We just got done breaking down how devastating the loss of Markell Johnson has been for NC State. We talked about Johnson’s ability to control pace, his ability to pester the opposing PGs, his active hands, his quick feet, creating deflections and turnovers. We talked about his knack for putting pressure on defenses by getting into the lane and creating chaos. His ability to play at a chaotic pace with a sense of control.

These are things that you just can’t teach. Sure, some of it is learning to take pride in your defense and buying into a system built on going 100% every second you’re on the court, but the execution portion, that’s God-given.

You can’t teach speed, quickness, or anticipation. You can’t teach the ability to play under control at full throttle. These are attributes that as a college coach, you have to recruit or in Keatts case, inherit.

Unfortunately for NC State, the guy they were counting on for all of this was PG Markell Johnson, who as we explained, is suspended indefinitely. Without him in there, the team is creating fewer turnovers, getting fewer good looks and seem like a group who will have a tough time with a majority of their ACC opponents unless they can make some adjustments.

What options do NC State have without Johnson?

Keatts could abandon the fullcourt press, abandon the entire system that led to his success at UNCW and just slow it down, play through Yurtseven and Freeman and hope for the best. But let’s be honest. That’s not going to happen, nor should it. If it did help at all, the immediate returns would likely be minimal, and the long-term cost would be large. It would mean wasting a year in which your young guys could be getting comfortable in that system.

The other option is to continue to stay the course and try to replace Markell’s productivity and skill set.

…But how?

Before the season started we discussed the fact that NC State had two very similar PGs in Markell Johnson and Lavar Batts. In fact, Keatts acknowledged that fact and pointed towards the idea that he may play both at the same time, even though they have similar skill-sets.

Johnson, a sophomore, was more refined in his approach given the fact he’s been through the ACC ringer once already. But, line them up next to each other and they’re nearly identical.

Johnson is 6’1 and weighs 165lbs. Batts is listed at 6’2 and also weighs in at 165lbs. They are the two fastest players on the NC State roster, they both have a good handle and are extremely quick. They are the team’s two best on-ball defenders and the two guys who really have no problem getting penetration on offense.

Why haven’t we seen Batts breakout since Johnson’s suspension?

Part of the reason is that Lavar Batts is only halfway through his freshman season and he only has one ACC game under his belt. That obviously is huge, and the foundation to the rest of the discussion we are about to have.

Johnson played 270 (27 mins per game) minutes before his suspension. He took 66 shots, 23 of which were 3s. He was knocking down 45% from the field and a team-leading 39% from 3 point range. All while averaging 6.6 assists per game.

These are great PG numbers. He’s shooting at a high clip, but not shooting too much. In fact, Johnson was playing a lot more like a pass-first PG than people want to admit. He scored when the opportunity was there, but he was looking to create at every turn (proven by his 38.8 assist rate, good for 19th in the nation, 1st in the ACC). His assist to TO ratio was nearly 2:1.

Meanwhile, Batts has played 204 minutes (17 mins per game) and has taken 57 shots, 25 of those are from 3. That’s a lot of shots from a guy who is shooting 33% from the floor and only 24% from 3 point range. He’s only averaging 1.7 assists per game, but also only is turning it over .8 times per game. So like Johnson, his assist to turnover ratio is about 2:1.

Those numbers just don’t add up. Batts and Johnson value the ball at the same rate, but Johnson’s game was built more on creating for others while Batts seems to be looking to score more. Johnson was the team’s most efficient scorer but actually shot the least of anyone on the team prior to his suspension (.24 shots per minute). Batts, on the other hand, has looked to score more (.28 shots per minute) despite shooting a much lower percentage from the field.

This is likely the reason he’s not seeing more minutes and the reason the minutes he is seeing aren’t showing up as more productive (we’ll go into detail in a few paragraphs).

Don’t get us wrong, Batts may one day be a legitimate scorer at the ACC level, but right now he’s not. His 33% from the field is a team worst and on a team struggling to shoot 3s, he’s got the lowest percentage at 22%. But he’s still one the teams best defenders, he’s still the teams fastest player, he’s still able to get into the paint better than anyone NC State has on their roster.

Let’s be clear We’re not trying to pile in on Batts here, the point we are trying to make is that a small tweak to his approach could yield huge dividends for this ballclub and could lessen the blow of Markell Johnson’s suspension.

If Batts cut his shot attempts and increased his assist rate, his numbers (aside from the shooting %) would be more in line with the production Markell Johnson was giving this team (and what they’ve been missing since his suspension).

NC State has no shortage of guys taking tough shots and shooting a low percentage. Batts doesn’t need to join those ranks. If he wants to reach his full potential, and really breakout this season, then he’ll start creating a little more, giving this team what they need most, a facilitator who can get into the paint, draw the defense and find the open man.

NC State needs Lavar Batts more than most realize and he’s not that far away from being able to help this team get back to that high-turnover, fast-paced approach that Keatts is trying to implement. If anyone holds the keys that can unlock the talent of those around him, its Batts. It’s just up to him to realize that and grab the reigns.

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Side Note on Batts scoring: 
As for scoring, that will come. Just look at  Markell Johnson’s freshman numbers (37.7% from the floor, 25% from 3pt range). They look very similar to Batts’ current stats. However, an offseason on working on his shot and learning better shot selection has led to Johnson becoming a more efficient scorer early in his sophomore campaign. Batts will likely get there in time.