NC State vs Charleston Southern | What to know and how to watch

Game Time: 8pm
TV: ACC Network Extra (WatchESPN App)

NC State opens its basketball season on Wednesday at 8pm against Charleston Southern.

Most years you have a pretty good idea about what the lineup might look like coming into the opener, but this year is a bit different. Part of it is because the Pack is young, but part of it is because Keatts finally has a roster of full of ‘his guys.’ What that means is that you have a bunch of high-motor athletes who for the most part are pretty interchangeable.

If you want our guess, we think you’ll see a starting lineup of Cam Hayes, Braxton Beverly, Devon Daniels, Jericole Hellems, and DJ Funderburk. You’ll see Thomas Allen and Manny Bates quickly coming off the bench, and you’ll see a heavy dose of Dereon Seabron, Shakeel Moore and Nick Farrer.

No matter how Keatts decides to deploy the troops, we’re pretty confident there will be a lot of different combinations and a lot of full-court pressure.

As for Georgia Southern, they are going to rely heavily on senior guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. He’s one of the best defenders in the conference and will be their go-to scorer and team leader. As a whole Charleston Southern doesn’t have the horses needed to keep up with the Pack, but with State’s inexperience you really never know.

What we hope to learn…

– Who looks the most comfortable at PG?
– How effective are Bates and Funderburk when they’re on the floor together?
– Deos Thomas Allen look like he could be a true scoring threat for the Pack?
– Does Beverly look healthy? Is his shot back?
– How much full-court pressure does the Wolfpack show?
– Are Dereon Seabron and Nick Farrer ready to contribute?