PACK HOOPS OBSERVATIONS: The Last Rehearsals
The last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful for Wolfpack fans. Since December 2nd there has only been two games played, so Coach Keatts has been able to take some time to tune up his squad.
With that being said, NC State is about to enter a one-week stretch where they will play their final three tune-ups before the conference season begins.
Record-wise, the team is probably on par with what most expected. In terms of on-court performance, most are probably pleased with what they see. I think the ceiling of this team has yet to be determined and making the Big Dance is certainly in the realm of possibility. Whether or not that happens will be decided by a few key factors.
How Big of a Leap Does Abdul-Malik Abu Take?
Abu has only appeared in four games this season after suffering a knee injury prior to the start of the year. Over those four games, he has only been able to play about 15 minutes a night. He should have been given the opportunity to rest up over the last couple weeks and hopefully pushes forward in the recovery process.
While on the floor he hasn't flashed the athleticism we are used to seeing from him. That is completely understandable, but you would like to see some of that come back as he gets more comfortable and better conditioned. I honestly feel like these next few games will be telling as to what trajectory Abu's season will take. Do not expect him to be "back," but if there are marked improvements in his game then that is an extremely positive sign for this team.
The other big question is how does this affect the rotation that we have seen this season?
Ultimately it will most likely mean that one of Omer Yurtseven/Lennard Freeman see slightly less minutes a game then the do right now. Also, they have the option of playing Torin Dorn slightly more on the wing (which would allow Al Freeman to stay a little fresher).
Ultimately nothing but positive things will come from having a healthy Abu on the court. It will be interesting to see how the next week shakes out for him and the team.
Can Pack Improve Perimeter Shooting?
Coming into this season, no one expected NC State to be a great shooting team overall. However, the hope was that they would be able to have at least one guy on the court who would be a knockdown guy for you at all times. So far this year that just hasn't been the case.
Through 10 games State is ranked 277th in the nation in 3-point shooting, averaging 6.4 made three-pointers a game. Simply put, the guys you expected to make shots for this team aren't seeing them go in consistently.
Take Al Freeman for example. In his three seasons at Baylor he was consistently around 38% from deep on a good volume. So far this season he is shooting just 24.5% on a similar volume.
On a positive note, Al Freeman is still the same guy. 10 games is a fairly small sample, and it is logical to assume that as he continues to shoot he will start to approach his average. But he could also help himself out by looking for a few more catch-and-shoot opportunities.
At the end of the day they just need guys to step up, make shots, and stretch the floor. For this team to hit the goals they have set for themselves that is what needs to happen. Sam Hunt has a great looking shot, and it may be wise to find more ways to get him open.
I will be intrigued to see if Omer Yurtseven expands his perimeter role as the season goes on. He has only attempted seven three-pointers, but he has made six. Personally I think the form is there and would love to see him shoot that shot a little more often.
Speaking of Omer….
Will the Emergence Of Yurtseven Continue?
Omer Yurtseven's flaws last year were apparent.
He had little to no physicality to his game, he looked tentative with his moves on the offensive end, and he wasn't able to impact games over substantial periods. The first couple games of this season had me worried that he was in for a similar experience… then NC State went to the Bahamas.
It is amazing to see what a little bit of confidence can do to a kid's game. He is really starting to flash. He looks assertive with the ball on the block and has shown the ability to finish over both his left and right shoulder. He still isn't overly physical, but you can see he isn't shying away as much as he previously has.
Even with a couple of poor performances early he is averaging 12 points and seven rebounds in right at 20 minutes a night. That is extremely efficient. Couple that with the fact that he is also the teams leading shot-blocker and you have some really impressive stuff going on.
You can see the pieces coming together and in my opinion he is probably someone who you want to see start to receive an increased workload. It's not to say that he should dominate the minutes split going forward, but I would imagine it starts leaning more heavily his way.
Parting Shot
Ultimately it will be interesting to see what happens over the next 3 games.
It will be the last chance for Coach Keatts to experiment with changes before league play, and the last chance for the team to get into a rhythm before the real tests start.