Connect with us

NC State Basketball

Wolferetti: Size matters and Keatts has a big one (basketball team, that is)

Published

on

You’ve all heard the phrase.

“Size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use what you’ve got.”

You know who says that? People with small things.

Now first off, get your minds out of the gutter, you 12 years olds. We’re talking about basketball here.

Keatts is coming into his 5th year as the head coach of NC State, and the whole time we kept hearing about how he wants a long, tall, athletic group of interchangeable athletes who can cause havoc on both ends of the floor. However, for the first 4 years we haven’t seen it materialize.

State has had size, but they’ve never been able to truly run out this type of lineup without seriously hurting themselves. They either would have to take a hit on ball-handling, shooting, or speed.

But not this year.

This is going to be the first year where you’ll be able to see basketball the way Kevin Keatts wants to play it. You’ll likely see a lineup of 6’3 and above most of the time. Cam Hayes (6’3), Casey Morsell (6’3), Terquavion Smith (6’4), Dereon Seabron (6’7), Jericole Hellems (6’7), Manny Bates (6’10), Ernest Ross (6’9), Greg Gantt (6’8).

So why does this matter? Well, the first four guys listed up there are guards. State is going to have 4 guards that are going to have a size advantage almost every night. And what that means is that suddenly, the high screen that nearly every ACC team is going to run is going to lose a lot of its effectiveness.

Look, we loved Braxton Beverly, but he was a defensive liability for this reason alone. Teams would run the high screen and create havoc. Either Beverly would be put into a mismatch, or they’d be scrambling to hedge and switch without giving up the edge.

What this means is that penetration into the lane is going to be tough for teams. They are going to have to beat their man off the dribble, and despite NC State’s size, these guards are also pretty darn quick.

This type of size will affect the game in a lot of ways. Point-to-point passes will be harder to throw around this type of length. There won’t be any ‘shooting over’ guys to get easy buckets, and hey, “You have to guard us to, pal.” (Moment of silence for Mark Gottfried)

Offensively, NC State is going to be able to play big on offense without clogging the lane with traditional lumbering bigs. They’ve worked all offseason in helping Manny Bates acquire a consistent jump shot (and *gulp* 3-point shot), but my guess is that you’ll likely see him play a lot like he played last year.

The difference will be that instead of Funderburk at the 4 (a great talent, but a guy defenders could sag off of a little bit on the wing) you’ll have Jericole Hellems, who is one of the Pack’s best shooters. This is going to cause problems for opposing teams. The 1-3 position will be guards, but again, they’ll be anywhere from 6’3 to 6’7 most of the time.

This NC State team is going to be able to fast while also playing big and that’s something Keatts has always wanted but never been able to do without a trade-off. This year there’s no trade-off. NC State’s best scorers are all big, and all guys who can score on multiple levels.

The big question is going to be whether or not they’re able to hit consistently from outside. Hellems, Hayes and Smith are all great shooters, and if Morsell and Seabron can keep defenders honest with their jumpers, this is going to be a potent team on both ends of the floor.

Of course, you still have Thomas Allen and Breon Pass, both of whom are around the 6-foot mark, and both can shoot it. So, NC State isn’t ALWAYS going to be playing big, however, when they want to or need to it’s a luxury they have at their disposal.

A pasta eatin', Wolfpack lovin' loudmouth from Raleigh by way of New Jersey. Jimmy V and Chuck Amato fanboy. All opinions are my own and you're gonna hear'em.

Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NC State Basketball

Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

Published

on

Georgetown Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/212) has committed to NC State!

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.

With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.

NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

NC State Forward Katie Peneueta Enters the Transfer Portal

Published

on

NC State Forward Katie Peneueta is entering the Transfer Portal.

Peneueta transferred to NC State last offseason from Sacramento State, where she averaged 8.4 points, shooting 45.5% from three.

In her one year at NC State, Peneueta only played 8 games for the Wolfpack, battling injuries throughout the year. Peneueta has 1 year of eligibility.

With Peneueta entering the Portal, NC State now has 3 scholarships available heading into the 2024-25 season.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

Boston Center Caitlin Weimar is on an Official Visit to NC State

Published

on

Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar (6’4″) is currently on an Official Visit to NC State.

Weimar is the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, and has been named Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. She has earned 1st Team Patriot League Honors the past two seasons.

This year, Weimar averaged 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As a Junior, she averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. She shot 55.5% this year, and 59.7% last year.

With NC State not having River Baldwin at Center next year, adding Weimar is an extremely exciting possibility.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren?

Published

on

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren? I caught up with the man who won the ACC Player of the Year Award in 2014 to get his take.

What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?

I’m a second generation Wolfpack basketball player. Wolf blood runs through my veins, so to be able to witness a ride like that was truly amazing.

What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?

I think that is speaks to the heart that the players have. As a 10th seed in the ACC tournament, it’s easy to pack it in and look towards the offseason, but they did the opposite. They bonded together over adversity and that’s what made them so endearing. Hard work in the face of adversity, that’s something that Wolfpack fans can relate to.

As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?

As I mentioned earlier, NCSU hoops has been in my family for a long time, so it meant a whole lot personally. This run definitely took me back to some of the fond memories I have of putting on the Red & White and playing in front of a packed house at the PNC.

What was the most memorable moment for you?

I think Mike’s shot to tie the game at the end of regulation. It just felt like destiny at that point. Anytime you get to beat UNC and Duke days apart is special too.

How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?

I think that it puts us back on the national radar where we belong. After a magical run like that, I think it makes players want to be a part of that. A run like that reinvigorates a program definitely.

_______

Warren is 1 of only 6 NC State players to ever be named the ACC Player of the Year. In his Sophomore season, Warren was named a 2nd Team All-American by Sporting News and the AP. He averaged 24.9 points per game, which is the 5th best mark in a single season in NC State history. Warren scored 871 points that year, which is the most points ever scored in a single season by a Wolfpack player.

TJ was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Continue Reading