With only a couple of days left until the season actually begins, we are going to close out our pre-season previews with a look at the big men, the rim protectors..the Centers.

We’ve already given the rundown on the guards and the forwards, so if you missed those, go back and give those a read.

Manny Bates (Junior, C)

Manny Bates is back after a brief scare this off-season when news started to break that the big man was potentially looking to enter himself in the transfer portal.

Had Bates left, NC State would have been in a very bad situation. They would have been forced to rely on sophomore Ebenezer Dowuona, who averaged only 5 minutes per game last season, shot 25%, and scored only 5 points the entire season.

Luckily, Bates met with Keatts and decided to stick with the Wolfpack, ensuring State would have the star center on the floor for at least one more season.

What to expect:
After two years, NC State fans know what to expect from Manny Bates. They are getting one of the ACC’s best defensive players, the league’s best shot blocker, and a budding offensive force in the middle. However, this season Bates is very likely going to take another big step forward offensively. Without Funderburk, who graduated this off-season, Bates will be the go-to scorer down low. Pack fans got to see his offensive improvement last year as he consistently knocked was able to knock down his little baby-hook on the block and even showcases an improved jumper. Look for Bates so showcase his jumper a little more this season and become a bigger part of the offense. Defensively, he’ll still be the dominant rim protector we’ve seen the past two seasons.

The Questions:
For Bates, the questions are going to be about consistency on the offensive end and whether or not he’ll be able to stay on the floor. While scoring in the middle is going to be important for NC State, Bates being able to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor is going to be most important. State’s depth down low isn’t good. Dowuona is still raw, and judging by his play in the exhibition, he’s still not ready to be a major factor in this conference. So if Bates can’t stay healthy, or stay out of foul trouble, this Wolfpack team is going to struggle.

Prediction:
We’ve heard that Bates has shown improvement this offseason in a number of areas. He’s become more vocal, he’s more confident shooting the basketball and he’s even added more muscle to his frame. We think all of this will equal big dividends for NC State. We think he’ll be just as good, if not better at defending the rim (thanks to the added bulk), but we also think he become a much bigger scoring threat than he has in. years past. Bates is going to be the key to this team. When he’s on the floor, they’re going to have a chance to win every night. However, if he gets hurt or he gets in foul trouble, NC state is going to struggle and struggle badly with less experience and less talent anchoring the middle.

Ebenezer Dowuona (Sophomore, C)

Dowuona is 6’11 and has added some decent meat to the thin frame he had a season ago. In practice, coaches have seen a more aggressive player and one that seems more comfortable in his role. He’s going to get minutes behind Manny Bates, but there is still some skepticism about his physicality and his readiness to be a factor in the ACC.

In his first action of the season (the recent exhibition game), Dowuona played 16 minutes, finished with 2 points, only 1 rebound, and 1 block. That was against a team that was severely overmatched, size-wise, causing a little concern on whether or not he’ll be ready for what’s about to be asked of him this season.

What to expect:
You’re going to notice the added weight Dowuona put on this off-season. He was rail-thin last year and he got pushed around on the blocks quite a bit when he got minutes. This year, he’ll certainly be more confident, stronger, and able to spell Bates for longer periods. You can expect him to start emerging as a decent defensive option, but there are questions, mainly about his toughness and his ability to score on the blocks…

The Questions:
After only playing about 47 minutes last year, Dowuona is going to be put in a position where he’ll be asked to back up Manny Bates on a nightly basis. But is he ready? Can he match the physicality of opponent centers? Can he provide any offense on the blocks?

Prediction:
We believe Dowuona will see a lot more minutes this season, but we also think he’s still a work in progress. Despite adding some bulk, we think it will be some time before he understands how to use that new frame to battle established bigs on the blocks. We don’t expect to see a big uptick in offensive numbers, but we do think Pack fans will be pleasantly surprised with his ability to provide some ACC-level rim protection. Unfortunately, we are expecting State’s success sto be closely tied with Manny Bates ability to stay on the floor. Without him, they’ll be forced to go smaller, or play Dowuona more minutes, even if he’s not quite ready to make an impact at the ACC level. Our hope is that by mid-season, Dowuona starts to get accustomed to the speed and physical nature of the ACC, and begins to provide quality minutes behind Bates.