NC State Basketball: Wolfpack's Offseason to-Do List

For all intents and purposes, the NC State basketball team thoroughly exceeded expectations this year. They beat a team that will be playing in the national championship game and knocked off a No. 1 seed on their way to their second Sweet 16 appearance in four seasons. Don't forget, this team was projected to finish ninth in the ACC back in October. Head coach Mark Gottfried is keeping basketball relevant in Raleigh. 

In fact, the program is not far from returning to national prominence. They have made the NCAA tournament four straight seasons and have made significant runs in two of them. They are starting to regularly beat those two other blue teams in the triangle and are bringing in impressive recruiting classes.

This team is on the verge, and now they turn to the offseason in hopes of taking everything to the next level. Let's have a look at what they need to accomplish this offseason in order to take the next step. 

Retain the Current Coaching Staff

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Obviously, this is something the program cannot control, but that doesn't make it any less important. When teams find success, it becomes highly likely for key assistants to get poached for head coaching positions. Keeping that in mind, the impact of NC State's current coaching staff should not be overlooked. 

Take assistant Bobby Lutz for example—when he's not screaming out opposing teams' out-of-bounds plays (which he does quite often), he's busy preparing the scout team in practice. His ability to prepare the players for opponents is something special. His overall character and ability to communicate makes him a favorite to those in the program.

As a former successful head coach at UNC-Charlotte, Lutz has been tied to coaching vacancies ever since his arrival in Raleigh. It would seem likely that he'd be the first coach to depart, although fellow assistant Rob Moxley was tied to the UT Pan American job last summer, too. 

The recruiting prowess of this staff has been nothing short of impressive. They landed T.J. Warren, who had one of the best seasons for an ACC player ever, and they brought in role players who were key to this year's tournament run. By keeping this current staff intact, the team can continue its stability going into next season.

Continue the Development of BeeJay Anya and Abdul-Malik Abu

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The scoring struggles of the NC State frontcourt were well documented this season. It's something that vastly improved in the tournament but ultimately tapered off in the Sweet 16 game against Louisville.

If the Wolfpack can get consistent scoring from their big men, they can be especially dangerous. They already have outstanding guard play, but they need more from the guys up front on a nightly basis to make it over the hump.

Enter BeeJay Anya and Abdul-Malik Abu. 

Head coach Mark Gottfried said it himself—if Anya can knock off another 20-30 pounds, he can be one of the best players in the country.

That's really not an exaggeration, either. The sophomore looked absolutely dominating at times this season. He led the ACC in blocks and ranked 20th in the nation with 2.71 blocked shots per game. Here's an especially crazy statistic, per analyst Debbie Antonelli: 79 percent of his blocked shots come when he rotates off his man, and 59 percent of them ignite the Pack's transition game. That's some serious impact. 

Anya played about 22 minutes per game this season, which was double what he played as a freshman. If he can continue to improve his conditioning, he can play upwards of 30 minutes next season. That would be incredibly helpful for the Wolfpack, especially considering how much Anya can affect and alter shots in the paint. 

Let's also not forget about Abu, who likely has the highest ceiling of any of the Pack's big men. He was a revelation for NC State down the stretch, scoring double figures in each of the first two tournament games. It's evident that his offensive prowess is still in the developing stages, and that's a good thing considering how well he played at times this year.

The key for Abu will be consistently knocking down the mid-range jump shot. He already has an impressive array of moves around the basket, and adding more range to his offensive game will pay dividends.

Get After It on the Recruiting Trail

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Yes, NC State is a young team. They will lose just one starter (Ralston Turner) and one role player (Dez Lee) for next season. However, they lack depth in the backcourt. No guard played more than eight minutes per game outside of the three starters, and swingman Caleb Martin was the only other player to log double-digit minutes. 

Trevor Lacey, the team's leading scorer, has just one year of eligibility left. Transfer guard Terry Henderson can play just two years, and same goes for point guard Cat Barber. The Pack have a nice array of young role players who are still young, which includes Lennard Freeman, Abdul-Malik Abu, BeeJay Anya, Kyle Washington, and the Martin twins, Caleb and Cody. 

Nevertheless, it's important to keep the cabinet stocked. The Pack would do well to bring in a couple more guards/forwards, preferably ones who can score the ball. Look for that to be their focus this offseason.

NC State is currently without any top-100 recruits, per ESPN.com, so it will be important for it to land at least one of the remaining unsigned players. They are currently in the mix for top recruits such as Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram and Malik Newman. 

The program has done a great job of establishing stability, and Mark Gottfried is recruiting players who stay more than one season. That has done wonders for the team's camaraderie and ability to stick together. This was a tight-knit group last season, and it will be important to keep that intact moving forward. Look for Gottfried to continue to bring in high-character guys who will jell with the rest of the locker room.