34. NC State: Who will provide the perimeter offense?
The loss of leading scorer Trevor Lacey for this team was huge. An unexpected departure, State had the potential for an ACC title and darkhorse title run. The loss looks even larger with the departure of the second leading scorer, senior guard and specialty 3pt shooter Ralston Turner. In addition, Kyle Washington transferred, diminishing the still deep frontcourt of NC State. With 3 of the top 4 scorers from last years team moving on, Anthony "Cat" Barber will be relied upon to increase his offensive output. Barber really found his stride late last year, especially with his outside shooting. An improvement in his shooting, combined with his blazing speed when driving to the basket, could lead to more performances like the 34 pt game he had in the ACC Tournament last year. Look for West Virginia transfer Terry Henderson to fill the void left by Lacey, along with freshman Maverick Rowan to become the new sharp shooter. Twins Cody and Caleb Martin could also play a big role as wing players on a team that will be looking for someone to step up as a ball handler. Malik Abu has a chance to really shine in the post and improve his stock to a first round pick for next year. With the ACC's leading shot blocker returning in Beejay Anya, and Lennard Freeman adding depth, the front court could really have a breakout year.

STATS TIME:

The Wolfpack welcomed Brett Brungardt and his team from BAM (Basic Athletic Measurement) Testing to the Dail Basketball Center earlier this fall. Brungardt's team has measured the Wolfpack players each fall since 2012, making NC State the first college basketball team to experience the official athletic testing of the NBA Draft combine.

HIGHLIGHTS (compared to 355 NBA Draft prospects since 2009)

Terry Henderson
- 42-inch approach vertical jump is tied for third among all shooting guards since 2009 (ranks fourth all-time among all players)
- 2.916 second reaction shuttle stands ninth among shooting guards (26th all-time among all players)

Abdul-Malik Abu
- 41.5-inch approach vertical jump is the best all-time among power forwards
- 2.925 second reaction shuttle ranks second all-time among power forwards and is 27th among all players

Caleb Martin
- 2.735 second reaction shuttle is the all-time fastest time, faster than any NBA Draft prospect since 2009
- 10.89 second 4-way agility ranks 27th all-time among guards and 78th all-time among all players

Anthony 'Cat' Barber
3.15 second 3/4 court sprint ranks 14th all-time among point guards and 30th all-time among all players"

This team is a bit raw, and will need to figure out how everyone fits together early in the year, but it should be one of the most athletic in the country and should be a blast to watch if they can have solid outside shooting.