Casey Morsell: "This Team Will Be Different but Dangerous"
NC State guard Casey Morsell met with the media during the 2023 ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte, N.C. to discuss the Wolfpack’s upcoming season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Morsell’s breakout interview. A selected transcript is provided below.
“I’ve improved my ball-handling and play-making. I’ve got to be on the ball and make more plays this year. Of course, I’ve got to build on what I do well which is shooting and defense. I’ve definitely added that to my game, and it all started with Dennis Parker. I’ve been playing a lot of basketball. I was everywhere in Raleigh playing pickup all summer. That was pretty much my workout, constantly keeping the ball hot in my hand.”
“It’s been great. Everyone’s different. Everyone’s adjusting differently. The transfers are learning fast. We’re creating a culture where they’re always playing. I’m always playing pickup. Anytime I call one of those guys to come in to play one-on-one, they’re always quick to answer and want to come in to get better. That’s the foundation. Now, those guys have to keep building on what they did in the summer.”
“D.J. Horne’s great. Dennis Parker’s impressive. Jayden Taylor, everyone knows what he’s done at Butler. Those guys are valuable weapons, especially on the offensive end. Jayden’s an extreme two-way player. That’s what this program needs, especially with the players we lost. This team will definitely be different, but it’s going to be dangerous.”
“It takes time [to find the team’s identity], and it takes time off the court. When you have a large group of transfers, everyone’s different. Everyone has different values. Everyone’s used to different things. Just getting to know who they are as people, it becomes easier to direct them and guide them because you figure out what they like and don’t like in terms of the game. That’s what it was for the group last year with Jack [Clark], Jarkel [Joiner], D.J. [Burns], and Dusan [Mahorcic]. Those guys, we have strong relationships off the court still to this day.”
“Like I said, it all starts with figuring out who they are as people. There are a lot of different things. There’s a lot of different personalities. They’re workaholics. They love working and putting the work in. It’s one of those things with our culture. Iron sharpens iron. It’s easier to hash this out."