NC State Has The Best Freshmen Trio In College Basketball

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Before the 2009-10' season, if you said NC State could beat Duke I would have told you how crazy that sounded.

However, the Wolfpack were able to defeat Duke with just a solid roster last season. 

Not just Duke but they also defeated a very defensive-minded Florida State team and Wake Forest. Not to mention, all three of those teams were ranked inside the top 25 at the time of the defeat.

So with that in mind, don't you think with the recruiting class the Wolfpack acquired this year, added on to the success last year; do you think they'll have a chance to be one of the better teams in the NCAA?

Well let's dig deep. In the 2010 recruiting class, the Wolfpack brought in Ryan Harrow, C.J Leslie, and Lorenzo Brown. They required other recruits, but these three collectively turned heads once they committed.

Harrow is the lead guard. He has the ability to get anywhere on the court with his ball-handling skills. On top of that, he is equipped with great vision and passing skills. For some reason, I think scouts overlooked Harrow because of his height. 

But even at 6-foot even, I believe Harrow will be the best freshmen guard in the country. He has a great head on his shoulder, very dedicated and a skilled player on the court.

Harrow has all the intangibles you need to succeed at the college level. Once he adds more bulk to his frame, I don't think any guard in the country will be able to hold him one-on-one.

As for C.J. Leslie, he is what will make the big-three successful. He has length, toughness, attitude--not the bad one--and the ability to take over games.

He is listed as a power forward, but watching him you can tell he'd be more comfortable at the three.

He has had success catching the ball outside the arc and working his way inside. Not to mention, he will be a great addition to the pick-and-roll offense. With his length and leaping ability, you can throw him a lot of passes and expect a finish.

On defense, Leslie is an improving shot blocker. His length forces a lot of players to try to shoot over him. Regardless if he records a block or not, his length and commitment on defense will allow him to be successful.

It won't matter if he is on the low-block or the wing, Leslie will be create match-up problems at any position.

Now lastly, Lorenzo Brown and Harrow will complement each other well in the backcourt. They're particularly the same but Brown has more height.

If Brown wanted to, I think he could be a great lead guard. He has great ball-handling skills, vision and the ability to score a lot on offense.

He has great size at 6-foot-4 and his ability to attack the rim cannot be taught.

I often witness him doing a nifty crossover move that freezes the defender. Once that happens, either he is still attacking or hitting the jump-shot.

Overall these three players will have a big year together. At the NC Pro Am, I witnessed great team chemistry and the winning mentality at all cost. There were no issues on who would be the most dominant in the offense.

No player tried to steal the spotlight or anything. It was all great teamwork displayed by the three and they'll be a great trio to watch once the season comes around.

Each of these players will have the chance to leave the program after one year. However, I don’t think that will happen. Each of these players will give the Wolfpack at least two years of college ball before thinking about a pro-career.