Go Straight to Basketball

Can we just skip NC State football this year and go straight to Basketball?

Football

Now is the time of year I usually start getting excited about football. Not so much this year.

Going back to last season - there were all sorts of low key but persistent talk about it being State's breakout year. Seven and five would be the absolute minimum. Even 8 - 4, 9 - 3 or better was talked about as an expectation - by the players no less. Football teams (kids) don't talk that kind of talk unless they get it from their coaches.

Winning the first four cupcake games by A LOT only fueled expectations.

I drank the Kool Aid.

We ended up 7 - 5; barely. And lost (deservedly) our bowl game. Overall record: 7 - 6.

This year, we trade two cupcake games for EZU and Notre Dame. Also, we exchange a weak ACC team for Miami.

We'll have an improved team over last year - but we should expect a 6 - 6 hard won record. Any misstep like a road game loss to EZU or Syracuse - and we're having a losing season.

Still a young team - but getting better.

Playing Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame who are solidly in the elite realm - and UNCheats, Miami and Louisville - solidly in the very, very good category - we'd have to upset someone to do better than break even.

It's a numbers game. You have to have a bunch of 3, 4 and 5 star recruits to get even with the Cheats and Louisville. It takes dozens of star recruits to get to the Clemson, FSU, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State level.

A lot of goodwill in the Wolfpack Club got burned up last year with all the over optimistic talk and expectations.

Coach Doeren has his work cut out for him.

Basketball

Man - what a roller coaster with NC State's Basketball team this spring.

State had a disappointing year. We finished 16 - 17. First losing season for Coach Gott.

Our star transfer guard had a season ending injury in the first half of the very first game. That put all the work on Cat Barber. Malik-Abu stepped up and started becoming the power forward he always had the chance to be.

All the other players worked hard and put their hearts into every game.

Actually - I had a ton of fun watching our 'Fair to OK to Good' players go toe to toe with Dook and UNCheats and Louisville and Virginia. We were always out-matched - but never outplayed.

Basketball Coaches

Assistant Coach Rob Moxley had 3 strokes and went into cardiac arrest. He's moved to an administrative job - Director of Player Personnel. Butch Pierrre is Moxley's replacement.

First among equals Assistant Coach Bobby Lutz was also moved out and over to an administrative job. Still don't know why. Heath Schroyer is his replacement.

Of Gott's initial hires - Orlando Earley is now considered to be the first among three equal Assistant Coaches.

The Director of Strength and Conditioning was fired and replaced. Again - no one knows why exactly. Maybe he let BeeJay keep sneaking back into the buffet line?

Basketball Players

Cat Barber turned pro as expected.

Totally unexpected were the Martin Twins transferring (to Nevada). Coach Gott was clearly surprised.

Then Malik-Abu decided to test the NBA waters. While unexpected - that was really a smart move. He leaned what the pros think he needs to work on to play his way into the NBA draft - this year or next.

BeeJay did likewise. LOL

BJ needs to set his sights on playing some European ball (after he graduates) and then look for a coaching career. Then again - who knows what's possible? Dream the Dream BJ - Dream the Dream.

We had one - ONE - solid recruit. Point guard Dennis Smith. Albeit a top 10 recruit.

And that was it.

With all the coaching changes and sudden transfers - in April it looked like the wheels were coming off the bus.

And now, not quite three short months later, it's June -

Somehow, someway - Coach Gott must know what he's doing.

The new Assistant Coaches (and Gott) hit the ground running. As of Friday - NC State has 5 multi-star rated recruits coming in this year. (Two likely 'one and done' NBA draft picks)

In one fell swoop - we will have gone from a team with one Superstar Player (Cat), a developing GOOD player (Malik-Abu) the rest of the OK starters and NO bench to a team with all five projected starters being highly recruited Superstar Players - plus Abu. Heck, a couple of our highly rated recruits are going to be on the bench.

This kind of thing is normal for places like Dook, Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville and so on.

It's going to be a first for NC State.

Every year Coach Gott has always had several highly rated players considering State - but they always end up somewhere else, except for the occasional Cat Barber.

This year - the recruits decided to come to State. We even got a late 'ranked' recruit out of nowhere just Friday (yesterday). WTF?

So - we know Coach Gott can get average to good players to play their hearts out. Can Gott be a Coach K and get a team full of egos to play together?

We'll see.

State Basketball is going to be fun this year.

Notes

Here's the national Basketball recruiting class rankings - http://247sports.com/Season/2016-Basketball/CompositeTeamRankings

And the same recruiting rankings - just for the ACC - http://247sports.com/Season/2016-Basketball/CompositeTeamRankings?Conference=ACC

This is NOT where the teams are projected to be ranked - just this years recruiting class.

Here's a link to State's projected football season - http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=152&year=2016