NC State
IUPUI
Rowan Seizing Starting Opportunity
11/17/2015 2:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (1-1) vs. IUPUI (1-1) | ||
| Date | Wednesday, Nov. 18 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena – Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | GoPack.com | |
| Television | ESPN3 (Andrew Sanders, Chris Corchiani Sr.) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | IUPUI | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | IUPUI | |
| Live Stats | GoPack.com | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
Just seven minutes into the season, NC State saw starting guard Terry Henderson go down with an ankle injury that is expected to sideline the redshirt junior for several weeks. In the absence of Henderson, NC State and head coach Mark Gottfried have been charged with replacing Henderson's output with a thin roster. While many players will be counted on to contribute, freshman Maverick Rowan moved into the starting lineup and showed he can be counted on to fill the void in an 88-70 win over South Alabama on Sunday night.
Upon making his first career start, the crowd welcomed Rowan to his new home with cheers aplenty.
"The crowd was great. We have a great student body and hearing how they reacted to me was special," the 6-7 freshman said.
A highly-recruited wing who signed in August, Rowan provides depth at a critical position for the Pack's athletic, up-and-down tempo. With the unfortunate injury to Henderson and just eight scholarship players in uniform for an NC State team that played 48 hours prior, the Wolfpack players' stamina was tested against a South Alabama team that played a hard and physical style. Rowan still started strong, scoring nine points in the first half, tying with Caleb Martin to lead NC State's offensive efforts.
"I came out and hit my first shot and that set the tone for the night. Overall, it felt good being out there. The team came together even more after the opening night loss and it showed in the result," Rowan said about his performance in the first half.
Filling Henderson's vital role in the starting lineup became a collaborative effort for the Wolfpack. Utilizing a rotation of Rowan, the Martin twins and Shaun Kirk, Gottfried sees this time as a developmental period for the group of players asked to contribute more with Henderson sidelined.
During Sunday's postgame press conference, Gottfried spoke on the joint effort needed to replace Henderson.
"You know it's hard to replace a guy like Terry but we've got a lot to teach," the head coach said. "Those guys have a lot to learn, but we did some good things today."
As the season progresses and the squad continues to find its identity, Rowan showcased the ability to be a critical piece to the puzzle.
With the support of the Wolfpack Nation, this could be the start of a memorable time for Rowan.
-- story by Cherif Gueye
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THE STARTING 5 Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. LEGENDS CLASSICÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
With a two-game trip to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn looming, NC State continues regional round play at home against IUPUI. The Pack, coming off an 88-70 win over South Alabama on Sunday, will play Arizona State and either LSU or Marquette in New York after Wednesday night's contest. A potential match-up with LSU on Nov. 24 would be a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament game in Pittsburgh, when the Pack edged the Tigers 66-65 on a last-second shot by BeeJay Anya. The most famous NC State-Marquette game of course, was State's 76-64 win over Marquette in the 1974 national title game.Â
2. CALEB BECOMING A WOLFPACK WARRIORÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
When NC State had the instructors from The Program come to campus this fall, the Wolfpack players pushed themselves mentally and physically to their limits. At the end of the grueling two days, it was Caleb Martin who the instructors dubbed 'The Spartan Warrior'. Martin was lauded as the team's best leader during the two days and demonstrated teamwork and mental and physical toughness. That has translated onto the court for the 6-7 sophomore wing, who is averaging 20.0 points per game after two contests. He set career highs for points (21), field goals (8), 3-pointers made (5), steals and minutes (38) against William & Mary and the followed that with a team-best 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting against USA. The two season-opening performances are the highest scoring outputs of Martin's career.
3. HENDERSON EXPECTED TO MISS 6-8 WEEKS Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Terry Henderson, a redshirt junior from Raleigh who was projected as a starter for NC State this season, is expected to miss a minimum of 6-8 weeks after tearing ligaments in his right ankle on Friday night. He received x-rays and an MRI during the William & Mary game and will be continually monitored and evaluated. Henderson suffered the setback just seven minutes into his Wolfpack career after sitting out the 2014-15 season as a transfer. He averaged 11.7 points per game as a sophomore at West Virginia in 2013-14.
4. HOW TO FILL HENDERSON'S VOID?                                  Â
With just eight eligible scholarship players, Mark Gottfried will need to be strategic in every area from substitutions and lineups to practice planning. Henderson's unfortunate injury has opened the door for several young players to gain experience and extended playing time. Caleb Martin has started both games and figures to play the majority of the minutes, while 6-7 freshman Maverick Rowan is averaging 15.5 points per game and will be asked to contribute more. Gottfried has tabbed Cody Martin as a versatile wild card player who can play multiple spots, and athletic 6-8 freshman Shaun Kirk may also be considered to help provide minutes.
5. SO, HOW'S IUPUI?                                         Â
Under second-year head coach Jason Gardner, IUPUI enters Wednesday's game with a 1-1 record that includes a road victory at Indiana State last Friday. The Jaguars lost in overtime at Marquette 75-71 on Monday night in a contest that began 9 p.m. ET. The NC State-IUPUI contest is set to begin 43 hours after IUPUI's game at Marquette ended.
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