Where has Ralston Turner been? I am sure it is a question many Wolfpack fans have been asking themselves as Turner has struggled the past couple of games, but I want to go on record and say that Ralston will have a big impact on the game tonight. A lot of attention has been given to Cat Barber and Trevor Lacey and rightfully so; however, Ralston hasn’t been off by much in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. His shooting numbers are way down as he has gone 2-14 from distance in the Tournament thus far.

I am confident that Ralston will have some good looks tonight and will be prepared to knock them down. As we look back on the travesty that was the Duke game in the ACC Tournament there wasn’t many positives to be gained but Ralston played well. Versus Duke Ralston had 16 points and shot 60 percent from the field. I honestly think that Louisville will present a similar look as they will pressure Barber and Lacey which could leave Turner open; like he was against Duke. The great thing about Ralston is that he is unafraid to miss! What do I mean? Well we have seen Ralston miss 6 or 7 shots in a row only to make his next 5. This trait is rare as it shows that he is mentally tough as well as confident in his abilities. I love when players display the mental fortitude to move past mistakes or missed shots only to make game altering plays minutes later.

Tonight we will see a great game from Ralston and he is the X-Factor who will most likely determine if NC State wins tonight. I don’t have any predictions as to how many points he will have but I am confident in saying that he will play a great game tonight. Look for Turner to be aggressive in finding his pull up jumper. I have said it all season that I feel like he is at his best when he looks to hunt that 12-15 foot jump shot. Once Ralston sees the ball go through the net; we have all witnessed the fireworks that can erupt when he gets confident. There haven’t been many players that I can think of that have represented North Carolina State University better than Ralston Turner. Let’s hope that his career can go a couple more games!