Quote :

" NC State's perfect storm A loaded roster and reloading rivals could lead to a dream season Updated: August 20, 2012, 12:59 PM ET By John Gasaway | ESPN Insider 2 2 Email Print Lorenzo BrownJeremy Brevard/US PresswireLorenzo Brown is one of a handful of playmakers NC State returns to Raleigh this season. For years, people who write about college basketball have been promising that, at long last, one ACC program or another is about to provide some serious competition to the league's big two -- namely, the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels. It's not as if such an occurrence would be so remarkable. Maryland won a national title a decade ago. Georgia Tech made an appearance in the 2004 national championship game and followed that up with some notably robust recruiting. Just last season, Florida State recorded a 4-1 record in head-to-head competition against the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. Teams besides the big two have had their moments. However, repeating those moments on a consistent basis has proved to be more difficult. Since Georgia Tech played in that 2004 national championship game, no ACC team besides Duke or North Carolina has made it to the Elite Eight. You may remember an ACC team that almost changed that fact in March. The North Carolina State Wolfpack came back from 10 down and trailed the Kansas Jayhawks by just one point with 1:22 remaining in the Sweet 16. Kansas ended up winning 60-57, but people are already talking about NC State's chances to go even further in 2013. When you have a Sweet 16 team that returns its four leading scorers (C.J. Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Scott Wood and Richard Howell) and adds three McDonald's All-Americans (Rodney Purvis, T.J. Warren and Tyler Lewis), expectations are going to be high. This combination of returning stars and new talent in Raleigh has already been called "a perfect storm of talent." During a five-game tour of Spain and the Canary Islands this month, NC State went undefeated. Brown showed he is healthy after offseason knee surgery, and Warren and Lewis began to emerge. That being said, the storm hasn't arrived just yet. In the calm before, let's take a closer look at exactly how far Mark Gottfried and his players can go in 2012-13. A Sweet 16 team that had one rough February Last season, the Wolfpack were just four points away from making the Elite Eight. But coaches are a demanding sort, and Gottfried would be quick to remind you that his team was also just four points away from not making it that far. NC State beat Georgetown 66-63 to reach the Sweet 16. For the season, Gottfried's team outscored its ACC opponents by just 0.03 points per possession. That's a perfectly respectable mark, representing the Wolfpack's best showing in conference play in years. But keep in mind that otherwise innocuous teams such as Virginia, Miami and Clemson -- much less the big two -- were better than NC State on a possession-by-possession basis during the long haul of the conference season. When we say we expect the Wolfpack to be a top-10 team nationally and compete for an ACC title in 2013, what we're really saying is that the expectations are for more than just "improvement." We expect NC State to be way better than it was last season. How many McDonald's All-Americans is NC State really getting? File this under "nice problem to have": Is Gottfried going to have three 2012 McDonald's All-Americans on his roster this season or "just" two? Any coach would love to face that question, naturally. Nevertheless, as of this writing, the highest-rated player in this freshman class, 6-foot-4 wing Purvis, has yet to be declared eligible by the NCAA. We don't know how this team will expect to win Oh, I have my hunches. During Gottfried's tenure at Alabama, his best teams were distinguished by their offense. Shifting our attention to NC State, I don't think players not named Scott Wood will shoot many 3s. Still, on the question of how all of this experience and talent is going to win games, we'll have to wait and watch. Last season, Leslie functioned as this offense's featured performer. When the clock is running, he is undeniably effective, making more than half his attempts inside the arc. The 6-8 junior's overall effectiveness on offense, however, is limited by a troublesome combination. He excels at drawing fouls but is a career 57 percent shooter at the line. On the other side of the ball, NC State received a boost last season when ACC opponents shot a lot of 3s but made just 32 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc. That was the Wolfpack's most impressive defensive stat, but duplicating that mark in 2013 will be difficult. Gottfried will want to prepare accordingly, encouraging his talented charges to pull down a few more defensive boards and force a few more misses in the paint. Mind you, this is a perfect storm for NC State. North Carolina said goodbye to Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall, John Henson and Tyler Zeller, and Duke lost Austin Rivers. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack project to have their strongest team in recent memory. I expect this NC State team to compete for an ACC title. In fact, with a few more makes at the free throw line from Leslie and a few more stops inside the arc, I can envision this group going even further in the NCAA tournament, charting a new course for ACC teams outside the big two. John Gasaway covers college hoops for ESPN Insider. First covering college basketball in 2004, he has written for Basketball Prospectus since its inception in 2007, and his work has appeared in The New York Times. You can find his ESPN archives here and follow him on Twitter @johngasaway."

8/20/2012 2:05:58 PM

hey guys, i just went over to PP to see if they had any info on Purvis, looks like we have nothing to worry about. god's gonna make it alright cause rodney's a believer. but just in case, we should all say quick prayer, just to remind god how much he means to our team.

Quote :

"Plus Rodney is a spiritual kid and he's put his faith in the good Lord that he'll be good to go. If he's done his work in school, like I believe he has, then I personally feel like the man upstairs will not let him down.It wouldn't hurt for everyone to say a quickie on his behalf though. Nothing wrong with that."

8/20/2012 3:25:47 PM

This really needs to be made into a big head.

8/20/2012 3:25:51 PM

thanks for volunteering, justinh524

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 4:36 PM. Reason : [ o][o ]

8/20/2012 4:36:19 PM

While we're talking about PP

Quote :

"Pack Pride ?@PackPride MG: "It's my understanding that we will learn something [on Purvis] in the next day or two." "

8/20/2012 4:43:19 PM

^yeah, that what Gottfried just said on the radio

8/20/2012 4:44:00 PM

dude already knows, we just dont know how to break it to the public

8/20/2012 4:55:43 PM

are you related to banjoman?

8/20/2012 5:00:27 PM

no, but he is a big fan of PigPen

8/20/2012 5:09:59 PM

He's fabulus's step-brother.

8/20/2012 5:23:22 PM

i swear to god i feel sick about this.

i should just stop following basketball, jesus.

8/20/2012 5:54:54 PM

you don't have to stop following basketball

just stop meticulously obsessing over recruiting

8/20/2012 5:57:00 PM

this is no longer a recruiting issue.

8/20/2012 6:08:34 PM

Quote :

"Raleigh, N.C. — While the NCAA continues to gather information on Upper Room Christian Academy, North Carolina State basketball commit Rodney Purvis continues to sit at home. Wolfpack head coach Mark Gottfried hopes that changes soon for academic purposes over basketball. “The tough thing for Rodney is that school has started and he needs to get into school really quick and get going academically. That’s the most important thing is to put him in a position where he has a chance to have success academically,” Gottfried said Monday while joining Adam and Joe on 99.9 The Fan ESPN Radio. Gottfried said that he is hoping for an NCAA ruling within the week, but said that as of now, he has no official update on the status of the inquiry into the high school’s core classes. He added that the more school Purvis misses, the harder it will be on him as a student. “He will have to buckle-down and catch up, and do all the things that anybody would have to do if you miss the first couple days, but he’s certainly capable,” Gottfried said. “He did a great job in summer school, did a terrific job academically, and we’re just hoping it gets resolved really quick.” On the court, Purvis was forced to stay back as the team went to Spain on a preseason trip. The improving health of guard Lorenzo Brown was a positive for NC State while on the trip, but Purvis is considered a player that can step in as a freshman and get considerable, and much needed, playing time. Gottfried said that the toughest part of the NCAA clearance review on Purvis was missing the trip. “He was down like we all would be if it was one of us,” Gottfried said. “It was hard while we were gone. I think since our players have been back, it’s been better but he’s on pins and needles, waiting on a decision.” Gottfried said the trip was a combination of improving the team early on and team building. He noted it’s tough to fully bond as a team when the team is not all together. NC State went 4-0 in Spain getting double-digit scoring from all five starters in their final game. “Rodney Purvis did everything that was asked of him to do,” Gottfried said. “He’s not one of these kids that bounced around to a hundred different schools. He’s done everything that has been asked of him by the adults. There’s some apprehension, but at the same time, optimism that it will get all worked out. He’s handled everything very well and with a lot of class.”"

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 7:06 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2012 7:06:09 PM

Mark and Mike didn't sound too optimistic this morning. Though I don't know their sources.

8/21/2012 7:56:44 AM

L. Brown, S. Wood, TJ Warren, CJ Leslie and R. Howell still isn't a bad starting 5.

8/21/2012 9:30:23 AM

SOURCES!

8/21/2012 9:39:49 AM

I smell a big ol pot of nc state shit brewing

8/21/2012 9:52:16 AM

Quote :

"L. Brown, S. Wood, TJ Warren, CJ Leslie and R. Howell still isn't a bad starting 5."

Yea, the problem is they all better be ready to play 40 minutes a night

8/21/2012 10:00:12 AM

the starting lineup has never been an issue.

8/21/2012 10:13:16 AM

From JP Giglio:

Quote :

"N.C. State freshman guard Rodney Purvis has been cleared by the NCAA to attend class, but his 2012-13 eligibility is still under review"

8/21/2012 10:14:35 AM

^^^Even then it's not going to be enough to live up to any of the hype we had going into this season. Gottfried said on 99.9 yesterday that it was obvious we were down a perimeter player during the Spain trip. When the competition increases later this year that will cost us games, plain and simple. Consider this, we have TWO eligible scholarship guards on the roster and they play the same position. If Purvis can't play we will be no where near as good as we could have been and certainly not ACC champions good.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but there is no silver lining to this if Purvis can't play.


[Edited on August 21, 2012 at 10:18 AM. Reason : ]

8/21/2012 10:16:47 AM

Quote :

""N.C. State freshman guard Rodney Purvis has been cleared by the NCAA to attend class, but his 2012-13 eligibility is still under review""

I don't understand this. Aren't they one and the same?

8/21/2012 10:17:29 AM

yea wtf.

probably tired of the bad press around them keeping him out of class, and they're still looking into it slowly.

8/21/2012 10:20:26 AM

Big news though. In classes, so the Aug 29 date is meaningless. He will be a student and can play as soon as URCA is cleared, right?

8/21/2012 10:24:31 AM

It's a good first step.

8/21/2012 10:25:05 AM

It is a good first step. But it may give too much breathing room to the NCAA to make their decision, when he needs to be practicing with the team asap. It's not good news, in that it indicates the ultimate decision may take longer than anticipated.

8/21/2012 10:26:05 AM

Hahah, tune in to twitter. Matt Doherty currently in a twitter war with State fans

https://twitter.com/DohertyMatt

8/21/2012 10:29:04 AM

Why can't he practice with the team? As long as they don't play him before he's cleared he should be able to get in the rotation. IF he's declared ineligible, red shirt him (he won't have played any games) and if he's declared eligible early enough let him play.

8/21/2012 10:29:18 AM

Been following and just amazed at this story. I don't even know where to begin with this unnecessary drama. Everything has already been said, but hoping or good news ASAP.


III

8/21/2012 10:31:22 AM

this is all so confusing.... how again could he have attended and completed summer school classes but not allowed to enroll in fall classes?

8/21/2012 10:35:26 AM

Quote :

"I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but there is no silver lining to this if Purvis can't play."

why would you get flamed for that?

8/21/2012 10:36:02 AM

Unless I'm mistaken, you're allowed to attend summer school before your eligibility is determined. Just one of those weird rules.

8/21/2012 10:36:29 AM

Quote :

" . It's not good news, in that it indicates the ultimate decision may take longer than anticipated."

It's good news because it means Purvis ain't going to another year of high school or, worse, JUCO.

8/21/2012 10:47:01 AM

You clearly didn't read my entire post, where I indicated that there are good and bad things about this decision. Obviously I'm happy he can attend classes.

8/21/2012 10:53:31 AM

lol at Matt Doherty comparing Julius "can barely form a coherent sentence" Peppers to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

8/21/2012 10:58:39 AM

But he was one of the smartest players he ever had! He could always remember the plays!

8/21/2012 10:59:25 AM

i'm confused. the ncaa cleared him to go to class, but not to play basketball? so he can attend class, but if he's ruled ineligible, it doesn't hurt his eligibility to play next season? or next year? what if they come out and find that UCRA isn't accredited? eh, whatever, i'll just wait for the final decision.

8/21/2012 11:01:25 AM

According to ESPN, we are the 43rd best basketball program in the past 50 years
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/62597/50-in-50-rankings-no-43-nc-state

8/21/2012 11:04:28 AM

Quote :

"But it may give too much breathing room to the NCAA to make their decision, when he needs to be practicing with the team asap."

practice doesn't start until October 10ish, hopefully this won't drag that long

8/21/2012 11:11:35 AM

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/purvis-cleared-to-start-classes-eligibility-status-still-in-question

8/21/2012 11:19:42 AM

I think this is great news. I dont see how he can be declared eligible for classes and not be able to play with the team. I could see this being a matter of getting paperwork processed and it taking longer than expected, so the NCAA isnt going to keep Purvis out of classes any longer since they know the end result is he'll be eligible

8/21/2012 11:24:38 AM

Unless the NCAA decided to bypass their idiotic rules (unlikely) and give him a temporary waiver I think means:

- The JUCO scenario is out
- Worst case he has to sit out a year and can play next season. See: Ben McLemore at Kansas

8/21/2012 11:26:28 AM

Quote :

" You clearly didn't read my entire post, where I indicated that there are good and bad things about this decision. Obviously I'm happy he can attend classes. "

I didn't have to read the rest of your post.

You are clearly a retard if you thought this was bad news in any way, shape or form.

8/21/2012 11:36:12 AM

It is bad news in that he hasn't been cleared to play yet.

8/21/2012 11:39:07 AM

Quote :

"I didn't have to read the rest of your post."

And there's your problem right there. Stop trying to make more out of it than is there. Next time, read before your respond.

[Edited on August 21, 2012 at 11:39 AM. Reason : ^this]

8/21/2012 11:39:17 AM

No news isn't bad news.

The fact that he can go to class is a very good thing.

[Edited on August 21, 2012 at 11:45 AM. Reason : Damn, I drank too much coffee this morn]

8/21/2012 11:43:56 AM

It would be bad if we still hadn't heard anything yet.

It would be bad if he hadn't been cleared to go to class.

It would be bad if they cleared him to go to class yet did not clear him to play.

They have cleared him to go to class yet have not yet cleared him to play.

I would say that's good.

8/21/2012 11:45:21 AM

Yes, yes it is a good first step.

[Edited on August 21, 2012 at 11:49 AM. Reason : WHICH IS WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID ALL ALONG. NO ONE SAID 'OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S CLEARED FOR CLASS']

8/21/2012 11:49:14 AM

This is definitely huge. I could see a scenario where he's ineligible until the spring semester. That would be less than ideal, but still 100% better than missing this entire season when the roster strength depends on him.

8/21/2012 12:13:14 PM