Class is in session
“Shoot the shots that you shoot well”
“We’re paying you to make college 3’s”
“We should be trying to generate the shots that you shoot well, and avoiding the shots you don’t”
(The part not filmed, “Unless it’s mid-range jumpers”)
Around Raleigh with Coach Wade
Coach Wade continues introducing the fans to the players on his first Wolfpack team while at the same time introducing the players to some Wolfpack ‘must see’ locales.
In case you missed the previous episodes:
- Jerry Deng / Bell tower
- Terrance Arceneaux / Reynolds Coliseum
- Tre Holloman / Raleigh Times
- Ven-Allen Lubin / Amedeo’s
- Darrion WIlliams / Player’s Retreat
- Jordan Snell / Lonnie Poole Golf Course
- Quadir Copeland / Pullen Park
- Paul McNeil / Bronze Wolf
Quick Refresher:
6’ 3” / 190 lb. guard Alyn Breed was the first player Coach Wade signed at NC State. He was a 4-star transfer from McNeese State. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining. (one COVID season, one injury redshirt)
Alyn grew up in Powder Spring, GA and attended McEachen High School. As a senior, he helped lead his team to a 32-0 mark, earning a #1 national ranking, and winning the Georgia Class 7A State Championship.
He then did a post-grad season at IMG Academy, averaging 16 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
He attended Providence for three seasons; his COVID-shortened freshman season he averaged 5.0 / 2.1 / .9. His sophomore season he averaged 3.2 / 1.2 / .8. His junior season he averaged 4.8 / 2.4 / 1.5.
Coach Wade then lured him to McNeese State which (at the time) required him to sit out a transfer season. Last season he played only two games before injuring his knee, but in those games, he averaged 17.5 / 3.0 / 1.5 and 1.5 steals.
Mr. Breed is a mystery.
While he was a role player at Providence, it was generally agreed that he was the best player on last season’s McNeese St NCAAT team. Here’s the concerns:
- Breed was only cleared to practice in the last couple of months after knee surgery that took nearly a year to heal. That knee hasn’t been in basketball game playing shape for a really long time. He missed the offseason conditioning and skills training, which really could have helped get him ready.
- He has only played two games in the last two seasons. He had to sit a transfer season, and then all but the two games last season due to the injury. He’s got to be a little rusty.
- In the 88 games he played at Providence, he never started for even half of a season. He started 30 total games there. He started 13 games as a freshman, and that was the most he ever started in a season. (although he probably would have started all last season)
- In his 90-game career, he’s only scored double digits 11 times (four times in a season twice were his highs).
- Before those two games last season, he’d never averaged as much as 20 minutes a game in his career.
- He’s a career 26% 3PT shooter. That alone might be enough to push McNeil / Able in front of him. However, Coach Wade says he can shoot it.
HOWEVER, at Providence Alyn spent his last two seasons playing behind BE POY and NBA first round draft pick, Devin Carter. Coach Wade saw something and put him in an entirely different role at McNeese. Breed became the player initiating the offense and a player relied on to create his own shot. Had he played the entire season, we might see him in an entirely different light. He’s 23 years old with a lot of high-quality experience, he was well coached by Ed Cooley at Providence, and he’s played 4 games in the NCAA tournament including an S16 run. If he’s healthy, he might surprise us all.
