Gottfried’s Wolfpack will have work cut out for them next year

14-15 Basketball ACC75

While I expect next year’s version Mark Gottfried’s NC State Basketball to be pretty good, the Wolfpack isn’t going to have an easy path to returning to the upper half of the ACC and a fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. As I’ve looked around the projected landscape of college basketball in 2014-2015 (link here) it looks like the ACC is going to be signifcantly improved from last season.

Some preseason Top 10’s include as many as three ACC teams in Duke, UNC and Virginia.

Joe Lunardi’s preseason Bracketology projects a very deep league as he currently has 8 ACC teams projected in next year’s NCAA Tournament with NC State as one of the “Last Four Out”.

As we discussed in some previous entries, the Wolfpack’s fortunes next year could still be signficantly impacted by potential incoming transfers such a 5th year senior contributor at the point guard position.

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Home › Forums › Gottfried’s Wolfpack will have work cut out for them next year

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  • 04/14/2014 at 8:50 AM #51097
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    While I expect next year’s version Mark Gottfried’s NC State Basketball to be pretty good, the Wolfpack isn’t going to have an easy path to returning
    [See the full post at: Gottfried’s Wolfpack will have work cut out for them next year]

    04/14/2014 at 9:18 AM #51099
    Rick
    Keymaster

    The ACC looks to be brutal next year and another year of meh defense isn’t going to cut it because I do not beleive we will score like we have the past few years.

    I think we need several things to go right to be a good team and a lot of things to go right to be real good and even then I doubt we can be better than 5th.

    04/14/2014 at 9:35 AM #51102
    Pack85EE
    Participant

    So looking at the links,
    These 5 were listed in top 25
    Duke, UNC, VA, Syracuse, Louisville
    These 3 also predicted in the Tourney.
    Pitt, Clemson, FSU

    Things can change a bit before November so I think I can move on to football now.

    04/14/2014 at 10:02 AM #51103
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    It will be an interesting year for sure. So many unknowns. I really have no idea how we will fare, though my hunch is we will be middle of the road which could put us in bubble territory again.

    Jabari Parker is making his decision on whether to return this week. If he does, the Devils will be extremely tough to beat. And Paige returns to UNC. He’ll average close to 30. Not sure about Cuse and Lville.

    04/14/2014 at 11:00 AM #51108
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    I don’t buy the premise one bit.

    A monster ACC would only help us. More potential for quality wins and a solid RPI. Plus, competition makes you better – especially in preparation for tourney play.

    The three teams Lunardi’s dumb ass has in the dance ahead of us don’t scare me one iota.

    My prediction and expectation line remains the same for the 2014-15 Wolfpack – a 7 seed or better in the NCAAT. Then, we’ll see what we can do about making another run.

    Meh defense will be greatly helped just by WBS and Vandy leaving, plus another year of physical and intellectual maturation for Cat and the young bigs.

    04/14/2014 at 12:44 PM #51110
    packalum44
    Participant

    If I was an AZ State fan I may mock us as we mock them…Gott’s 4th year and we are pre-season 9th!! That’s a very fair assessment btw.

    I know most folks on here use pre-season media expectations as a benchmark so when we finish 7th or 8th and squeeze into the dance we can rejoice for beating expectations.

    We’ll still be mocked by AZ State fans while we pat each other on the back.

    04/14/2014 at 12:53 PM #51112
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    9th in the ACC and 9th in the PacWhatever are vastly different things.

    04/14/2014 at 1:12 PM #51113
    tractor57
    Participant

    Similar things were said last off season and before Gott’s first season. Actually I would rather have this than writers blowing smoke up our assets. I suspect the defense will be somewhat improved both from a better talent level on defense and a year’s experience for those who will be playing the bulk of the minutes. I have always followed the mantra to be the best beat the best. Sometimes painful to get there but once you do …

    04/14/2014 at 1:41 PM #51114
    Daniel_Simpson_Day
    Participant

    What life changing event has taken place to convert BJD from chicken little to the little engine that could?! Some sirens love up your buddy Pete and turn him into a horny toad?

    04/14/2014 at 4:16 PM #51122
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    Beej no be no Little Chicken, mon. He be a chicken slaya, Mojo Mon.

    04/14/2014 at 5:12 PM #51126
    PapaWolf
    Participant

    “If I was an AZ State fan ….”

    Really? What’s it been, five years of Sid and three of Gott? Eight years and still thinking about Sendek and/or AZ State?

    04/14/2014 at 5:52 PM #51129
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    … same scenario next season as this past one… baring any catastrophes…

    Pack starts out slow… with flashes of individual brilliance and more than a few WTF moments…
    Jan-Feb… win some we should, lose some we shouldn’t against the our peers..
    We go one, maybe two for whatever against the Big Five…
    We get a dance ticket… but… no hats…

    When it’s all over…. TEAM GOTT moves UP another notch…

    These Cats are in the Bag…

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    04/14/2014 at 6:52 PM #51132
    packalum44
    Participant

    Over/Under 1.5 Martin twins will transfer before 4 years?

    04/14/2014 at 6:58 PM #51133
    Gowolves
    Participant

    StateFans nation please tell me when you rid us of PA44, aka UNC troll. I will pour a round for every state fan.

    04/14/2014 at 7:44 PM #51134
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    He ain’t no Unx troll, Gowolves.

    He’s the nephew of good peeps from my neck of the woods. Italian.

    And you thought I was an arrogant prick.

    LOL.

    04/14/2014 at 8:10 PM #51138
    13OT
    Participant

    It’s very early, but………

    The ACC, excluding State, BC, GT and Clemson, will be decidedly better next season. The Blues will simply reload with top-level recruiting classes coming in. A mediocre Maryland program will be replaced by Louisville. ‘Nuff said there.

    Syracuse will still be Syracuse, and Pitt is a program on the rise. I think FSU should be about as good, and Miami should be a little better with more experience. So should VT and WF, who have jettisoned two awful coaches. They CAN’T be as bad next season.

    GT and Clemson don’t seem to be going anywhere with their current coaches. I think Gott is better than those two, but we were a mediocre team last season, and we just lost the ACC’s POY plus our point guard.

    I hope I’m wrong here, but the only 7th seed we’ll get is in the ACCT, and I honestly don’t think we’ll be .500 in the league.

    04/14/2014 at 8:14 PM #51139
    redisgood
    Participant
      I guess that just goes to show even good peeps can spawn whiny bitches.
    04/14/2014 at 8:28 PM #51140
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    ^
    It’s not always Mom’s fault.

    Well…there is Harrow.

    04/14/2014 at 8:32 PM #51141
    Gowolves
    Participant

    So true.

    04/14/2014 at 8:37 PM #51142
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    GT and Clemson don’t seem to be going anywhere with their current coaches.

    Brownell actually did a fine job this year. The Tiggers came close, and whipped our tail. Finished a game ahead of us. They play excellent D.

    Gregory is another story.

    Both Wake and VT will be much better, for sure.

    04/14/2014 at 11:16 PM #51144
    packalum44
    Participant

    Too bad all the UNC trolls out there can’t be in the Chancellors circle before they hit 30. We might not actually have such a poor under-endowed school and program and perhaps most importantly it would imply we have successful alumni who are used to winning in life and know losers, literally and figuratively, when they see em’.

    Only 3,264 of us. How sad. http://giving.ncsu.edu/supporting-nc-state/annual-giving/chancellors-circle/

    I have a feeling we can recycle the title of this thread next year…and year after…and…well Groundhog Day is a good movie to Wolfpack fans b/c we commiserate.

    04/15/2014 at 12:33 AM #51146
    Alpha Wolf
    Keymaster

    I would wait until the conference schedule comes out before writing us off.

    As it stands now, I like the potential of this team — last year’s freshmen will have more experience, they’ll be one year stronger and they’ll also know what they are up against.

    We have good talent coming in as freshmen and we have some depth coming in the guard position that will give us two good options at point and wing.

    Nope, this is not a legitimate ACC regular season champion caliber team, but it will be one that’s very competitive and barring injuries, should make the tournament.

    As for Lunardi, he gave us zero chance of making the tournament last year, and while it was by the hair on our chins, we did get in.

    We’ll see, but I am not going to spend the summer moaning about a glass half empty.

    04/15/2014 at 9:14 AM #51151
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Sometimes painful to get there but once you do …

    Been a Pack fan for a good long while now (20+ years) and still waiting. I’ve had much more pain than joy. I understand it is a process. And Gott may or may not have what it takes. So I will keep waiting. That’s all one can do.

    04/15/2014 at 11:32 AM #51154
    Tau837
    Participant

    Pros:

    1. State will have its deepest roster in many years. I can’t remember the last State team that was deeper in terms of talent. We have as many as 10 players who can positively contribute in the projected rotation, and that is without Graham.

    2. Part of this depth is the incoming freshmen, but we should not be in position of having to start or heavily depend on any of them, barring injuries or unexpected departures.

    3. Gott and staff have shown a propensity to help players improve year over year (Leslie, Brown, Howell, Warren, Vandenburg). That, particularly combined with the four rising freshmen, provides optimism for improvement in the returning players.

    4. State’s defense should be at least marginally improved with the departure of Lewis and Vandenburg and the expected year over year improvement mentioned above.

    5. Lacey is eligible and should be a big part of replacing Warren’s scoring. He also should be a better outside shooter than Warren, creating the possibility of multiple good 3 point shooters on the floor at once, something we haven’t had in Gott’s tenure so far. That, in turn, could help open up some space for post players and penetration.

    6. Turner should be more effective getting most/all of his minutes at SF rather than SG.

    Cons:

    1. The ACC will be stronger. That is true just with Louisville replacing Maryland, without projecting any year over year improvement for other teams.

    2. Warren was a truly great player and will obviously be missed.

    That’s all I really have for cons. And even those are mitigated to some degree.

    I don’t see any ACC teams other than Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Louisville, and UVA as being clearly better than State on paper. Other teams like Miami, Virginia Tech, etc. may improve, but so should State improve. I see no reason State cannot compete for finishing 5th or 6th in conference.

    Warren’s loss will be a big loss, but I predict the growth of the roster and team will result in State (a) scoring more points per game next season AND (b) allowing fewer points per game next season. If those things happen, the team will have absorbed Warren’s departure just fine.

    04/15/2014 at 12:21 PM #51156
    redisgood
    Participant

    I honestly don’t know how good or bad we will be next year. I am encouraged that we will have a lineup that is talented and 10 deep. Even moreso if we get Devonte. Solid guards, solid wing players, and solid big men. 7 of the 10 will have at least one year of experience under their belt, and from what I can tell, all ten are willing to play their asses off night in and night out.

    Like Alpha says, we will know more once we see an actual schedule, and also once the NBA declaration deadline passes later this month.

    Whatever opinions there are of Gott, he has built a talented, deep roster for next year. A 2nd PG and a true center would be nice to have, but even without those we appear to be well positioned for the coming season.

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