NC State Wolfpack vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Gametime: 8:00 pm Streaming: WatchESPN App Location: Raleigh, NC
Getting to know Wake… The Demon Deacons enter this game at 8-9 on the season and are 1-4 in ACC play. They have lost 5 of their last 6, with their only win coming at home against Syracuse (who have lost 4 of their last 5).
They are led by a group of experienced guards. 6’3 junior, Bryant Crawford is their leading scorer, averaging 16 points and 5 boards per game. This guy is going to shoot a lot. He’s averaging almost 13 FGAs per game and he’s hitting 40% from the field and 38% from 3pt range.
Next up is 6’3 junior, Keyshawn Woods. He is averaging nearly 15ppg and doing so with great efficiency. He’s shooting 49% from the floor and 43% from long range.
At PG is Mitchell Wilbiken. He’s a senior who is more leader than anything else. He shoots a lot of 3s and is connecting at a career-high 43% right now. He is averaging 9 points per game.
Just to note, these 3 guys ravaged the Pack last time these two teams met at home. They combined for 44 points on 14-17 shooting.
Aside from these guys, Wake has emerging scorer Brandon Childress, who over his past two games has come alive, scoring 17 vs V.Tech and 11 vs Duke. He is the son of former Wake great Randolph Childress an another shooter to watch out for.
In the middle is the only big man that NC State really needs to worry about, junior Doral Moore. He’s 7’1 and athletic. He’s averaging 9 points and 8 rebounds per game, but he does almost all his damage right around the basket. He isn’t a big that is going to extend out and knock down jumpers, and his movements and handles on the drive are awkward. But, get this guy close and he’s dunking.
As you can see, Moore is also a game changer in the paint. He is the nation’s 34th best offensive rebounder (Based on OR%) and he’s a very good shot blocker (avg. over 2 blocks per game.).
Keys to the game for NC State…
NC State is going to have to defend. That’s the bottom line here. Having Markell Johnson back for this game, in our opinion, gives State a gigantic boost matchup-wise. The Wake guards are big and can shoot, but they can be bothered and rushed by great defensive pressure. The more pressure you give them, the quicker they’re going to settle for bad shots, and really that is their Achilles heel.
Find the right rotation. This is going to be on Keatts. Wake is going to have 3 really good scoring guards on the floor at all times. They will likely play a stretch 4 some of the time and try to go small. Keatts needs to figure out the best plan of attack. With Johnson back, State has the option of matching that with Dorn shifting to the 4. With Terrance Thompson likely to get most of the minutes at the 4, and his offense being a little suspect, maybe State goes big and punishes them with Abu or Freeman. The flow of the game and how guys are performing will work this out, but it’s something to watch for.
Play together. I want to stop putting this as a ‘key to the game’ because I want it to just be a part of who this team is, however that is not the case yet. Too many times when momentum shifts to their opponeent, NC State start going 1 on 1 every time down. The return of Markell Johnson could help stop this,m as he is the team leader in assists and is able to create for his teammates when the shot clock starts running down.
Speed them up, turn them over. Wake has good guards, but they can be turned over (especially Crawford). State needs to speed them up and get them out of their comfort zone. This will lead to quick shots and maybe even some TOs. With Johnson back in the mix, Keatts has the ability to really ramp up the defense by putting him and Batts on the floor together for spurts.
Win the battle of the glass. If NC State keeps Doral Moore off the glass, they win. If they allow him to start racking up the offensive boards, then this will be close. Yurtseven really needs to stay out of foul trouble tonight and see if he can’t get Moore on teh bench early with a few quick calls. That would change the game drastically since Wake doesn’t have much front court depth.
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.
News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.
After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.
This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.
James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.
He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.
Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.
Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.
Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.
Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.
After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.
ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.
With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.
NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.
