Courtesy of N.C.State Sports InformationContributing Reporter
Courtesy of N.C.State Sports Information
Senior Todd Fuller is arguably the only center in the conference who could stop Tim Duncan in the paint.
N.C. State Head Coach Les Robinson leads his Wolfpack into the 1995-96 season coming off a 12-15 overall record last year. The Wolfpack finished eighth in the ACC, going 4-12 in conference play.
The consensus is that it is imperative that senior center Todd Fuller and sophomore point guard Ishua Benjamin emerge as dominant role players and productive scorers if the Pack has any chance to climb back into contention in the ACC.
Robinson hopes that with Benjamin, a member of the ACC All-Freshman team, and Fuller, a likely candidate for first-team All-ACC honors in 1995-96, the Wolfpack program will regain the respect it once demanded from its opponents. Junior swingman Jeremy Hyatt, senior forward Marcus Wilson and junior college transfer Danny Strong are the likely trio to round out the Pack's starting five.
The lack of a dominant forward could present major problems for the Pack, who are likely to concentrate on the perimeter game of Hyatt and Benjamin. However, Benjamin's promising 14.0 scoring average and consistent 4.6 assists per game in 1995 provide a solid foundation for Robinson to build upon by adding in a combination of Hyatt's shooting and the possibility of some offensive production from Marcus Wilson.
The onus of spreading the floor and getting the ball to Fuller will be the responsibility of the talented and aggressive tandem of Benjamin and Hyatt. This year, Hyatt is expected to emerge from his traditional role of small forward/defensive specialist and looks to be a fine complement to the consistent Benjamin.
Robinson believes that Fuller's strong offensive game will allow him to prove once again that he has superstar potential. Some publications have listed him as high as the eighth-best center in college basketball.
In his junior season in 1994-95, Fuller led the Pack in scoring (16.5), rebounding (8.4), blocked shots (45), field goal percentage (51.9) and free throw percentage (84.1). He is expected to have improved to an even greater degree this off-season and is likely to repeat as an All-ACC performer. He also has the potential to achieve All-American honors. Although Robinson classifies Fuller as "a quiet leader," he will look for him to be an outstanding leader by example.
Whether or not the potential for consistent offensive contributions out of both Fuller and Benjamin is realized will be the major factor in determining if the Wolfpack will continue its slow climb back into contention in the ACC.
The counterpoint that has been argued by many from N.C. State is that the improvement and the tremendous strides the Pack has made in the past few years has been overshadowed by the talent-rich ACC. Robinson's optimism forces him to say that if the productivity of Fuller, Benjamin and a solid supporting cast is consistent, the Pack may even contend for an ACC title this year. However, a championship is not the likely outcome for a team that focuses on the offensive prowess of so few of its potential contributors, especially in the ACC.