Final Takeaways from NC State’s Upset of #2 Arizona

Beverly is the real deal
Not many were sure what to expect from Beverly. Sure, he was a  4-star kid who was a scorer in HS, but what would he be at this level? He’s only 6’0 tall and he’s not the quickest guy out there. Would he be able to live up to his billing?

I think he answered that question last night. 5-7 from the field, 3-5 from beyond the arc, 7-9 from the free throw line, and that wasn’t even the most impressive thing. What really should have Pack fans excited is his toughness.

Beverly showed zero fear as he took it into the teeth of the defense, hitting floaters and finding cutters. He took big shots and knocked them down, and as the game went on, the team started gravitating to him as a leader…and I think Wolfpack fans are only seeing the beginning of what this kid will become.

Freeman has more dimensions than expected
Al Freeman is feeling comfortable as a featured scorer. This is why Keatts brought him in and why he signed with State. This grad-transfer senior was underutilized at Baylor and showed just how dynamic he could be last night.

Wolfpack fans were expecting Freeman to be a lot like Trevor Lacey. A guy who can create off the dribble and favors the pull-up. What they ended up getting was much more. Keatts conditioning has changed Al Freman. He’s no longer just a guy who is going to shake you and settle for a pull-up. He’s stronger and quicker than he was at Baylor and his athleticism is starting to show.

He carried the Pack in this win, dropping 24 points on 7-18 shooting. He was the guy who wanted the ball in his hands and the guy who refused to let NC State give in. When Arizona made a run, Freeman answered, taking the ball right into the trees, inviting contact and finishing.

Where Freeman may have been even more impressive is in  his defensive effort on the NCAA’s leading scorer, Allonze Trier. Freeman’s physicality and tenacity bothered Trier a ton in the first half. The guy who came in averaging 30ppg only had 3 at the half. Sure, he ended up with 27, but it was a quasi-cheap 27. 0-5 from 3, a ton of bail-out calls on the drive and a few run out dunks that weren’t Freeman’s fault.

NC State knew they had a good player in Freeman, but what Keatts has uncovered is an elite scorer whose defense, toughness and experience could elevate the Wolfpack to a true contender.

The smaller lineup can play with anyone
We wondered if Keatts would give in and just go big against Arizona. No way. This is a guy who believes in his system and trusts in his player’s ability to compete with anyone.

Yes, Arizona got offensive boards on about 40% of their missed shots, but on the defensive glass, NC State tied the bigger Wildcats 24-24.

While they lost the battle of the offensive boards, they made up for it by speeding up the Wildcats, forcing them into shots they wouldn’t normally take and frustrating their guards by not allowing them to get where they wanted to go on the court.

This team will contend
Oh, Pack Insider, stop jumping to conclusions! It’s only 5 games in, you’re right, but winning basketball isn’t very complicated. It’s recipe is defense, discipline, toughness, focus, teamwork and belief. This team has all of that. Let us repeat what we put on Twitter last night…

This didn’t feel like the NC State of old. This team was poised. They believed they belonged. They knew that had worked harder this off-season and that builds confidence. In one word.. This was a FEARLESS performance.

This is 100% a credit to Kevin Keatts. He has been here just one off-season and already the ‘woah is me’ culture around NC State is all but dead. I mean, when was the last time you saw ESPN writes something like this…

What does all this mean in November? Perhaps nothing. But more likely, it’s a signal that this isn’t the NC State team the rest of the ACC was expecting — whether it’s Beverly’s late arrival or the small lineup playing big. The statement the Wolfpack made Wednesday was clear: Don’t hand the conference title off before this team has had a chance to show what it’s really made of. (ESPN)