the stentorian i ncssm
features
may
2012 3
Glimpse into NC college basketball for next year
By: Carl Yin
Though Duke lost Austin
Rivers to the NBA draft, they
still look to be a national
contender next year. Most of
Duke’s players are returning,
as the only contributing senior
graduating is Miles Plumlee.
Duke also brings in a solid
recruiting class, consisting
of two McDonald’s All-
Americans. The late days of
the spring recruiting period
saved what would have been a
lackluster incoming class.
Duke added Amile
Jefferson on the second to
last day of the spring signing
period to a one-man recruiting
class, who chose Duke over
nearby NC State. Jefferson is a
talent and has great basketball
awareness, and gives Duke a
deeper frontcourt.
Duke’s other recruit
is shooting guard Rasheed
Sulaimon. Sulaimon is a knock
down shooter, and fits well into
Duke’s offense. Duke also adds
two redshirt freshmen, Marshall
Plumlee and Alex Murphy, who
sat out this year due to limited
playing time.
Marshall Plumlee is the
third Plumlee brother to play for
Duke Basketball, and will play
alongside brother Mason next
year. Marshall is the tallest of
the three brothers, but needs to
put on more weight to become
a force in the post area. Alex
Murphy is a versatile forward,
who draws comparisons to
Duke star Kyle Singler.
With the influx of talent
from its recruiting class and its
redshirts, Duke looks to have
another star-studded team that
will compete nationally. One
question still lies within the
consistency of some of Duke’s
players.
Last year, Mason Plumlee
i i
Rasjeed Sulaimon goes up for a shot
Courtesy of
showed moments of brilliance
in some games, but had a
relatively quiet season. Andre
Dawkins almost withdrew from
the basketball team for next
year because of the stress of
death in his family, which
affected his play all year. If all
of Duke’s players are able to
perform well, they have a real
chance at winning the national
title.
The Wolfpack look to be a
top contender in the ACC and
in the whole country next year.
This year already, NC State has
seen major improvement in its
basketball program.
With new coach Mark
Gottfried, NC State was able
to make the NCAA tournament
for the first time in six years,
and managed to make it to the
Sweet 16 round.
Now, with star C.J. Leslie
deciding to come back for
another year of college, NC
State has the experience
and leadership it needs
to contend in post
season tournaments.
NC State also adds a
coveted recruiting class
to an already talented
roster.
Ineoming are three
local McDonald’s All-
Americans, which
include guard Rodney
Purvis, forward T.J.
Warren, and point guard
Tyler Lewis. All three
have tremendous talent
and can contribute
instantly to the team.
NC State has all
the pieces needed for
eontention for ACC
and NCAA titles next
year. Coach Gottfried
has done a great job in
turning the team around
this past year, and looks
to take the program
back into national
attention.
Next year will
be a rebuilding year
for UNC. They lose
stars Tyler Zeller, John
Henson,' and Kendall
Marshall, which were
arguably the three best
players on the team,
ggpi^ However, North
Carolina again adds a
stellar recruiting class,
with four highly touted players:
Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson,
Joel Jones, and J.P. Tokoto.
Paige is a smart point guard,
who can also shoot from long
range.
Johnson is an athletic
power forward, but needs to add
some weight to become a force
in the post. Jones is a eenter
with excellent, strength and
mobility to be a presence in the
paint. Tokoto is a small forward
who is extremely athletic and
can also shoot well. These four
incoming freshman all look to
make an immediate impact on
the team.
Talent will not be an issue
next year, but rather experience.
With the true leaders of the team
leaving, returning players will
need to step up and guide the
team on the right path. UNC
will again eontend nationally
and in the ACC, but as young
team, it is uncertain how well
they will do in the upcoming
season.
After what has been a
lackluster year of basketball
in Winston-Salem, things look
to get better next year for the
Deaeons. Wake Forest’s leading
scorers C.J. Harris and Travis
McKie return, while the team
adds a deep recruiting class of
7 players.
Coming in are point guard
Codi Miller-Melntyre, small
forward Amaud Moto, small
forward Aaron Rountree, power
forward Devin Thomas, power
forward Tyler Cavanaugh,
point guard Madison Jones,
and center Andre Washington.
With 7 players coming
in. Wake Forest will have an
extremely deep bench, which
could be a huge benefit late in
season next year. Coach Jeff
Bzdelik looks as he has been
slowing improving the team,
entering his third year at Wake
Forest.
After two losing seasons,
with the second slightly better
than the first, this year may be
the first for Coach Bzdelik to
have a winning record. The
talent is still there, and the
incoming recruiting class will
certainly benefit Wake Forest’s
chances of improving its record
next year.
Juniors should not mourn
loss of senior friends
By Jordan Harrison
While seniors look forward
to graduation. Juniors may be
wondering how they will get
by in senior year without the
close friendships they formed
with this year’s graduatingclass.
“I’ll miss a lot of people
on hall. It’ll be really different
next year without beingable to
go to the seniors for help,’’ said
Hayley Stratton. “Half of the
school is leaving, andsome of
those people are my really close
friends.’’
However, the class of 2012
has already been through the
loss of senior friends, andthey
ofler some advice to deal with
the transition.
“I had some senior friends
last year,’’ said senior Alexis
Hibblcr, “but was I sad to see
them go? No, because I still
feel connected to them in a lot
of ways and because forsome
unknowing reason they keep
commenting on my Facebook
statuses. Also, theseniors I
remembered the most were the
seniors who made an effort to
come back and visit.
Even someone from Stan
ford visited, so some seniors go
the extra mile.”
“Grand seniors come back
for major events all the time,
like Asia Fest,” said senior
Erna Woyee. “We will
book tickets early for Asia
Fest.”
Graduation will likely be
a sad and teary occasion for
juniors, but they need toremem-
ber that seniors will be glad and
excited for college.
“We love it here, but at the
same time we know that two
years is enough, and w e want to
move'on,” said Hibbler.
Junior/senior friendships
can remain especially strong
for students who arc going to
schools like UNC, NC State,
and Duke, since distance is less
of an issue.
3-
Friends Paulina Kriska (senior) and Haleigh Baxtr (junior)
“A lot of seniors who I’m
really close to are going to
schools around Durham, so
I’m planning on visiting
them a lot on the weekends,”
said Stratton.
“People from colleges
nearby visit really often, and
also what’s really great is that-
we have a public transportation
system, and 1 know people go to
State all the time to see
seniors,” said Hibbler.