Wolfpack Back?

The announcement by CJ Leslie that he was returning to NC State for his junior year brought elation to Raleigh.  Leslie improved leaps and bounds under the tutelage of Head Coach Mark Gottfried and Assistant Coach Orlando Early, especially when compared to the progression he made under former Head Coach Sidney Lowe.  Leslie was a completely different player last year for State, and was arguably the best big-man in the ACC down the stretch for the Wolfpack.  This announcement brings a lot of attention to State and brings a lot of hype and expectations for the team next year.

Usually the Pack doesn't do so well with high expectations (cough cough..Gavin Grant..cough), but maybe the Pack is actually deserving of the hype, even if it is just April.  But with UNC losing arguably their 4 most essential players from this year's Elite 8 team, they will almost certainly struggle to be as good as they were this year.  Duke also loses a lot with Austin Rivers, Miles Plumlee, Michael Gbinije all leaving the program.  Now rumors are surfacing that Andre Dawkins has been dismissed from the team (they're just rumors right now).  Duke is looking like they will struggle, especially if they don't land either Tony Parker or Amile Jefferson (something that is definitely possible).


Here's a little look at the possible line-ups/depth charts for the triangle schools:


Duke
PG Thornton             Cook
SG Curry                Sulaimon          ?Dawkins?
SF  Murphy            
PF (Mas)Plumlee     Hairston
C   Kelly                (Mar)Plumlee


UNC
PG Paige             McDonald      Strickland
SG Strickland     McDonald       Bullock        Watts
SF  Hairston          Bullock          Tokoto
PF  McAdoo        Johnson
C    James             Johnson

State
PG  Brown          Lewis                  Purvis
SG  Purvis           Brown                  Lewis
SF  Wood           Warren                 Leslie
PF  Leslie            Harris                  De Thaey
C  Howell           Vandenberg         De Thaey


We still don't know if Parker will pick Duke (probably not) or if Jefferson will pick Duke or State (fingers crossed for State), but regardless of these decisions, State clearly has a better lineup.  If Tyler Harris, Jordan Vandenberg, or Thomas De Thaey can become competent big-men, State should be pretty solid.  UNC is extremely unexperienced, probably starting 2 freshman and 2 sophomores, and Duke is very, very thin, especially if Dawkins is dismissed.  I like our chances.

Granted other teams in the ACC could step up next season (FSU is losing a TON from this year's team, so don't expect them to be quite as good), I think NC State has a very good shot to do well next season in the ACC.  I don't wanna jinx it, but the Wolfpack might be back.