing. Our bigs need work in the paint but bigs usually take time and I like the approach gott has taken. Get some guys down there that can defend (Anya and Freeman) and some guys that can score ( Abu and Washington) and teach the defenders post moves and work on the scorers on defense. That way you have a mixture of guys. Remember none of our Bigs are upperclassmen, three sophmores and one freshman. All of the sophmores are better than they were last year except maybe Freeman, havent seen much improvement in… Read more »
gdtann wolfpack74 DanBasset You young fans get on the bandwagon with a single big victory. These victories are wiped out by bad losses to Wake, Clemson, and Wofford, Look at the overall progress of this team. At 15-11, 19 wins before the ACC tournament isn’t going to happen and all you bandwagoners will have jumped off again. I die red and white, so I tired of this lackluster effort. With the guards we have, if we had some real improvement in the bigs, we would have a much better record now. We need real big guys, with real big guys moves down… Read more »
DanBasset wolfpack74 I really enjoyed the last Wake and Clemson games, didn’t you? Gott’s NCAA record without Sidney’s recruits is terrible. I guess you really enjoyed last years NCAA tournament debacle, I know I didn’t. Be realistic, the program is better than Sidney’s, but no where it should be with all of these four star and up recruits passing thru.
jimmydean12 wolfpack74 We were in the mix for 23 players in 2015. How many did we get? Probably zero is my guess. We need to stop wasting time on recruiting outside the southeast and Atlantic region. Whom was the last recruit from anywhere west of the Mississippi? I would love to see Barber become the five star player that we were lead to believe he was.
wolfpack74 DanBasset You sent to State over four decades ago. A lot changes in that amount of time. We are in the process of rebuilding and Gottfried is the right guy to spearhead that effort. Three tourney appearances in a row might not be good enough for you, but it’s good enough for me after watching Sendek and Lowe head a program mired in mediocrity for most of my life. I am more excited about State basketball than I think I’ve ever been. I can see this program improving, especially since Lowe’s recruits left the program. I loved Wood, Leslie, Brown,… Read more »
Wow people. That is the problem with our fan base for the most part we are either super high or super low on everything from the players to coaches to facilities etc. We need realize we as fans have helped push some players to transfer just as much as gott has. They can read our comments as much as we can. For the ones wanting Lewis back most of you were probably bashing him last year as a defensive liability. (Which he was.) Lewis was to small and slow to be a point guard of any caliber in the acc.… Read more »
wolfpack74 jimmydean12 I said that State was in the mix for DSJ, not that he had signed a LOI. Secondly, the last four games of which I spoke of, Barber is shooting nearly 50% at 30-61.
wolfpack74 gdtann DanBasset You are making a lot of assumptions. All of them negative. How about you get a grip? You don’t know what you are talking about and just realize that, sit down, and enjoy the games. I never said we are getting Ingram or Carter. I said who knows it could happen. A lot of things are in the balance right now. But what I did say is even if we didn’t get Ingram or Carter we’ll still have a good group next year. If anyone transfers its likely to be Freeman but I don’t see it. Everyone… Read more »
jimmydean12 Don’t kid yourself that Smith is going to State. When Kentucky, Duke, NC, and Kansas come knocking, State does not have a chance. I would rather see Lacey double his number of shots, not Barber.
Packinsider Staff, Cat averaged 7.4 shot attempts per game through the first 21 games. That has more than doubled the last 4 games. He’s averaging better than 15 attempts per game over that last 4. So I stand by more “cuffs off” statement. Coach K is a good example of letting players do what they do best. Is he not a good coach because he let players play their game, and don’t try to make them something they are not? State is in the mix for Dennis Smith Junior, don’t expect him to come in and average 10+ assists per… Read more »
Wishful thinking guys. We don’t need a scoring machine that shoots 10-29 in the last two games.
You guys are in to wishful thinking. He’s 10-29 shooting the last two games, with most of them layups. Over the last five games, he is a more respectable 30-67 but the team is 2-3, not exactly five star level. One good game of leadership and beating the pressure does not make a believer of me. Lead us to the sweet sixteen and I may change my mind.
jimmydean12 The cuffs were off of Barber last season and early in this season, but what you were getting was poor shooting %’s and mounting turnovers. We were critical because we understood how good he could be and how important he was to this team. This Barber you’re seeing is scoring, creating for his team, making smart decisions and making winning plays down the stretch. The ‘cuffs off’ Barber you’re talking about was doing none of these things last season and early in this season. He had a one track mind to score. We were critical because we knew he… Read more »
Packinsider Staff, no one was more critical of Barber than you guys. I’m glad Gott finally decided to take the CUFFS off of him! Everyone knew that Barber was a scoring point guard coming in, so why would you try to make him something else? A coach use his player’s strengths, not try to change their game!
gdtann wolfpack74 DanBasset You are kidding yourself if you think we will get Ingram or Carter. With regards to transfers or leaving early, Gott has lost whole recruiting classes at State and at least one transfer each year. We need to develop the big men. Washington has shooting capability but Gott seems not to be interested in his shot. I just think Gott has peaked at State. Time will tell and the AD has a fast trigger.
wolfpack74 DanBasset how in the world can you say 2016 looks as bad as 2015 when 2016 recruiting is just warming up? Seriously so much can change between now and april for 2015 and honestly we don’t need any recruits for 2015. We have no evidence of transfers so far and we lose Lee and Turner but we gain Henderson which will replace Turner and with Lee gone both of the Martin twins will get more burn. This is really just sensationalist worry for no reason. And who knows State may pick up Ingram and a PG then this post looks… Read more »
DanBasset wolfpack74 We are loosing Turner and Lee and probably a transfer or two. We need new recruits to continue the flow and fill in the missing pieces. If you call 15-11 a good record, then you will be happy next year with the same players. I must be spoiled because when I went to State (70-74) we had aspiration of perfect seasons and national championships. Now if we make the tournament, we think that is a successful season. 2016 looks to be just as bad.
IanLong wolfpack74 PackInsider Staff That crap happened nearly 25 years ago to State. You will be negative too after twenty five years of listening to TarHoles and Pukes going off all the time.
wolfpack74 this is an ignorant statement, is he TJ Warren? no few guys are but he controlled that game when it really could have gotten out of hand. The biggest thing about playing UofL is not turning the ball over. Barber defense is great, he is great on the ball in perimeter we haven’t had that in a long time. We are much better having having barber than lewis. Allow me to refresh your memory a bit, teams used to Iso lewis just so they can get that matchup. He was a huge liability on defense, his size just hurt… Read more »
wolfpack74 PackInsider Staff wolfpack74, I’ll take a stab at your question. One would encourage you to be a little less negative. It’s not healthy. And two: SMU’s self-imposed penalty consisted of of a two-year probationary period, ending March 9, 2013. SMU also reduced its coaching staff’s recruiting time by 15 days and imposed a two-week ban on contacting recruits. NC Statesself-imposed penalties were (info pulled from Statefans: 1. No off-campus recruiting and no official paid visits for the 1989-90 academic year. 2. A limitation on basketball grants-in-aid [scholarships] to 12 for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 academic years. 3. A reduction in… Read more »
wolfpack74 To replace who? Turner is the only player we’re losing this year (assuming there are no transfers or NBA vacancies) and there aren’t enough minutes to go around as it is. The entire reason our roster is in such a great place is because of Gott’s “magic.” We have one of the youngest teams in the P5 and all things considered, we’re doing pretty well for our age. I think Gott leaves something to be desired with regards to a couple things (e.g., line-up chemistry, late-game tactics), but recruiting is absolutely not one of them. Henderson is coming in… Read more »
PackInsider Staff I have always rooted for Barber and the rest of the pack to play well. I have done that for forty seven years, just to see it wasted on a brainless play like Martin against Virginia. Why has it taken so long for a program to recover from bad coaches and AD’s. Look at what SMU has done in a short period of time, what takes so long at State?
Now for Barber, I expect him to revert back or take way to many shots against VT. Hope not, go PacK.
PackInsider Staff Agreed PackInsider. And we’re still developing as a program. I know that sounds crazy to some people who feel that we should be able to wave a wand and smoothly transition from one coach to another. We lost a lot with all of the nonsense that played out with our late and great Jimmy V. I don’t care what anyone says, we’re still recovering from those shenanigans that occurred back when we placed self-imposed sanctions for things that don’t even pale in comparison to the transgressions by a certain school that will go unnamed. This is a process.… Read more »
Just a straight up fact…NC State does not win last night without Barber. Say what you want about him (we have been vocal about his struggles in the past) but he’s stepping into a leadership role that has been vacant all season. If State is going to make a run, you’re going to have to root for Barber to play well.
And what’s up with not getting any recruits for 2015. Gott has lost his magic.
He shot 5 for 15. Not very impressive. All that does is eliminates shots for Lacey and Turner (when he was healthy). Good defense sometimes. Free throws down the stretch is pretty good. Overall not performing at a five star level. The team may have been better off with Barber transferring and Lewis staying. State really needs to hire an assistant coach that knows how to coach up and train the big guys down low. We never recruit and get the big guys that the top teams seem to get. Four guards and one big is not going to get… Read more »