Can he bring that ‘71 points in one game’ mojo to the Wolfpack?
What About The Bench? Who’s Going To Be Our X-Factor?
Our bench has players that could come into a game and be the difference maker. As a matter of fact, if this season ends up being a really good one, it might very well be due to one (or more) of the guys that start the season on the bench.
These are players that I expect to begin the season coming off the bench – each for different reasons – but who might be starters at some point. Each of which I think could be X-Factors this season
Paul McNeil
The Question – Can he bring it from high school to the ACC?
Paul McNeil is “ probably the best shooter on our team.” Coach Keatts, summer press conference
Resume – Somewhat similar to Hill at Bowling Green, he was the dominant player for 4A Richmond High School. In his 94-game career, he averaged 25.8 points, shot 52.6% (on 1659 FGA), shot 37% from 3PT (728 3PTA), and shot 82.1% at the line (504 FTA). That’s consistent, high quality work!
“I like Paul a lot. He can shoot it, he can shoot it,” [Jayden] Taylor said. “That’s one thing Paul McNeil can do, he can shoot it, he’s confident and he loves to play basketball. Y’all will see. Paul’s gonna be a really good player.” Fayetteville Observer
Reasons for skepticism – He’s a freshman and very thin, according to gopack.com he’s only 180 pounds, the college game is much more physical, it’s a huge jump in the level of competition.
“That kid can really shoot” Scott Wood, former NC State 3PT ace and pro player, current head coach Broughton High School in Raleigh
Reasons for optimism – He has played well against high school all-stars. In the recent Capitol Classic he went for 18 pts / 9 rebs, shooting 46.1% / 44.4% / 100%, including hitting the game winning 3PT shot. (FWIW) We’re also hearing he’s put in the work since arriving in July, both in the gym (added 12-14 pounds) and after hours on the court.
Where does he fit in the rotation? – Looking at film and his HS stats, he’s got the skills to play 2-4. He handles the ball well, he’s a good defender, he passes well, he shoots great, he’s 6’5”, and he rebounds well. However, I doubt he can break into the 1-2 guard rotation this season and at only 6’5” we won’t need him at forward. So we’ll probably see him get minutes at the wing.
The Next Great Wolfpack Freshman?
If you’re like me, you think back to the last freshman we got really excited about. You remember, the kid with all five vowels in his first name – Terquavion Smith. His was sort of the transition class, the point in time where we switched from primarily growing the team organically to acquisitive growth through the suddenly very critical TRANSFER PORTAL. After his class, our starters started becoming mostly transfers and will probably stay that way. Coach Keatts transferred in Casey Morsell and Greg Gantt that season, and then the following season loaded up with the guys that would get us back to the tournament, Jarkel Joiner, Jack Clark, Dusan Mahorcic, and DJ Burns This season we seem to be trying to create a little better balance between recruiting high school and transfers with a decent, 3 man, freshman class. And next season seems to be following in that path. Will we keep them? Will we want to? Will they want to stay? Is high school recruiting a waste of time? Who knows?
‘Baby T’ came off the bench for his first seven games, and then when Casey Morsell got injured against Nebraska, he got the start in game eight and never went back. Is that what we should expect of Paul McNeil? A brief comparison:
- Terquavion Smith (TS) 6’4” 165, Paul McNeil (PM) 6’5” 180
- Both players stayed home for high school, electing not to transfer to traditional basketball factory schools, and both became local legends
- Both 4-star, ranked #77 by 247Sports
- TS was NC POY, PM was his conference’s POY
- TS averaged 25.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.8 apg and 3.2 spg his senior season (gopack.com )- shooting 68% / 27% / 70% – career high 50 points (percentages maxpreps.com )
- PM averaged 31.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, and 2.6 spg his senior season – shooting 66% / 39.7% / 85% – career high 71 points ( maxpreps.com )
- TS – When he was a freshman, the ‘21-’22 guards were Seabron (R-SO), Hayes (SO), Allen (R-SR), Pass (FR), and Morsell (JR).
- PM – The ‘24-’25 primary guard lineup is O’Connell (GR), Pass (SR), Taylor (SR), James (JR), and Hill (SR).
So, will Paul McNeil break into the starting lineup this season?
As you can see from the guard lineups, Smith had a much easier path to a starting role. Anything is possible and injuries can wreck a rotation in the snap of a femur, but otherwise it seems unlikely that McNeil will start with all of that experience in front of him. But, assuming that shot is falling, he should get decent minutes and plenty of opportunities to score. He could definitely be a difference maker. And if McNeil is willing to be patient (a big ask!), he could benefit from practicing against quality players and coming off the bench for a season.
THE SMELL OF BASKETBALLS IS IN THE AIR!