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2012 • RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW

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BASKETBALL KEYS TO THE SEASON - PAGE 3 POWER RANKINGS - PAGE 4 POWER PACKED ROSTER - PAGE 5 RICHARD HOWELL - PAGE 7 SCOTT WOOD - PAGE 10

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10 RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW • 2012

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Wood shoots for historic year STORY BY JONATHAN STOUT | PHOTO BY RYAN PARRY

henever he rises up to shoot, it seems that the air is sucked out of PNC Arena as the home crowd readies a roar for another big shot from Scott Wood. Wood, a senior forward and three-point specialist, is entering his final season with the Wolfpack. His goal for the season is clear: to bring the program back to its past successes. Wood anchors a core of returning starters from last year’s squad that made the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2006 season. The Marion, Ind., native joined the Pack as a freshman during the 2009-10 season and immediately started rewriting the record books. In his first season, Wood started all 36 games —more than any freshman at N.C. State. Records continued to fall over the next two seasons as Wood continued to shine on the hardwood. Wood shot more successful threepointers in his second season than any other sophomore in program history with 135. Last season he set the ACC record for consecutive free throws made with 66, breaking the previous record held by Duke’s J.J. Redick. He also has 230 career three-pointers, good for second all-time in program history. Wood came into his own last season and became a household name. He averaged 12.4 points per game and finished with a .409 three-point shooting percentage. Putting the ball on the floor, navigating defenders and penetration are parts of Wood’s game that have limited him at times, but Wood said he put in a lot of time in the offseason to broaden his game. “Getting in the weight room, continuing to get stronger, and continuing to maintain my stamina– but mainly my penetration game’s the main thing that I’ve been focusing on,” Wood said. “Just making moves off the dribble, trying to cre-

ate my own shot” With Brown sidelined due to arthroscopic knee surgery, head coach Mark Gottfried looked to Wood to quarterback the offense and become an even more lethal weapon in the process. Wood has a keen sense of State’s basketball history. He said that past prestige was one of the main reasons he committed to play with the Wolfpack. “I felt like we were kind of down, had a couple of down teams,” Wood said. “The history wasn’t here, and I wanted to restart that history. We’re starting to get back to where it was in the ‘70s and the ‘80s.” The program has received more hype in the preseason than it has seen since the days of Jim Valvano’s and Norm Sloan’s, and many analysts have begun regularly invoking those championship teams in their speculation on the season ahead. But with that hype comes high expectations from the student body and fans alike. “You can definitely tell there’s a lot more energy on campus,” Wood said. “Ever yone’s ap proaching you, telling you how good you guys can be and how they’ve got you to win the ACC. That’s the kind of thing, the energy and the buzz, that’s going around Raleigh.”

2012 • RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW

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Returning Starters

- Scott Wood Senior for ward Scot t Wood has been a key part of the Wolfpack’s revival. As he enters his final season, Wood might prove to be the most indispensable member of the team. The 6-6 forward has established quite a reputation as a pure shooter. Wood owns several Wolfpack men’s basketball records, including the school mark for highest free throw percentage in a season (.907 in 2011-12), and could add even more individual achievements to the list before he graduates. As was the case during his first three years, Wood will

be a hard man to replace. When his scoring was down or he was substituted from the game, the complexion of the Wolfpack changed. In State’s 24 victories last season, Wood averaged 14.6 ppg; while in 12 of the Pack’s losses (he missed the Vanderbilt game due to injury) the native of Marion, Ind. only mustered a paltry 7.6 ppg. Also, with the graduation of C.J. Williams, Wood will need to expand his game. Like Wood, Williams was a contributor with skills that were hard to match. As a senior, along with forward Richard Howell, there will be leadership needs to fill. Freshman forward T.J..

Warren said he has benefitted from Wood’s guidance already. “Growing up, I was a State fan, and I always wanted to be here, so it feels good to here now,” Wa r r e n s a i d . “ S c o t t [Wood] has been help ing me a lot. I feel like our chances [this season] are really good.”

Returning Reserves

- Jordan Vandenberg When DeShawn Painter decided to transfer after last season, what was once a team strength suddenly became a weakness. Head Coach Mark Gottfried described it as “a loss bigger than most people are an-

“Growing up, I was a State fan, and I always wanted to be here...”

gest role is Tyler Lewis. The 5-11 point guard, who grew up in Statesville, N.C., will be expected to fill the hole left after the departure of Alex Johnson. After Junior guard Lorenzo Brown and Lewis, it is slim pickings for the Pack at the point position. The end result of State’s season could hinge on whether Lewis is able to step in where Johnson left off, adapt to college life and expand his own game as the campaign progresses. Lewis said he feels up to the challenge. “Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been doubted, and I just try to keep proving everybody wrong,” Lewis said. “At Oak Hill [Academy], no one predicted me to be an All-American, but I played very well last season, and I think I can do the same here.”

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3 2012 • RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Keys to the season

ticipating.” To expect the play a lot. Part of how good same 20-to-25 minutes per he is going to be is how game from Vandenberg is good of shape he’s in.” a reach, but the Wolfpack front line will need some Incoming Freshmen minutes from the 7-1 Aus- Tyler Lewis sie if it is to do well. The impulse is to look Gottfried voiced concerns to guard Rodney Purvis about Vanf irst. He denberg’s will prob conditionably be ing after a star ter, last season replacing ended, and Williams. i t ’s c l e a r How he it’s still one meshes of his conwill play c er ns go a role in Scott Wood, forward ing into the N.C. State 2012-13 having campaign. a successful season that “It [Vandenberg’s condi- matches or exceeds pretioning] has got to get bet- season expectations. Warter,” Gottfried said. “It’s ren will also fill a need, and better than it was. Some- he could to be the best bet times that improves as you to cover for Wood when play, and we will see if he he’s on the sidelines. gets in the rotation. I anticiBut the freshman who pate he will. He is going to could perhaps play the big-

4 RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW • 2012

Power rankings STORY BY NOLAN EVANS

N .C . State – T he Wolfpack was picked to win the ACC in the preseason media polls and league coaches in the first preseason poll in history voted on by ACC coaches. The Pack is ranked No. 6 nationally in the AP and USA Today preseason polls and for good reason. It returns four star ters from a Sweet 16 team and each star ter averaged double - digits. Junior

forward Calvin Leslie is the preseason favorite f o r t h e c o n f e r e n c e’s player of the year and will have assistance from an impressive recruiting c l a s s by h e a d c o a c h Mark Gottfried, led by preseason freshman of the year Rodney Purvis. State has received a lot of hype this preseason and with its loaded roster, expect the Pack to live up to the noise.

Duke – Duke will be a good team, as always. The Blue Devils have the potential to become a great team if the right adjustments are made to the disappointment that was last season. Senior big men Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee will be critical to the team’s success on the offensive end. A shallow frontcourt for the Devils will cause them to rely on the three-point shot, which hasn’t worked out well for Duke in the past.

North Carolina – The Tar Heels have the potential to compete for the

ACC championship. But, they also have the potential to finish in the middle of the pack. Carolina lost four star ters and almost 70 percent of its scoring, but it returns 6-9 forward James Michael McAdoo. McAdoo is a budding superstar in the Tar Heel frontcourt but lacks much help underneath the basket. Like Duke, Carolina will have plenty of depth in the backcourt and has the possibility to have high-scoring outputs from its slew of guards such as Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston. Freshman point guard Marcus Paige shows a lot of promise and will

have plenty of shooters to distribute the ball to.

Florida State – Following its first ACC tournament championship, FSU should maintain a strong defensive presence in the conference, returning senior guard Michael Snaer and junior forward Okaro White. The Seminoles’ offense is full of question marks in the backcourt after losing several guards, but the frontcourt has potential to be dominant with centers Michael Ojo and Boris Bojanovsky, standing 7-1 and 7-3, respectively. Only time will tell if Florida State

can fill in the shoes of last season’s lineup, but have no doubt that head coach Leonard Hamilton will have the team competing with the best of them.

Maryland – The ACC is full of unanswered questions this preseason f ro m e a c h t e a m a n d Maryland is no exception. Xavier transfer guard Dez Wells, a Raleigh native, has been cleared after his eligibility was in limbo. He was expelled from his previous school. Big man

RANKINGS

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xpectations for the m e n’s b a s ke t b a l l team are high in Raleigh and around the ACC, no doubt due to the talent that the Wolfpack has returning as well as coming in. Second-year head coach Mark Gottfried’s squad is loaded with talent at both the front and backcourt positions, returning four starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team and welcoming three McDonald’s All-Americans into the fold. In the backcourt, junior Lorenzo Brown will start at point guard. The 6 -5 inch Brown averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 assists per game last season; he led the ACC in steals with 1.8 per game. Backing him up is freshman Tyler Lewis, who played at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy and is one of State’s highly-touted trio of freshman recruits. Lewis averaged an astounding 7.9 assists per game in his senior year, and his presence leaves the Pack in good hands should Brown encounter foul trouble or health problems. The starter at shooting guard will likely be another freshman, Rodney Purvis. A Raleigh native, Purvis is State’s most celebrated recruit of the class. He averaged 26.1 points and 6.7 rebounds during his senior season at Upper Room Christian Academy and has a great chance to make an immediate impact. Purvis, Brown and Lewis are the only three eligible scholarship players listed as guards on the roster. LSU transfer Ralston Turner, also a shooting guard,

will sit out this season per NCA A transfer regula tions. It’s possible Brown will move over to shooting guard at times when Lewis is in the game. Senior Scott Wood will be the starter at small forward. Undoubtedly the team’s best pure shooter, Wood appears ready to step up as one of the team’s senior leaders and fill the void left by the graduation of C.J. Williams and Alex Johnson. “I’m just trying to let my voice be heard,” Wood said. “I’m not one to get in someone’s face out on the court. I’m here to make sure we stay on the right track.” Wood averaged 12.4 points per game in 201112 and made 95 threepointers, the second best single-season total in N.C. State history. He also set a Wolfpack single-season record for free-throw percentage at 90.7 percent. Despite the unexpected loss of DeShawn Painter, who transferred to Old Dominion, State still has a lot of talent down low. The two frontcourt starters will be between junior C.J. Leslie, senior Richard Howell and freshman forward T.J. Warren, who started in the Pack’s exhibition against Belmont Abby. The 6-9 inch Leslie developed nicely in his sophomore season, leading the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game. Howell, who stands at 6 foot 8 inches, averaged 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds last season, despite being constantly plagued by foul trouble. The team will also look to

him as one of the team’s senior leaders this season, though he is staying humble about it. “I do consider myself a leader, but everyone is a leader,” Howell said. “It’s a team full of leaders. We’ve got 12 guys who deserve to be heard.” State’s final freshman is the 6-8 Warren, a Durham native who played for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He led Brewster to a 33-1 record and the National Prep Championship last season. Warren has looked very sharp in preseason practice and should benefit greatly from playing under Leslie and Howell. Frontcourt reserves include 7 foot 1 inch redshirt junior Jordan Vandenberg, who missed all but seven games last season due to a shoulder injury, and 6 foot 8 inch sophomore Thomas de Thaey, who averaged 1.2 points per game in limited action. The team will be counting on Vandenberg, de Thaey and Warren to provide depth against bruising ACC foes like Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. Two walk- ons, senior Jay Lewis and sophomore fan-favorite Staats Battle, round out the Wolfpack roster. State was picked first overall in the ACC in this season’s preseason poll and is ranked sixth in ESPN’s preliminary rankings. With the talent the Wolfpack has in the starting five and in the backcourt, it’s not hard to see why.

2012 • RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Talent packed roster ready to make waves

6 RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW • 2012

All-American trio ready to invade Raleigh STORY BY NOLAN EVANS | PHOTO BY KATHERINE HOKE

he Wolfpack is returning four starters who each averaged double digits in scoring and made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament last season for the first time since the 2004-05 season. If that isn’t enough to excite Wolfpack fans, throw in a trio of freshmen who were McDonald’s All-Americans in high school—the first time three players who earned the honor have ever come to State in the same class. Rodney Purvis is the most highly touted player of the Pack’s 2012 recruiting class. The 6-3 guard is explosive on the offensive end. He is a skilled passer and has great vision at the point. He also has the ability to score a lot of points. His astonishing athletic abilities were a major factor in him being picked as the preseason ACC freshman of the year by the media and ACC coaches. Joining Purvis in the backcourt is Tyler Lewis. At 5-11, Lewis doesn’t look like your ideal ACC point guard. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for in competitiveness and vision to distribute the ball to his teammates. He isn’t expected to be a big-time scoring threat, but he has a smooth jump shot that will likely make a few appearances each game. Forward T.J. Warren caps off the freshman class for NCSU. Warren’s father, Tony, played for the Wolfpack from 1977 to 1979 under Norm Sloan. If Warren shows intensity on the court this season, expect him to contribute immediately as a major scorer. Standing at 6 foot 8 inches, his range should allow him to become a major presence on the wing as well as under the basket. While these players each have their own impressive skill sets, they will need more than individual skill on the court to be successful this season. As is the case in any team sport, chemistry can be a key factor in judging the eventual success for a team. According to Purvis, that kind of chemistry is clearly present among the freshmen already.

“Our relationships off the court are just as good as they are on the court,” Purvis said. The rookies currently live together in the same apartment. They hang out every day, go out to the same places and play the same video games in their free time. “We don’t have a lot of free time, so we don’t have too many hobbies,” Purvis said, adding that he usually sleeps when he’s finished with practice and study hall. The off-court relationships that the players have built began prior to their days at N.C. State. Those relationships helped identify individual strengths and weaknesses. “Growing up, we played AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) all together, so we pretty much know what we can do,” Warren said. “We’ve just got to get out there together and make it happen.” The freshmen are also beginning to understand their place on the court and how to become team players. “Coach [Mark] Gottfried gave us our roles on the team and told us what we had to do,” Lewis said. “It’s going to be hard because we have so many great players, but to be a team, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I think we’ll do that because we have a group of unselfish players.” The transition from high school superstar to team player may be a difficult one to make, but another transition that could prove to be just as difficult is that which throws these young men directly into the national spotlight. The Wolfpack has received plenty of preseason exposure and is predicted to be a top-10 team nationally. “If we listen to coach Gottfried and do what he says, and get it done on the court, we can show everybody what this hype is all about,” Warren said. “We can definitely live up to expectations.”

STORY BY ROB MCLAMB | PHOTOS BY JOHN JOYNER

“We all have one goal and that’s to win a championship... I feel like if everyone plays their role we have nothing to worry about.” Richard Howell, forward

s he enters his final season in Raleigh, senior forward Richard Howell will look to develop and expand his individual game while also helping the Pack reach new heights. When he first walked on campus, Howell was not expected to see much playing time; immediately needing knee surgery before preseason practice did not help matters. His college career did not start until December of his freshman year and his play was sporadic at first. There were glimpses of the potential that had the Marietta, Ga., native listed in most analysts’ top-100 recruits lists. A doublefigure rebound game here, a game-winning basket in the NIT there, and Howell contributed somewhat to a team that was similarly mediocre. Heading into the 200910 season, then head coach Sidney Lowe singled out Howell as the most improved player from the previous campaign. The Wolfpack had high hopes and were picked by pundits to finally earn a NCAA berth for the first time in five years. Howell showed significant improvement during his sophomore season, but the year was marked by inconsistency, injuries, a failure to find cohesion, player dissension and ultimately a sub-.500 record that would cost Lowe his job. Enter the Mark Gottfried era. Gottfried and Howell were familiar with each other, as Gottfried had recruited Howell while he was in charge at Alabama. The former Crimson Tide head coach saw an outof-shape power forward and immediately set out to refine Howell’s body entering his junior season. Meanwhile, the social

work major took instant notice of the difference in attitude and atmosphere around the N.C. State basketball program after Gottfried’s arrival. “Coach Lowe, I take nothing from him,” Howell said. “He was a great coach, but obviously something wasn’t working, and I’m just grateful Coach Gottfried came in and put the pieces together and we did what we did [last season].”

not great, season”. In Howell’s final season at State, expectations are high. The Wolfpack is expected to contend for both the ACC and national titles. Howell said that, as a senior, he is better prepared to handle the high hopes and relishes the challenge. “We all have one goal and that’s to win a championship,” Howell said. “I feel like if everyone plays their role we have nothing to worry about. I’m hungry for it. I definitely feel like we can get it done.”

7 2012 • RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Richard Howell

N.C State’s progression in 2012 as a team coincided with Howell’s personal growth between his sophomore and junior seasons. Again, his fortune followed the team’s and he ended the season third in the ACC in total rebounds. The now well-conditioned power forward helped State break its NCAA drought, but there were some blemishes on the season for both Howell and the team. With five disqualifications due to fouls (Howell committed 124 fouls in 37 games) and a total of 13 losses for the season for team, the Wolfpack had what Gottfried called a “good,

8 RED: BASKETBALL PREVIEW • 2012

Transfers provide opportunity

STORY BY DANIEL NEAL

ew avid followers of men’s college bas ketball have cited any problems or potential weaknesses the Wolfpack heading into the 2012-13 campaign, but amid all the preseason hype, it’s escaped many fans’ and sports pundits’ notice that the Pack saw three players transfer away from the university over the summer. The first to transfer was Jaqawn Raymond, who played very little last season. He transferred to Middle Tennessee State University after averaging just 0.8 points and 2.6 minutes per game. His departure left the Pack a bit shallow at the shooting guard position. DeShawn Painter, one of

State’s key depth players, was the next to go, transferring to Old Dominion University. Painter played frequently, coming in to replace the foul-plagued Richard Howell. He averaged 20 minutes, 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. While much of the fan base loved having Painter as a backup player, Painter is expected to easily make the starting five for Old Dominion and will be close to his ailing grandmother. The third to go, Tyler Harris, transferred to Providence in the offseason. These three departures cut depth from the Pack b e n c h, b u t t h ey a l s o opened up a new window

for other players. Two players who will likely get more playing time with the loss of Raymond, Painter and Harris are redshirt sophomore center Jordan Vandenberg, from Melbourne, Australia, and sophomore forward Thomas de Thaey from Dendermonde, Belgium. Junior guard Lorenzo Brown predicted that Vandenberg and de Thaey will

“We have enough coming off the bench...” Jordan Vandenberg, center

surprise a lot of people this year. One of the tallest players in college basketball at 7-1 inch, Vandenberg has been largely unable to use

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his size to make a big difference on the stat sheets so far. Last year he redshirted for the year to heal a shoulder injury. Before redshirting, Vandenberg played seven games and averaged 11.9 minutes, 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. “Jordan has gotten a lot better,” Brown said. Vandenberg said he didn’t think the loss of depth would hurt the team. “We have enough coming off the bench where it shouldn’t affect us too badly,” Vandenberg said. Last year the 6 foot 8 inch de Thaey appeared in 19 games for the Pack and averaged 5.6 minutes per game. Head coach Mark Gottfried did not play de Thaey much during the season, but he is expected to come off of the bench more this year as a depth

JOHN JOYNER/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt sophomore center Jordan Vandenberg receives some coaching from head coach Mark Gottfried during the Pack’s exhibition matchup against Belmont Abby on Nov. 3.

player behind Howell and C.J. Leslie. In Europe, defined skills are valued higher than pure athleticism. The skill set he learned in Europe and his size helps make him

a better all-around player. “Thomas watching what C.J. and Richard did really influenced him,” Brown said.

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continued from page 4 Alex Len showed huge potential in his freshman c a m p a i g n, b u t n e e d s to become more of an offensive presence to pick up what was lost from Terrell Stoglin last season. If these two players are eligible and step up, head coach Mark Turgeon’s Terps will be a competitive team.

Miami – The Hurricanes have been considered by most to be a candidate for an NCAA tournament bid and is expected to finish in the top half of the league, but its recent exhibition loss to St. Leo’s has doubt lingering over South Florida. The Canes still have a top-tier guard in Durand Scott and a big body at the rim in Reggie Johnson, so head coach Jim Larranaga should have Miami back in the mix of things by the time ACC season rolls around.

Clemson – The Tigers are a very young team. It has two upperclassmen, senior for wards Devin Booker and Milton Jennings. Booker and Jennings are stocky guys who are difficult to handle close to the basket. Lack of experience could have a drastic effect on Clemson’s perimeter play, but if the Tigers are able to find a guard that can put the ball in from long-range consistently, they could be tough to beat.

Georgia Tech – Prior to the dismissal of Glen Rice, Jr. last season, the Yellow Jackets showed a lot

of promise. Unfortunately, the Jackets turned into a huge mess with its season ending in a first round 5436 loss to Miami in the ACC tournament, highlighting the importance of Rice’s gameplay. Head coach Brian Gregory has a lot of youth that could develop into a problem for some of league’s top tier teams with more experience. Freshman Robert Carter was the No. 7 power forward in the nation out of high school. If he performs at the level that he is capable of, he could help lead GT to its first winning record in ACC play since 2004.

Virginia – Losing Mike Scott is going to take a major toll on the Cavaliers. Scott dominated the offensive end of the court for UVA and is the biggest factor in the team’s conference success. Head coach Tony Bennet t is returning most of the role players that were around Scott, but it’s difficult to say if anyone will be able to step up to his level and lead the Cavs to a winning ACC record.

Boston College – BC had the ACC’s youngest roster last season in terms of playing time, granted the Eagles had six freshmen that frequently saw playing time. All six members of last year’s freshman class are returning this season. With a year of college ball under their belts, expect improved gameplay from Boston College. Don’t expect it to be competitive against top-25 opponents, however.

V i r g i n i a Te c h – Senior guard Erick Green stood out for the Hokies in Seth Greenberg’s final season in Blacksburg, averaging 15.6 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. Green is the lone scholarship senior on this year’s roster and it’s difficult to say who Greene will have to work with on the court. At first glance, this season looks like it could end in disaster for first-year head coach James Johnson.

Wake Forest – Guard C.J. Harris, an AllACC pick last season, is the Demon Deacons’ lone scholarship senior on a roster that features 10 freshmen. Junior Travis Mc K ie prov ides some measurable presence in the frontcourt, but with an overabundanc e of freshmen on a team that lost by an average of 9.6 points per game against conference opponents last season, head coach Jeff Bzdelik may be on the hot seat in Winston-Salem.

2012 ACC PRESEASON RANKINGS: 1. N.C. State 2. Duke 3. North Carolina 4. Miami 5. Florida State 6. Maryland 7. Virginia 8. Clemson 9. Georgia Tech 10. Virginia Tech 11. Wake Forest 12. Boston College SOURCE: THE BALTIMORE SUN

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