Wolfpack Needs Win Today vs Miami

NC State Wolfpack vs. Miami Hurricanes
2pm | Miami, FL | ESPN3
Miami might be 2-7 in the league coming into this game, but that doesn’t mean the Wolfpack should take them lightly. State is coming off a 14 point loss to rival UNC, while Miami is coming over an overtime loss to #25 Pitt. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.

Miami Player to Watch: Rion Brown
Miami’s only true scoring threat is Rion Brown. The senior guard is averaging about 15 points and 6 boards per game. He’s really been on a role lately as well. Brown has scored over 20 in two of his last three and went for 15 in the other one. He’s big, at 6-6 and causes a lot of matchup problems. Ralston Turner will likely be the best cover, size-wise but you could see Warren or the smaller Lee on him at times. Miami also has Garrius Adams and Donnavan Kirk who both average about 9ppg, but neither are significant game changers. Truth be told, Miami has trouble scoring, so if NC State can get out on the break and put up points, the Canes don’t have much of a chance in this one.

Miami Matches Up Well with NC State
Miami is the type of team that could really give the Wolfpack fits. They like to play slow, they are physical and they are going to sit in their zone almost all game. State likes to play fast, has struggled against physical teams and hasn’t really been able to shoot other teams out of their zone. State’s goal is going to be to speed up Miami, beat them down the floor and attack before their zone is set. That means you’re going to see 3/4 court presses, and traps throughout this game.

Dez Lee is the Key
In our opinion, it’s Lee, not Warren who hold the destiny of this team in his hands. Sure, no player is as important as Warren, but TJ can only do so much. He’s been consitently great this season, but too many times his help has been too little too late. It’s time for Dez Lee to step up as a leader and come out aggressive early in the game. He’s a play maker who can get to the rim, get to the line and make things happen. If he stays aggressive and Warren can do his thing, State has a good shot here.

By the Numbers
Miami scores nearly 61 points per game, shoots 42% and grabs 35 rebounds per game. State scores 71ppg, shoots 47% and grabs 35 rebounds per game. On paper this is State’s game to lose, but anything can happen when you go on the road in the ACC.

Must Win Game for State
Gottfried and company are 14-8 and 4-5 in the ACC. If State wants to be a sure bet for the big dance then they’re going to have to go on a run. We suspect that State is going to at least need to go 5-4 the rest of the way if they want to be firmly on the bubble. That means they’d be sitting at 19-12 overall and 9-9 in the league. But all that isn’t going to be so easy. They have a pretty tough stretch coming up. They still have Syracuse and Clemson, both on the road and then a huge matchup with UNC before they travel to Pitt. This young team has their work cut out for them, but if they really do want to make this run, they can’t let games like this slip away. Beating who you are supposed to beat is very important right now.