It can be hard to express just how much of a loss Manny Bates is for NC State — on both sides of the floor. Wit this current roster, he’s essentially irreplaceable. As much as his loss is felt, the Wolfpack are also going through a transition phase (of sorts) along the perimeter as well.
There’s one player in particular, though, who is ready to roll with increased responsibilities on offense: Dereon Seabron. During the first four games of the season, Seabron has averaged 20.6 points (58.2 FG%), 10.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals.
You could see some of this coming late last year — when NC State finally found its groove following the injury to Devon Daniels. The 6-foot-7 Seabron started to emerge as a dangerous open-floor player, hellbent on getting to the rim.
Dereon Seabron turning into a really promising grab-and-go transition player for NC State — found a groove in the half court as a weak-side cutter too, which offsets the unreliable 3-point shot. Seabron: 70 FG% at the rim over the last 5 games (16-23 FGA)
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) March 4, 2021
Seabron has picked up from where he left off in that regard, albeit with much greater volume. According to Bart Torvik’s shot data, Seabron is shooting 69.2 percent on close 2-point shots this season.
The volume, however, is what’s particularly impressive: over 80 percent of his total field goal attempts are coming around the basket.
While Seabron has had issues in the pick-and-roll this season, he’s been a monster in transition and on the offensive glass. According to Synergy, Seabron has scored 1.59 points per transition possession (86.7 FG%) this season, while also shooting 88.9 percent on put-back attempts after an offensive rebound.
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