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North Carolina St. Wolfpack Predictions: 2012 Future Lines & Gambling Analysis

2012 NCAA Basketball Previews — NC State Wolfpack

The North Carolina Wolfpack are coming off an incredible 2012 NCAA tournament run, and they’re bringing all that momentum with them into the 2012-13 season. The team from Raleigh, N.C. is ranked sixth in both the preseason AP and USA Today polls, and they look to be the favorite in the ACC to begin the year.

Odds to Win (By bovada.lv)
2013 NCAA Tournament: 15 to 1
2013 ACC Tournament: 11 to 4

Living up to expectations can be tough, but this team will look to show they weren’t just a flash in the pan last year.

Last Year’s Results

North Carolina State had a solid 24-13 record by the time the 2011-12 regular season came to an end, but a tough ACC schedule led them to finish just 9-7 within their own conference. The Wolfpack didn’t have a single signature win last year, but having challenged teams such as Duke, North Carolina and Virginia multiple times, they were ready to make some noise in the NCAA tournament.

Entering the tournament as an 11 seed, the Wolfpack became somewhat of a Cinderella story. They won their first matchup against sixth-seeded Sand Diego State, took down No. 3 Georgetown in their second contest and finally lost (by three points) to No. 2 Kansas in the Sweet 16.

Roster Changes

This squad is fortunate enough to be returning four starters from last year’s team, and they’ve also added three McDonad’s All-Americans to the roster. The 2012 recruiting class for NC State is considered the 10th-best in the nation by ESPN, and it is highlighted by shooting guard Rodney Purvis. Purvis is graded a 96 by ESPN, and is considered a four-star recruit.

The other two prominent prospects to join the Wolfpack are also four-star players. T.J. Warren is a 6’7” small forward while Tyler Lewis is a 5’11” point guard.

Key Players

The Wolfpack have one of the most talented players in the entire conference in C.J. Leslie. He is one of the most athletic players you’ll find, and he averaged 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a season ago. He is a viable candidate for ACC Player of the Year, but so is his teammate Lorenzo Brown. The junior guard averaged 12.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds last year, and he has a chance to be one of the more complete players in the conference this year.

This team is on the brink of being a top-tier team yet again, and with their three prospects coming in, they’ve taken another step toward that goal. Purvis, Warren and Lewis are going to create a solid perimeter package moving forward. Purvis is going to be a dynamic scorer who can get to the rim and kick out to his teammates or finish in the paint. Lewis knows how to use his frame to make plays, while Warren can run and offense and get his teammates involved.[ad-6571516]

Key Games

NC State has put together a strong schedule this year. Nov. 27 the team plays against Michigan in an ACC/Big Ten matchup, and not too far down the road they play the University of Connecticut. Stanford will be another good non-conference opponent.

In their own conference, the Wolfpack have to deal with some of the top teams in the country, as they won’t go more than a couple of weeks without facing either Duke or North Carolina. Florida State hosts NC State in the final game of the regular season.

Like most contenders, a strong schedule should help prepare them for their inevitable tournament appearance. However, for a team that is still relatively unproven at this point, it could also expose them as a team who may not be ready to compete in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.

2013 Prediction

This team is the ACC favorite coming into the 2012-13 season, but it’s difficult to imagine them taking down perennial tournament-goers Duke and North Carolina. Even a team such as Florida State has a chance to challenge the top of the conference. Another tournament appearance should be in their immediate future, but the more proven teams in the conference seemingly have a better chance of contending this time around.

This team has the potential to make noise this year, but until they come out and prove it in the regular season, a team that was a Cinderella story just a season ago is a tough group to bet on without more evidence to prove they’re for real.

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