Previewing NC State’s Opponent: Maryland Eastern Shore

We were asked the question recently on why we waste time previewing these early season games against teams like Maryland Easter Shore. The answer is simple and comes in two parts.

1) We want to provide the most in-depth NC State basketball coverage on the internet, and this is part of doing that.

and…

2) We want to help cater to the informed Wolfpack fan. For instance, if you are reading this article, you likely aren’t worried about Maryland Eastern Shore’s ability to beat the Wolfpack, but you might be interested in what this team has done this season, what style of play they’ll bring to the table and what positions their strongest players play. This information isn’t all that important for THIS game alone, but it is important to learn how this NC State team reacts to different styles of play or different types of players. It can help to be a future data point when predicting larger, more meaningful games.

So now that is out the way, let’s move onto the preview.

Haven’t heard much about Maryland Eastern Shore? Don’t feel bad, when a team goes  3-13 season in the MEAC Conference it tends to not do much for your brand. However, this is a new season for the Hawks and they have a few more pieces this year that they hope can help them turn things around.

Maryland Eastern Shore has three guys to really watch out for this season.

Tyler Jones (6’7, junior, F)
Jones was the leader of last years’ 3-13 squad. The then-sophomore led all scorers at 12 points per game and added 5 rebounds. Jones wants to be that versatile wing, but honestly, it seems when he gets too far away from the hoop he doesnt’ have the ability to make the defense respect him out there. Last season he shot 92 3s and only connected on 22 of those (24%).  This season, he’s back, but he may be taking a back seat to a couple underclassmen who actually had pretty decent games against Georgetown in their season-opening loss. Meanwhile, Jones only finished with 2 points in that one.

AJ Cheeseman (6’6, sophomore, F)
Cheeseman is a sophomore transfer from UNO. During his freshman season he actually only played 4 minutes per game and didn’t do very much. So why is he a guy we’re keying on in this matchup? Well, he did open up the season by dropping 19 points on Georgetown. Again, this is not a guy who is going to beat you from the outside, but he does have some ability to score it from 15 feet and in.

Brian Urrutia (6’1, junior, G)
Urrutia is playing his first season at UMES, but he’s no rookie. The junior guard is coming in from Cochise Junior College (one of the best JUCOs in the southwest) where he averaged 12 points and 8 assists per game. He’s not really known as a big-time scorer, but he did put up 13 in his D-1 debut against Georgetown. He’s a creator who gets in the lane and makes things happen. For the Wolfpack, keeping him in front is going to be the key to making sure he doesn’t create havoc.

Aside from these 3 guys, the Hawks really don’t have any true weapons, but don’t sleep on them. In their season-opener at Georgetown, UMES only lost by 15 and forced the Hoyas into 19 turnovers. This game will likely be played at a very fast pace and should play right into the Wolfpack’s wheelhouse.