C.J. Leslie Was Smart To Stay One More Year

Sometimes staying in place can do wonders for your confidence. After having the opportunity to bounce to the League after his debut season, C.J. Leslie made the right choice by returning to the Wolfpack and honing his skills for another year. The improvement is more than evident at the NC Pro-Am, especially in terms of his outside jumpshot.

C.J. has always been known as a freak athlete with a deadly first step, the Holly Springs, NC native has more than held his own against some top competition in the pro am. Last week C.J. was matched up with Pistons big man Chris Wilcox and definitely got the best of him. The 20-year-old’s first step was too much for the nine-year NBA vet and gave fans a dose of reality in terms of how quick he truly is.

His first step will be a problem for most defenders, but don’t get it twisted, Leslie is still very rough around the edges and has a ton of work to do (especially in terms of ball handling, strength, and decision making), but has NBA lottery potential written all over him.

C.J. has shown great strides and once he gets the strength factor down, I can see all star potential all over him. The good thing for him right now is that the ACC is so loaded with talent, all he has to do is be dominant game in and game out and everyone will notice. You can’t question the talent that he will be facing this season. If all goes as it appears that it will, you can take it to the bank, Leslie is a lottery pick

N.C. State Finally Finds A Yes Man

After being turned down by the likes of Sean Miller and Shaka Smart along with other coaching candidates, N.C. State University finally found itself a basketball coach. It was reported today that N.C. State has Mark Gottfried as its new head coach. Many of you are probably wondering why that name sounds so familiar. Its because Gottfried has been out of coaching for the last two seasons, working as an ESPN analyst, after resigning from Alabama midway through the 2008-2009 season.

However, the coach has a proven track record as he spent 10 full seasons with the Tide, compiling a 210-132, five NCAA Tournament appearances and one SEC title.  Gottfried also went to the Tournament in two out of three years with the Murray State basketball program.

The Gottfried hiring was announced less than 24 hours after Debbie Yow (NCSU Athletic Director) sent out a somewhat depressing e-mail to Wolfpack Club members, updating them on the coaching search. In Yow's e-mail she talked about how a few possible coaches that didn't work out and began used words like revival and rebuilding, referring to the basketball program.

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Is Shaka The Smart Choice For N.C. State

Image courtesy VCU Website

The North Carolina State University rumor mill has exploded about who NC State wants as its next new basketball coach. It made a lot of sense when names started coming up and being shot down. Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats was the last name to surface and then he dismissed on all accounts that he was no longer interested.

However, a new coach has entered the rumor mill, ACCSports.com's David Glenn saying VCU's Shaka Smart is a potential candidate, referencing "multiple sources in the college basketball coaching community."

Obviously, Smart has gotten the eye of a lot of troubled and searching schools, given the Rams' Cinderella run this year to the Final 4 and possibly beyond.

The second-year coach has looked nothing like a newcomer to the scene, leading the Rams to a 26-11 record this season after a 27-9 record last year.

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Jeff Capel Would Be A Perfect Fit For NC State

Even though Oklahoma decided Jeff Capel wasn’t fit for their coaching position the buzz around here in North Carolina was that Jeff Capel should be NC States next basketball coach, long before Sidney Lowe resigned yesterday. Capel did an extraordinary job rebuilding at Oklahoma, but players turning pro early led to his undoing.

Capel is North Carolina bred and he would have a great advantage if he was given the NC State job. He is connected with his recruiting on the East coast and now that he has built some relationships working in the Midwest, he is exactly what the NC State people need to bring some flair back to a program that has been living in the shadows of Norm Sloan and Jimmy Valvano for the past 20 years.

There is no doubting Capels coaching ability he’s won with less. If he took over that NC State team today it would be worlds better than what he had at Oklahoma this season. Needless to say, Blake Griffin turning pro didn’t help his cause much at Oklahoma either. You have to remember, Capel took over a program that was loaded with NCAA sanctions after they let Kelvin Sampson go. Capel brought respect back to the program. They became contenders and were winning games. When you lose a megastar, it hurts, especially when you were hoping for at least 3 years with that person.

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