Maverick Rowan Could Produce Off The Bench

NC State remains in the Maverick Rowan sweepstakes and there is no doubt that he would be a welcome addition to the Pack. The Wolfpack is in need of someone to stretch the floor offensively which would create more space for Cat Barber and company to get to the rim. I don’t see Maverick starting for the Pack, but he could be a great specialist off of the bench who gives the Pack some scoring punch when they are lagging offensively.

At first I thought Rowan was strictly a spot up shooter, but I was wrong.  He is much more. Looking at his highlights he is very capable of scoring the ball in a variety of ways. Make no mistake about it though, it’s his reputation as a shooter that gives him so many options to score.

Rowan is not going to wow anyone with his athleticism, but that’s ok.  His game is predicated on skill and body control. Maverick is great at getting his defender off balance and countering with a variety of crossovers that allow him clear access to the basket. Another area that Rowan is great at, is using his size to elevate over smaller defenders. Standing at 6’7″ he is able to work out of the side post and has shown that he can score from that area with ease.

Watching him play it is obvious that his game is much more mature than his age. As I have watched Maverick he reminds me a little of Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. In high school Klay was not overly athletic and used his size and frame well to shield defenders while scoring. I think Klay is superior to Rowan at this age in his catch-and-shooting abilities, but Rowan looks to be more advanced off of the bounce. Anyone that is good enough to be compared to Klay Thompson has to be given a lot of respect.

If State can land Rowan, then Coach Gottfried has a chance to integrate him into his offense in a number of ways. I think Rowan fits perfectly in an uptempo scheme and could be a great player for the Pack for a number of years. I know a lot of speculation and unknowns have been tossed out in regards to Maverick, but I think NC State can offer him a great opportunity that is too good to pass up.