RAPID FIRE: Abdul-Malik Abu

NC State senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu answers six rapid-fire questions with the Wolfpack's season opener looming.

When you look back at your time, what stands out as the important moments for you as a person and player?
The biggest thing that's resonated with me is being here with the fans, the culture, the whole Triangle area.  I've grown from a child to an older adult now.  It's good to come back and see the growth in how long I've been here.

What was the main reason to come back?
Partially, I have a lot of unfinished business, and with coach Keatts coming in, he's bringing in a new era and new culture for us.

This is an experience for me... I have the opportunity to play under another coach and see different ideas, ideologies, and different ways to go about things.

I'm hoping everything is beneficial for me.

How did coach Keatts win you over and get you to come back?
It was moreso about coming back and handling unfinished business.  I feel like with the pieces we've brought back and the system he's bringing in, I was very confident that we'd be good.

Can you outline some of the differences in the culture?
Everything is set to have a winning mindset. We're setting winning goals and we're going out in practice to try and do everything as winners would.

Why do you feel you guys will exceed expectations?
We're going to put the work in, and I'm confident that coach Keatts is going to have us prepared.

Would it mean a lot to leave this in the best possible situation?
Definitely. I'll be leaving, and I'll pass the torch to somebody else here. You'll see a bunch of fresh faces in the future.

I just want to make sure I leave NC State better than when I came.