NC State and Fairfield square off today at 2 PM at PNC Arena on ACC Network Extra (which can be found on ESPN3). Coach Gottfried and company will need to have a good game plan to take away the leading scorer in the MAAC, Tyler Nelson. What are some of the keys to the game to help State improve to 9-2 on the season?

1. Limit clean looks for Tyler Nelson…

Nelson is capable of scoring in bunches, his game high is 38 points, and is leading the MAAC in PPG. Terry Henderson will be tasked with utilizing his length and athleticism  to slow Nelson down. The Pack must keep an active tab on Nelson on the break and off of offensive rebounds. NC State will have to change their normal tendencies and pick up Nelson sooner to guard against deep threes. Henderson and company will have to be in control on their closeouts and not bite on shot fakes. Fairfield’s chances of beating NC State depends on Nelson’s scoring and being efficient.

2. Limit Sidibe on the glass…

Amadou Sidibe has been on a mission to grab every rebound this season and is leading the MAAC in RPG at 11.9. In his last 5 games, he is averaging 15 boards a contest and has chipped in 14 PPG in that stretch. It will be rebounding by a committee for NC State to limit Sidibe. Abu, Anya, Kapita, and Yurtseven must put a body on him, as he accounts for 31% of their total team rebounds. By taking away Sidibe, NC State should be able to cripple Fairfield on the glass.

3. Keep the ball moving on offense…

NC State scored 97 points in their last game, and looked more fluid on offense; however, they still need to attack more with the pass instead of the dribble. Omer Yurtseven’s skill set looks to be a stabilizing force for NC State. His shooting, patience, and passing opened the floor up for the Pack. It was fun watching the movement off-ball when Omer had the ball in the low post or the high post. Ball movement should become more fluid as State gains experiences playing with each other and roles continue to become concrete.

4. Balanced scoring from NC State should be too much for the Stags…

At full strength for the first time in their last game the Wolfpack had success, 97 points, 50% from FG, 50% from three, 82.9 from FT, and 6 players in double figures. This balance will make it difficult for Fairfield to match up against the Pack. NC State’s depth and balance should overwhelm the Stags and result in another notch in the win column.

Fairfield should be a good test for State as they must take away a talented scorer in Tyler Nelson as well as a barometer to test their conditioning . Look for NC State to wear down the Stags with their depth and size as they march on through non-conference play.