Position: Power Forward / Center
Players: Lennard Freeman, Omer Yurtseven, Malik Abu, Darius Hicks
NC State has had some pretty good frontcourt players over the past 10 years, but they arguably haven’t had this much talent and experience in place at a single time.
Between 2009-2011 State had an elite big in Tracy Smith, who teamed up with Richard Howell for a couple of seasons, but at that point, Howell hadn’t emerged as a true threat or dominant rebounder.
Then between 2011-13 the Wolfpack trotted out a fully seasoned and rebuilt Richard Howell who teamed up with a budding CJ Leslie. That was probably the most versatile and dangerous frontcourt we’ve seen at NC State in a long, long time.
Since that point, the Pack has had rather weak frontcourts that weren’t very deep and built around guys like Jordan Vandenberg and Beejay Anya. Abu has been a consistent force for the past 3 years, but he hasn’t been teamed up with a group quite this diverse or talent.
Strengths
This is where NC State is going to have a lot of advantages. The frontcourt is deep and it’s versatile.
Lennard Freeman returns after missing last season with a leg injury, but he returns a year older and whole lot stronger. He’s always been a force on the boards for NC State, but it was apparent how important his toughness in the paint was until he was out last season.
Abu (who is out for a few games with a knee injury) expanded his game last season. The 6’8 senior has always had the frame and the athletic ability to be one of the nation’s most exciting frontcourt talents, but NC State’s offense really never fit with his skill set. Abu thrives in one on one situations about 8 feet from the basket. In Keatts system, he’s going to be in that spot quite a bit. He’s also going to get a ton of transition dunks and dump-offs (or ally-oops) thanks spread court and speedy Wolfpack point guards.
Abu can kill you in a number of ways. Last season he showcased a consistent 15-foot jumper which will likely be a big part of his game this year. He also will be freed up to float a bit more with Freeman or Yurtseven carrying the rebounding load and patrolling the paint.
Speaking of Yurtseven, the 7-foot big man is back and with renewed confidence. His size and mobility alone make him a very valuable piece to this team, but add in a solid 15-foot jumper that can extend to the 3 point line and you have a guy who can change the game.
Lastly, you have Darius Hicks. The sophomore isn’t going to wow you in any one aspect of the game, but the kid is a well-rounded big who plays hard and smart. After seeing him in the exhibition, it seems as he’s added a wrinkle to his game that may help him see a little more floor time. Hicks went 1-2 from beyond the arc, a part of his game we didn’t see at all last season. If Hicks can pop out and knock down even 33% of this 3s, he will be able to give Keatts another versatile piece to play with in the frontcourt.
Weaknesses
When you look at this group as a whole, there isn’t really one area that you can point to and call weak. This is a versatile group that gives Keatts options. Yurtseven has the size and the touch. Abu has the athleticism. Freeman has the toughness and Hicks does a little of everything.
The one thing to watch is how this group fits into Keatts system. Obviously, he isn’t going to be able to put them all on the floor at once, so how will he divvy up playing time? How will he use these guys in a 4-out, 1-in system? It’s going to be up to Keatts to get creative and find way to use the plethora of tools his frontcourt holds.
