NC State Basketball

Scouting the Competition: #25 Missouri Tigers

Published

10 years ago

December 26, 2013

The looming Saturday matchup with #25 Missouri is going to be a huge test for this young Wolfpack team. This is their first run in with a ranked opponent and will be playing their first game after a week long layoff for Christmas.

This is also a huge game here at PackInsider.com. See, my wife is a Missouri grad and a die-hard Tigers fan. After years of rooting for Missouri as my second favorite college team, I will be turning my back on them this weekend.

The good news, however, is that I’m going to be able to give you the most in-depth Missouri preview possible, thanks to the fact that I’ve watched every minute of nearly every game over the past 4 season. With that said, let’s get into it.

– Players to Watch
You might remember this team from last year. They were powered by the do-it all point guard Phil Pressey, who has since left for the NBA. This year they’re back with a tandem of dangerous guards in Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson. These two guys are both big, fast scoring guards. Clarkson (6’5, 193 lbs) leads the team in scoring at 19 ppg, while Brown (6’5, 215lbs) adds 18 ppg.

Clarkson is a Tulsa transfer who loves to slash. He is taller than most point guards and is very quick for his size. He makes a living slashing and scoring at the rim. He’s very good in transition, but he’s not a deadly outside shooter. State is going to be outmatched size-wise, but can still slow Clarkson by keeping him out of the lane and making him settle for 3s.

Brown, on the other hand, is more of a shooter. He’s hitting 42% of his 3s (which is the same as Ralston Turner for State) and he’s shooting a lot of them. This guy is a lot more physical than Clarkson and has the ability to drive and attack when he wants to. Brown will likely draw Dez Lee, who will need to go over top of screens to stop open looks from the perimeter, but will need the bigs to hedge and help because he’s almost as dangerous when he catches the ball going towards the rim.

– Style and Pace
This is a Frank Haith team. You probably remember Haith from his days at Miami, where he was always running out a lot of good athletes, but year after year his teams lacked discipline. Well, not much has changed. This Missouri team is as talented as they come, but if they’re not hitting their shots, they can get sloppy. They like to play at a pretty hectic pace and would rather not set up in the half court if they can avoid it. The same can be said about NC State, so be ready for a track meet when these teams collide on Saturday night.

– A Look at the Numbers
Missouri and NC State are really pretty even when you look at the numbers. Missouri averages 78 ppg to NC State’s 77 ppg. The Tigers are a little better on the boards, pulling down 40 rebounds per game to the Wolfpack’s 37. Both teams average 5 steals per game, and State averages 5 blocks to Mizzou’s 4. These teams are only 2 assists apart per game with the Pack at 14 and the Tigers at 12. Both teams also shoot 49% for the season.

Here are a few areas where the numbers differ and how they could affect the game:

• Missouri is a better shooting team from beyond the arc and from the free throw line. They shoot 37% from 3 and 71% from the line, while NC State only shoots 31% from 3 and 66% from the line.

• NC State protects the basketball better. Even though this team is young, they have done a great job at taking care of the ball and really cherishing possessions. State turns it over only 10 times per game, while Mizzou turns it over 14 times. Their main culprits are their guards, Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown, both of whom are over 2.5 TOs per game. Only Cat Barber (freshman) turns it over more than twice a game for State.

– Who are their Role Players?
It’s very likely that this basketball game comes down to the team that has the better role players. Sure, Brown and Clarkson will get theirs, but who steps up after that?

Mizzou isn’t as deep as they once were. Even though Haith likes to run out 10 or 11 guys per game, it’s usually to Missouri’s detriment. This is a team with a lot of transfers and a lot of young guys that simply hasn’t gotten to the chance to gel quite yet. In my opinion, the reason for this is Haith never letting a group get comfortable together. He’s constantly subbing and trying new combinations. I’d like to think that this is due to the season being young and him still getting to know his team, but he’s been doing this for years at Miami and now at Missouri. While State does have to game plan for a lot of different guys and combinations, Missouri really only has 6 or 7 guys that are actually dangerous and game changing. Here are some of their ‘glue guys’ that State should plan for:

• Earnest Ross (14 ppg / 6 rpg) – You might remember this kid from the local papers in Raleigh. He was a standout at Panther Creek HS and was lightly recruited by Sidney Lowe. He ended up at Auburn and like most of this Missouri team, transferred in after a couple years. This kid has massive shoulders, stands 6’5 and slots in as a guard. Honestly though, Ross isn’t as dangerous as it might seem. He’s a real hustle guy and a true streak shooter, but he doesn’t move that well laterally and he doesn’t really elevate to the rim well. That being said, he can get hot from 3. On the break he likes to drift to the corner for the kick-out 3 ball. His game reminds me a lot of former NC State wingman Courtney Fells. He’s big, athletic, hustles and can really lock down on defense, but he just hasn’t quite seemed to put it all together. Now don’t get me wrong, Ross is a factor for this team. He plays at break neck speed, rebounds well and defends really well, but he’s just a little out of control overall.

• Jonathan Williams III (7 ppg / 8 rpg)- Williams is a freshman big who has come in and really taken the lead in the Missouri front court. He’s 6’9 and weighs in at 210lbs. He’s not a beast by any means, but he’s a fighter on the blocks and he’s pretty quick down there. He was always pegged to be pretty good, a 4 star who ranked #35 in his class according to Rivals.com.

• Outside of those guys, Missouri has guys like Tony Criswell who is a decent big who can float out and hit a few mid-range jumpers and can get physical inside when he puts his mind to it, Wes Clark, a talented but short freshman guard who is still looking to break out, and Ryan Rosberg, a 6’10 sophomore big who plays a lot like former Wolfpacker Ben McCauley in the middle. All three of those guys have a ton of potential but seem to be held back by Haith’s style of play and his constant subbing patterns.

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Overall, NC State and Missouri are very, very evenly matched. They are both young and exciting teams that like to play a break-neck speeds. It’s going to be a true battle this Saturday night at the PNC. Make sure you’re tuned in…

NC State Wolfpack vs Missouri Tigers
Saturday, 8pm | PNC Arena Raleigh
ESPN2

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

19 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

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This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.