N.C. State’s potential for a monster 2012-13 season is all there. A top5 recruiting class. A team roster that jelled at season’s end and also returns four starters from a Sweet 16 team.
If C.J. Leslie passes on the NBA draft, that is.
Leslie’s future was the talk of Monday’s N.C. State’s basketball banquet, which was reportedly a mix of celebration and anticipation. What else? The sophomore forward, perhaps the most physically gifted player on the State roster, says he’s still weighing options and isn’t “stressing about it.”
That means a decision isn’t coming anytime soon. Today’s NCAA withdrawal deadline doesn’t worry Leslie at all. He’s focused on the NBA’s deadline of April 29.
Teammate Lorenzo Brown told the Fayetteville Observer that he thinks Leslie’s coming back. Coach Mark Gottfried wishes he were as sure.
“We’ve talked a number of times,” Gottfried told the paper. “I think their family, quite honestly, has done a great job. I’ve had number of guys go through this process and they’ve been doing a nice job of gathering the most accurate information. After that, it just comes down to what they want. I have tried my best to stay back and not try to recruit him back. I think what’s important is that if Calvin is going to come back, he’s got to want to be a part of it. If he does, then it turns into something great.”
Leslie led N.C. State in scoring last season at 14.7 points per game and was second in rebounding (7.3 rpg).
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