NC State’s success hinges on the back of Barber more than any other player and he will have to become more  consistent on both ends of the court, especially if State wants to go to a 5th straight NCAA Tournament. The past season was a roller coaster of a season for Barber who was benched at times and at other times instrumental on both ends to help the Pack knock off national powers in Louisville, Duke, and UNC.

This coming season Cat has to build upon the success he had at the end of last season and come out of the gates with an aggressive demeanor both offensively and in pressuring opposing guards in the backcourt. Personally I don’t think there are many players in the ACC that can keep Cat out of the lane when he has the ball in his hands. Attacking is what Cat does best and he must always look to score. Traditional point guard play goes out of the window with Barber as he has a score first mentality. I do not mean this as a bad thing, I think a point guard can be extremely effective with a score first mentality and even more dangerous in certain situation.

Look at the NBA many of the top point guards are unafraid to call their own number. In my opinion the number one responsibility for a point guard is to put his team in the best possible position to win. If that means Barber is our best option to score the ball then by all means that is what he should do. However I still believe that Cat showed flashes last season of comprehending when to shoot and when to pass. In order for him to take his game to the next level he has continue to improve on his decision making. There were too many times that he allowed the game to speed him up, which caused him to turn the ball over or forced him into a poor shot. I think that another year of experience and summer workouts will slow the game down even more for him. I think the best course of action for Barber is to keep things simple.

By keeping things simple I mean that he should first and foremost look to push the ball…make or miss. This will put him into the best positions to utilize his skill set which is to attack the rim and use his 10-12 foot pull up jumper. Cat showed last season that he is more than capable of scoring the basketball at a high rate and doing so efficiently. Just look at his breakout performances against GT, Wake Forest, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. These games showed that he has the ability to alter the ACC. 

My bold prediction is that Cat is going to build upon the success he had towards the end of the season and use it to lead the Pack to a top 6 standing once the dust settles from ACC play. Not only will he improve in his decision making but he will play to his strengths and use his outstanding physical gifts to be the most dangerous scoring point guard in the ACC. Cat may be a man of mystery but I think the mystery this season will be a matter of just how good will he be?

What are your thoughts on Cat Barber? Will he catapult the Pack back the the big dance?