NC State got back on track by taking out St. Joseph’s 73-63 in their Paradise Jam finale.

The Pack got off to a slow start but got back on track thanks to sharp shooting from Torin Dorn, Terry Henderson, and Dennis Smith Jr. The 3 guards led the way with a combined 58 points and were outstanding beyond the arc, going 17-34.

St. Joe’s came out hot, but simply couldn’t handle the Wolfpack athletes. State was just too quick and too strong at the guard position. Once again, however, there was a glaring weakness in the paint for the Pack. Abu did have 12 points and 10 boards, and he is not to blame. The blame falls on the fact that Kapita and Yurtseven both not being able to compete. In their absence, Anya played 16 minutes, had 3 points, 2 boards, and 2 blocks. Simply put, NC State needs more out of this position if they want to be a contender. There really was no reason that St. Joe’s should have beaten the Wolfpack on the boards like they did (43-33), and no reason that teams in this tournament should have been as successful in the paint as they were. I think the added competition for the two spots in the post is going to make NC State a much better, more well-rounded ball club in the near future.

Aside from lapses on defense and poor rebounding, this was a good win for NC State. They were able to show that they could bounce back from a loss. It was close down the stretch so it challenged the guy to close out a game when a team makes a late run. It also was another game under the belt for this young team who seems to be just giving us glimpses of what they might soon become.

Along with all of those positives in this tournament was the play and emergence of Dennis Smith Jr.(who was named to the All-Tournament team) We finally are seeing him shake off the rust and start to play aggressive. We are seeing just how good he can be when he decides to take control. For instance, he’s just as dangerous a finisher, as he is a passer. This creates a major problem for teams on the break and off the ball screen. You put defenders into a choose your poison positions. See below.

One of the best dunks that didn't count you'll see this season, courtesy of @PackMensBball https://t.co/od6rIbHrlT

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) November 22, 2016

We're just gonna stick to cool dunking GIFs for the rest of the game if that's okay with you, @SJUHawks_MBB and @PackMensBball. #paradisejam pic.twitter.com/hypy4rI1rr

— Paradise Jam (@paradisejam) November 22, 2016

With Smith coming alive, Henderson finding his stroke, and Dorn and Abu putting up steady gaudy stat lines, this Wolfpack teams looks like it’s about a month away from reaching it’s full form. And when that happens, we are in for a treat.

Next up is Loyola on Saturday at 4pm at the PNC.