Daniels, Funderburk lead Wolfpack to impressive 111-62 exhibition win over Chowan (Story and box score)

This year’s Wolfpack might have a lot of new faces, but the uptempo, relentless, Kevin Keatts’ style of play is back.

NC State wore down Chowan with an onslaught of intense defensive pressure and an offensive attack that seemed to be capable of coming from all angles. When the dust settled, the Wolfpack had slaughtered the Hawks 111-62.

Devon Daniels led the charge, going 8-16 (3-6 from 3pt range) from the floor for 22 points and DJ Funderburk was a perfect 7-7 from the floor for 20 points. Torin Dorn finished with 11 while freshman Jericole Hellems and grad-transfer Eric Lockett also pitched in 11. Markell Johnson finished with 9 points (4-6 shooting) and 6 assists.

Keatts played a ton of different combinations, showing off the true versatility of this basketball team. As Chowan wore down, Keatts continued to throw wave after wave of full-court pressing athletes at thee. That resulted in 24 turnovers and a seriously rattled backcourt.

NC State finished the game with 53 deflections (and number Keatts holds close to his heart) and really made life hard on the Chowan guards. Blake Harris, a sophomore transfer from Missouri, was the ringleader of the press. As a point man on the ball handler, Harris set the tone for his teammates. The Chowan guards didn’t get a single possession to rest. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack almost seemed to get stronger as the game went on.

Chowan finished shooting 41.9% from the floor, but NC State ended up shooting a blistering 58.6% and 42.9% from beyond the arc. They had 15 steals and 23 assists on 41 made baskets.

Overall, fans had to come away impressed. The effort and focus were that of a team playing their rival, not in a season-opening exhibition. The chemistry looked a lot better than expected for a team with so many new faces.

Next up is the real season opener at the PNC vs. Mount St. Marys, Tuesday, Nov 6th at 7pm.

Stay tuned for our player by player breakdown tomorrow morning, along with video interviews from the players and Kevin Keatts press conference.