Recently NC State Basketball posted a video highlighting some of the things they are working on and interviewed Coach Gottfried. It was interesting to see what they were working on from a skill standpoint, individually and then collectively as a team. Gottfried seemed pleased with his group and was complimentary of his teams efforts.

Here are my 3 observations:

1. Who will be the vocal leader? 

It is no secret that the most successful basketball teams are usually the ones that are the most talkative. Basketball is the ultimate team sport that requires tons of communication in order to run plays, help side defense, navigate screens, push tempo, and listening to your coaches.

Coach Gottfried spoke about how Henderson is not the most vocal of leaders, instead choosing to lead by example. He highlighted that he liked the example he was demonstrating, but Cat Barber is similar in this respect as well. Last season Trevor Lacey assumed much of the vocal leadership, but someone is going to have to step up and talk.

Personally, I believe that Cat can be a vocal leader. Last season I saw it a handful of times especially in one-on-one moments with his teammates. It was common to see him pull guys aside and give them encouragement or advice on a particular problem that the other team was causing. He will have to do more of this in the upcoming season. It will be another sign that he is growing as a point guard.

Malik Abu will be the most vocal leader this season and will be extremely important defensively. He has to help our guards navigate screens and inform them of what is coming. Last season I had the privilege to be on the scores table and Abu was a constant communicator from the back calling out everything he saw. Not only will Malik have more floor time this season, but he will have more experience. No other player holds as much respect in the locker room as Abu! He gained the respect of his teammates through his work ethic and dedication to his faith which has required great sacrifices in the summer.

2. All about improving individually in the summer. 

The summer is the time that players are made. It is was very evident in the short clips that the coaches are trying their best to help guys strengthen the parts that they are weak in. We saw Cat Barber shooting a lot of outside shots in drills and scrimmages. The main focus was in shooting off the bounce. It will be important for Cat to prove that he can consistently knock down the long range shot. This is no secret as it will only make him almost impossible to guard, given his speed and ball handling skills.

The staff is really giving Abu the workload in order to prepare him for being a focal point of the offense. It has been widely reported that he is on many peoples’ radar to have an outstanding season.  I too believe that he will been very effective. I think we will see Abu used more in the high post with the freedom to face up and attack the rim. With his physical abilities he will be a difficult matchup for many power forwards in the ACC. The main X-factor for Abu is being able to make the elbow jumper as he faces. This will help keep the lane open and help the low post guy duck with ease. As the lane is clear Abu should have an easier time connecting with Anya or Freeman as they reverse pivot to catch the ball deep inside the paint.

While Abu and Cat have been getting a lot of attention, two more guys are quietly improving each day.  Both Caleb and Cody have been working hard to be in the best shape possible. When I was in the Dail Center a couple of weeks ago I saw first hand how much more impressive they are physically. Both look like grown men. These two hold the key to helping State achieve a top ranking in the ACC and another birth to the NCAA Tournament. Both players have an ability to disrupt an opponents game plan defensively. Defensively the Pack can get creative with both Cody and Caleb on the court as is allows them to be super aggressive with full court pressure and how they handle the screen and roll.

3. This team will be high energy and fun to watch. 

Throughout the video clips it is apparent that the guys are going full speed and giving their compete focus to the workouts. All of the guys are drenched in sweat and selling themselves out. Also it is important to note that these workouts are starting at 7am, which means most guys are arriving around 6:30. This is another testament to the commitment theses guys make for NC State. There are not many college aged kids waking up that early in the summer.

As for the guys on the team, they all want to play and give it their best effort. Playing hard is a skill in my opinion and it looks like all of our guys have it. This will pay huge dividends this season and will help them over achieve. I know a lot of people are not optimistic about this year’s team, but I challenge you to give them a shot. NC State’s roster has some compelling pieces that are versatile. Coach Gottfried has a sound group that he can work with and don’t be surprised come March when many are talking about the Pack once more.