Logan LaBo
Freshman guard Markell Johnson shields the ball from a Lynn Univserity player. Johnson took four shots during the game and made three. NC State beat Lynn University 100-66 on Thursday at PNC Arena.
After a 2015 season characterized by lack of depth, the NC State men’s basketball team is loaded with experience and talent in the backcourt.
This season, head coach Mark Gottfried has a plethora of options at point guard and at the wing compared to last year. Highly touted freshman Dennis Smith Jr. and redshirt sophomore Torin Dorn are both eligible after sitting out all of last season. Redshirt senior Terry Henderson is back for one more campaign coming off a missed season in 2015-16 due to injury. Freshmen Markell Johnson and Spencer Newman also have been added to the mix to bolster the Pack’s depth at the guard position.
Dorn and Henderson both represent solid options at the wing, while Smith Jr. will play the point in Gottfried’s offense. Johnson figures to contribute solid minutes both off the ball and as the backup point guard, a role that was absent from the team last season. Newman could also play his way into the back end of the rotation as a 3-point specialist when needed.
“I think it’s a big impact,” said junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu. “I grab a rebound and I see anybody who has a good step on anybody, I can throw it. This year, we’re versatile enough where I can outlet the ball to anybody, and I can trust it.”
Starting point guard and consensus five-star recruit Smith Jr. can drive and create opportunities on the offensive end while also using his athleticism as shutdown defender. Getting the ball into his hands to create opportunities for him and the rest of the team will be key for the Pack.
As a freshman at UNC-Charlotte, Dorn averaged 12.0 points per game and shot 34 percent from 3-point range and 51 percent overall on his way to earning Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors for the 2014-15 season. With Gottfried’s offense lacking a go-to perimeter threat last season, Dorn has a chance to cement himself in the starting lineup if he can display his above-average three-point stroke and ability to get to the rim on a consistent basis.
“[Dorn’s] role is going to be important for this team,” Gottfried said.
Another perimeter threat is Henderson. In two seasons at West Virginia, he shot 44 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 9.9 PPG in 57 games before transferring to NC State. Last year, Henderson spent nearly the entire season sidelined with an ankle injury but will be one of the Pack’s main scoring threats, especially from long range.
With freshman center Omer Yurtseven suspended for nine games to start the season, the Wolfpack will be forced to utilize a more guard-heavy lineup in the first part of the nonconference schedule. Depending on freshman forward Ted Kapita’s eligibility for the upcoming season, Abu and senior BeeJay Anya will be the main frontcourt options in the early going.
“I think that we’ll have the opportunity to play small a lot,” Gottfried said. “And when we do play small we’ll have four guards in the lineup.”
State will need to rely on its added guard depth beyond Yurtseven’s suspension to live up to high expectations this year. A four-guard lineup with Abu down low would give the Pack a significant advantage on the perimeter and in athleticism.
Last season, Cat Barber was the top offensive player for the Pack, playing 38.7 minutes per game and averaging a team-high 23.5 PPG. Much of the Wolfpack’s offense depended on Barber’s ability to create his own scoring opportunities from isolation situations. Despite the loss of Barber to the NBA Draft, State should be able to replace his production with the additions in the backcourt.
“Last year we did a lot of waiting,” Abu said of the offense. “We wanted to get Cat the ball to set up the offense.”
In the team’s first exhibition against Lynn University, Gottfried started with Smith Jr., Dorn, Henderson, sophomore Maverick Rowan and Abu as the lone big man in the lineup, an indication that small ball may be the way of the foreseeable future for the Wolfpack.
With a smaller lineup, Abu’s rebounding will need to improve to make up for the lack of another true big man on the floor.
“I’ve got to rebound at a higher clip than I’m used to,” Abu said. “You got four guards. I can’t leave it up to chance anymore, so my mindset is just to go get it.”
The Pack’s success this season will depend on the play of guards like Dorn, Henderson, Smith Jr. and Johnson while Abu works down low. With added versatility and depth at both the point and shooting guard positions, look for a more up-tempo and exciting Wolfpack offense with several capable go-to scorers in the backcourt.