Healthy Thornton adds to heightened expectations at State

For the last two years, North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek has had to endure a recurring nightmare: start the season with loads of talent and high expectations, then watch as injuries decimate your corps, reducing you to a handful of scholarship players and some walk-ons.

Throw out your playbook and adapt your weakened squad to a slow-it-down, walk-it-up style that saves your team's energy and allows you to possibly pull out a game in the closing minutes. Watch one of your most talented players, Damon Thornton, go down early with an injury, forcing your guards to step it up.

As the start of this season draws nearer, Sendek knows that once again, his lineup is stocked with weapons. All he can do is pray that the nightmare comes to an end, that a team with so much potential can finally stay healthy enough to answer the question that has been posed so often in recent seasons: "Can you imagine just how good State could be if they would only avoid the injuries?"

Coming off of a 17-15 season, including a 5-11 record in the ACC and a loss in the second round of the NIT Tournament, expectations are nonetheless pretty high for the Wolfpack this season.

"I hope people aren't thinking too much about us so we can sneak up on teams and surprise them a little bit," junior guard Justin Gainey said. "But I doubt that'll happen. Everybody knows that we have a potent team. We've got a real strong frontcourt with Damon back in. We're going to get him the ball. And then when they double down, he'll kick it back out and we'll make the shots."

The center of all of the expectations will once again be Thornton, a player with the potential for a breakout year who has nonetheless been forced to watch most of the previous two seasons from the bench. During his freshman year, a leg injury caused Thornton to miss the final six weeks of the season. Then last year, Thornton broke his foot and played in only three games. Now, as a redshirt sophomore, questions linger about his ability to avoid injury and realize his potential.

"In the beginning it was a little awkward, but now I'm good," Thornton said. "There's no pain. I think the little bit of rust I had is kind of wearing off and hopefully by the time I start playing games that really mean something, I'll be ready."

Sendek is confident that Thornton will be back at full strength for this season.

Joining Thornton in the frontcourt is Kenny Inge, a 6-8 sophomore who was an ACC All-Freshman honoree last season. He led the team in rebounding while scoring 11 points per game, the highest for any returning player at State.

"I think Kenny's had a productive offseason; I think he's gotten stronger," Sendek said. "He continues to develop all aspects of his game. As a freshman he played almost exclusively around the basket, and I think he continues to feel more comfortable with other aspects of his game."

Down low will stand Ron Kelley, another sophomore, who also missed some games last year during the ACC schedule. Like Thornton, Kelley's health will be an issue for the Wolfpack, but if he can stay out of the doctor's office, N.C. State could have an inside presence that it has sorely lacked in the last two seasons, when the 6-4 Harrison was occasionally forced to play power forward.

And so for the Wolfpack, the themes heading into this campaign will be much the same as in the previous two seasons. If they can stay healthy, look for big things from these players. But one or two key injuries could leave Sendek with the slower style he has had to employ in previous years. If that happens, the team will at least have the luxury of waiting until next year, as only one junior and four sophomores will make up the starting lineup. But the players don't want to wait through another season of injury and disappointment.

"I think once the season starts, people will see a lot of different things from a lot of different guys," Thornton said. "I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this team."