18 North Carolina State

The Wolfpack's only real experience is where it is needed most—in the back-court. Maybe. Senior Nate McMillan is so versatile that Valvano is at a loss as to where to deploy him. Before practice began, Valvano was undecided on whether the 6'5" McMillan would play point guard. Then he watched McMillan hand out 13 assists in one scrimmage. "I'll just wind him up and put him out there. But I need him in too many places," he complained. "Nate follows the shot, he chases the loose ball and he gets back on defense."

McMillan will surely spend time quarterbacking the offense, especially if sophomore Quentin Jackson can't handle the job. "I'm pretty sure that as the season goes on, I'll do other things," McMillan says. "They're looking for me to score this year. It really doesn't make a difference where I play." Ernie Myers, the lone remaining member of the 1983 NCAA championship team, will probably start at second guard, if only because he doesn't get ruffled. "He's the only one who knows what it takes," Valvano says. "Forget that. He knows what it feels like."

The safest bet is that the starting five in the opener against Western Carolina won't be the same five who start in the first round of the ACC tournament. If there are no freshmen playing 25 minutes come March, then something went wrong.