Game Preview: State Looks To Keep Rolling vs. Long Beach State

NC State Wolfpack vs. Long Beach State 49ers
Today | 2:00PM | Raleigh, NC | RSN (Fox Sports)

NC State is coming off a brilliant 21 point win over Northwestern and want to keep the momentum building as they take on the 1-8 Long Beach State 49ers.

Long Beach State is looking to turn things around after a 8 game skid that included losses to Arizona, Michigan, K State and Washington. Now, an 8 game losing streak is never good, but it’s not like they’ve played a light schedule either. The 49ers have been playing ranked teams and honestly have more experience with top tier teams than NC State does right now. Does that mean that the Wolfpack is going to have a tough time against them? I doubt it, but this team isn’t going to be surprised by NC State’s size or speed.

Players to watch: (Long Beach State)
Long Beach State is led by junior guard Mike Caffey who comes in averaging 16 points per game and over 4 assists. Caffey is good, but he’s only coming in at around 6’0 and with Barber and Lee both having great success on smaller guards thus far, I think I like State’s matchup with him.

Inside they have West Virginia transfer, in his second season with Long Beach State, Dan Jennings. He’s a big (and I mean BIG) 6’9 senior who actually could give the Pack some trouble. He averages 12 points and 8 boards per game. This guy is physically imposing and built like an elite football player, so he’s going to want to bang inside. Vandy is going to have to play smart and not get into foul trouble in this one.

Player to watch: (NC State)
Tonight I think the key is for Cat Barber and Jordan Vandenberg to play big. I think you could always put TJ in this category, because without him I’m not sure where State would get their scoring from, however Barber and Vandy have big matchups in this one. Barber is going to have to stop Caffey. This guy has scored over 20 points on numerous occasions already this season and he’s gong to try to get off early against State. He’s small, but he’s quick and he’s a real ball player. Barber will have his work cut out for him, but he’s already proven he’s a gamer on the defensive end.

As for Vandy, he’s going to face his biggest challenge thus far. Dan Jennings is a physical monster. He’s huge and he loves throwing his weight around. Big V hasn’t really gotten to play against any real front court talent quite yet, so this is a nice test for him. He’s prone to fouling when guys start bumping with him, so Gottfried is going to have to be on him all night. State needs him in the game on both ends of the floor, so keeping him off the sidelines will be vital.

Can NC State beat them?
If NC State doesn’t play awful then they should win by a nice margin. The key is going to be protecting the basketball and defending the Caffey/Jennings combo. Now, this game isn’t going to be some 3 point shoot out because neither team is having any luck behind the arc. The Pack comes in dead last in the ACC at 26.7% and Long Beach State isn’t much better at 27.2%. This is going to be a fast break game played on the break and around the rim.

The 49ers are still looking for role players to step up. They lost 4 of their top scorers last season and haven’t really been able to replace them. This is a team that has won the Big West Conference 3 times running and is used to winning, however after losing 8 straight they might be doing something wrong. State seems to be taking them on at the right time.

Here’s a nice video previewing the season for Long Beach State: