Wolfpack Opens ACC Play vs. Pitt

NC State Wolfpack vs. Pitt Panthers 
12 noon | PNC Arena | Raleigh, NC | TV: ACCNetwork

The Wolfpack open up ACC play against the Pitt Panthers. Pitt is a newcomer to the ACC who is looking to make an early splash, and come into this game with only one loss on the season.

The Panthers opened up this season on a 10 game winning streak before falling to Cincinnati by 1, in an ugly 44-43 matchup. Their wins of note have been Texas Tech, Stanford and Penn State.

Player to watch
Pitt’s big-time scorer is senior guard Lamar Patterson. This kid is 6’5 and can score it in a variety of ways. You might list him as a forward on some nights because he really is more of a tweener, but that doesn’t stop him from dominating. He’s averaging 16. 8ppg, nearly 5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He’s a do it all guy that can score in the middle or knock down the 3 ball. He’s hitting 43% of his 3s.

Home Sweet Home
One thing Pitt hasn’t done this season is win on the road. The reason is because this is their first road game. That will be a factor because Pitt is a pretty young team overall, even though their leaders are seniors.

By the Numbers
Pitt is currently averaging 76.9 points per game, 38.6 rebounds per game and are shooting 48% from the field. Compare that to NC State’s 75.3ppg, 36.5 rebounds per game and a FG% of 48.3. That final number for State is a little skewed because of their abysmal 3 point shooting. Actually, State is one of the best teams in the nation in FG% inside the arc. State is 14th in the nation in that category at 55.3%. Then you need to add in the fact that they are #1 in the nation in 2-point scoring distribution at 65%. That means NC State scores a higher percentage of its points on made 2-point field goals than anyone in the nation.

The Matchup
Both of these teams like to get out and run. Usually that isn’t the case with Pitt, who is known as a ‘grind-it-out’ type of team. This year, however, they have been productive on the break. They are, like usual, very big and very strong. NC State is certainly going to have a tough time matching up with them size wise. Most guys on the Wolfpack are fresh out of high school or a year removed, while Pitt has a team that looks like a group of grown men. Pitt is also very, very good defensively. They are always in passing lanes and very good at help and recover.

The key for the Pack is to take care of the ball. It will be interesting to see how the game is officiated, because Pitt likes to use their muscle to dictate the game. They like to bump, nudge and push on defense so the ball handler can’t get to where he wants to go. This year the refs have been very tight on the bumping calls, so we’ll have to wait and see. This will be a big game for Barber, Lee and Lewis who will need to make sure they can get to their spots against a well-coached defensive team.

 
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