N.C. State looks to erase the memory of last year's embarrassing season, which the Wolfpack entered with high expectations and finished with a 15-16 record, losing their last nine games en route to a last-place finish in the ACC.
"Last year is done, and we have to move on," head coach Sidney Lowe said. "We don't want to totally forget what happened last season, because we don't ever want to go through that again."
Lowe leads a team that lost its two leading scorers, as well as its entire frontcourt, over the offseason. Freshman J.J. Hickson jumped to the NBA after averaging 14.8 points and grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game, while senior Gavin Grant graduated after dropping 13.1 points per game.
Junior Brandon Costner and senior Ben McCauley will be asked to take over responsibilities from the departed leaders. They've put up good numbers before-two years ago, McCauley and Costner combined to average 31.2 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. Last year, though, they went for 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.They will need to pick up the scoring for the Wolfpack to escape the ACC cellar.
There are also questions about the backcourt. While junior Farnold Degand ran the offense well last year, he tore his ACL with 10 games left in the season. It's hard to know if he will bring his same speed and quickness. Sophomore Javier Gonzalez will run the team if Degand can't, but N.C. State lost nine of 10 games last year with Gonzalez running the point. Senior Courtney Fells can play at either the two or three spot and is the team's leading returning scorer.
Lowe will undoubtedly bring back his now-famous red jacket, but the team he coaches might not bring any of that same swagger.
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