PLAYER PREVIEW: Braxton Beverly hopes added strength takes his game to another level

Braxton Beverly’s first season in college was a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

After switching his commitment from Ohio State to NC State, he was told by the NCAA that he’d have to sit out a year. That was because he had attended a few summer school classes at OSU prior to making his decision. The NCAA deemed it a transfer and so Beverly was forced to sit.

That was until the school decided to file a complaint and the media began directly questioning the NCAA, their rules and their motives.

The NCAA finally reversed course and deemed Beverly eligible.

The freshman went on to have a very successful season and was one of the most consistent producers for the Wolfpack. He averaged 9.5 points and nearly 4 assists per game.

“I think I had a fairly good year.” said Beverly” Especially with a new head coach and all the stuff I went through at the beginning of the year. The new style being implemented here. All in all it was a really good year. It was a lot of fun. It was tough, it was challenging, but it was fun and that’s what we’re looking to go through again this year.”

Beverly may have only been getting his feet wet, but because of NC State’s lack of depth at the guard position, Keatts was forced to lean on him early and often. He played over 32 minutes per game (2nd highest on the team).

This year, however, things may be different. Beverly will still be a key piece to NC State’s game plan, but Keatts now has a slew of talented guards at his disposal. Not only will this allow him to keep guys fresh, but it will also allow him to let guys to play to their strengths and be more situational in their usage.

Another by-product of depth is the competition in practice, that is something that is standing out to the freshman guard this season…

“Practices are very competitive,” said Beverly. “We’ve got so much talent. The practices are like games.”

How does Keatts plan to get all of his guys enough minutes to keep them happy? Well, he’s indicated early on that he’s not afraid to play his 3 PGs at the same lineup. And what might that look like if it does happen?

“It’s going to be fast, up and down.” said Beverly. “The ball is going to be pushed like crazy. Whoever we play we’ll be guarding 94 feet. Three quick guys aggravating the ball.”

Beverly has always been comfortable with playing fast, but last year he realized he needed to change his body to help him play a little stronger. There were times last season where teams would isolate him and attack him with bigger, stronger players. That is something that he focused on improving this offseason.

“Biggest thing is getting my body in better shape,” he said. “I got stronger, but I’m a short guy and I’ve got to be able to hold my own. That’s what I was focused on. It’s what’s going to take my game to another level.”

As the season starts kicking into gear it will be interesting to see where Beverly slots in and how Keatts decided to use the talented sophomore. Will he see more primary ball-handling duties, or will he shift more towards an off-ball shooter? If Keatts has his way, it seems like he’ll be doing a little bit of everything.