Head basketball coach Mark Gottfried and members of the 2013-2014 men’s basketball program met with media Monday to discuss the upcoming season, one day before opening up fall camp.
With the departures of Calvin Leslie, Scott Wood, Richard Howell and Tyler Purvis, the Pack will only return one starter this upcoming season—sophomore forward T.J. Warren.
The sophomore swingman averaged 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 27 minutes in his freshman campaign with State.
“I think T.J. [Warren] has spent the spring, summer and fall working extremely hard,” Gottfried said. “He’s been in the gym as much as anybody. He’s been with our strength coach Bob Alejo as much as anybody, and he’s a very dedicated guy that wants to have a great year.”
Along with Warren, sophomore guard Tyler Lewis and redshirt senior center Jordan Vandenberg will return to the Wolfpack lineup.
Lewis played in 34 games, starting two and averaged 12.4 minutes of play. Vandenberg averaged 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per contest last season.
After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer regulations, redshirt junior forward Ralston Turner will see his first action for the Red and White this season.
Turner started 32 games in his final season with Louisiana State University, averaging 9.1 points, 3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
State landed three four-star recruits, Anthony “Cat” Barber, Beejay Anya and Kyle Washington, one three-start, Lennard Freeman, and transfers, Desmond Lee and Trevor Lacey during the off-season.
Lacey, a transfer from Alabama, will sit out during the upcoming season due to NCAA transfer regulations.
“The young guys are eager, anxious and they’ve worked really hard to this point,” Gottfried said. “I think our team can learn how to become a good defensive team. We’ve got a lot of young guys that have to really understand what it takes at this level and how to defend at this level.”
Coming off a season where the program was picked to finish atop the ACC and in the top-10 nationally, the upcoming season’s expectations will be vastly different.
Gottfried said despite the low expectations for this year’s squad, the team has embraced the role.
“I think they like the fact, and that they hear and read, the expectations for them not to be very good,” Gottfried said. “Quite frankly, they like the challenge behind that.”
State will showcase its talent Oct. 18 at the annual Primetime with the Pack game at PNC Arena before taking on UNC-Pembroke in the team’s first exhibition match, in historical Reynolds Coliseum.
The team’s first regular season matchup will come against Appalachian State at PNC Arena on Nov. 8.
“We do have a young team, an inexperienced team,” Gottfried said. “My goal is to find some way to get to the NCAA tournament.”