The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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80 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State head coach Kevin Keatts would have had no qualms if the media had picked his Wolfpack to finish in last place in the ACC. He wanted to use the poll as a motiva- tional tool, but he'll have to settle for a 12th- place predicted finish. Duke was named the top team with 57 first-place votes and 1,020 points. The Wolfpack finished with 310 points, ahead of only Clemson (289), Boston College (181) and Pittsburgh (141). Notre Dame senior power forward Bonzie Colson was named the preseason ACC Player of the Year, and Duke fresh- man power forward Marvin Bagley III was picked the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year. NC State freshman point guard Lavar Batts Jr. earned two votes in the rookie of the year category to finish tied for third, the lone player to represent the Wolfpack in the various votes. Four major preseason magazines — Athlon, Lindy's, Street & Smith's and Blue Ribbon — all ranked NC State 13th in the 15-team ACC, while ACC Sports Journal picked the Pack to place 11th in the league. Abdul-Malik Abu Suffers Sprained Knee NC State senior power forward Abdul- Malik Abu has suffered a Grade 2 sprain of a medial collateral ligament in his knee. The timeline for recovery is unknown, in- cluding whether Abu will be availability for the season opener against Virginia Military Institute Nov. 10. The 6-8, 240-pound Abu is a three-year starter for the Wolfpack. He has averaged 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 101 career appearances (86 starts). Abu averaged 11.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last year, but had just four double- doubles for points and rebounding. That is a far cry from the 14 double-doubles he accu- mulated his sophomore year. The Boston native had put his name in for the 2016 NBA Draft and went through the process before electing to return to NC State. He started the season off well, with at least 12 points in six of the first seven games, including a career-high 25 points plus eight rebounds in an 85-72 win versus Montana on Nov. 18, 2016. After a mini-slump in ACC action, Abu came out strong in back-to-back games against Wake Forest and at Duke. He tied his ACC high last year with 20 points and seven boards in a 93-88 loss against Wake Forest Jan. 21, and then followed up with 19 points and nine rebounds in the 84-82 upset win at Duke Jan. 23. Freshman Braxton Beverly Loses Appeal It was ruled that NC State freshman point guard Braxton Beverly would have to sit out this season following his transfer from Ohio State this summer. Beverly was seeking a waiver to be eligible right away, which was needed after attending summer school at Ohio State. The NCAA denied his appeal Oct. 30. Beverly will have four years of eligibility remaining, starting in 2018-19. "Disappointed would be an understatement for how I feel for Braxton, he's devastated." NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. "This is a situation where adults failed a young man and he's the one paying the price." Beverly described his disappointed when the initial ruling was made public Oct. 13. "I'm devastated by this decision," Beverly said in a statement. "I appreciate NC State and the work being done here to appeal this decision. My hope is that it gets resolved and I can be eligible to play this season." Beverly originally signed with Miami (Ohio), but after a good senior season at Har- grave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., he wanted to attend a bigger college and elected to spend a post-graduate year at Hargrave. His coach there was current NCSU assistant coach A.W. Hamilton. Beverly then signed with the Buckeyes and attended summer school in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State parted ways with head coach WOLFPACK BASKETBALL NC State Pegged To Finish 12th In The ACC Head coach Kevin Keatts will be able to use the preseason predictions for his team's finish in the ACC as a motivational tool. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN