RALEIGH – North Carolina State opens its third season under Mark Gottfried with a lot of new faces on the roster.

N.C.State opens practice Tuesday with only three scholarship players who saw action last year. The Wolfpack’s roster includes six freshmen as well as a junior college transfer, leaving last year’s preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorite with only a few players who have even played major Division I basketball.

Gottfried called it an exciting challenge to mold this group into a team, though he said it’s “a tall order” for N.C.State to reach the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore point guard Tyler Lewis said it was good to have a fresh start from last year, when the Wolfpack struggled under the pressure from lofty expectations and went one-and-done in the NCAA tournament.