North Carolina State Wolfpack (15-16, 5-11)
Projected starting five:
So. G Lorenzo Brown
Sr. G C.J. Williams
Jr. G Scott Wood
So. F C.J. Leslie
Jr. F Richard Howell
Important departures:
Coach Sidney Lowe: 86-78 overall record, 25-55 ACC record in five seasons at NC State.
Tracy Smith: 14.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.9 apg
Ryan Harrow: 9.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.3 apg
Javier Gonzalez: 5.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.3 apg
Percent returning scoring and rebounding:
Scoring: 66.4 percent
Rebounding: 80.6 percent
Additions:
Tyler Harris, No. 135 Rivals.com and ESPNU four-star small forward from Newark, N.J.
Schedule highlights:
Best non-conference game: vs. Vanderbilt in East Rutherford, N.J.
Toughest conference stretch: Feb. 16-21 (at Duke, vs. Florida State, vs. North Carolina)
Outlook:
Mark Gottfried steps in to Raleigh to take over for Sidney Lowe, who never got his talented recruits to compete with the other Triangle powerhouses at the top of the ACC standings. Lucky for Gottfriend, he takes over some excellent players who will provide some excitement at the RBC Center.
Sophomore C.J. Leslie and junior Richard Howell could emerge as two of the best players in the paint in the conference. Howell was extraordinarily efficient last season even though he was primarily a reserve player. On the other hand, Leslie had high expectations from the start, and the slashing forward backed up the hype with 11.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg. He could be a double-double machine this season if he takes some strides between his freshman and sophomore years.
