PREVIEW: NC State vs. Wright State | Keys to the Game and How to Watch

NC State Wolfpack vs Wright State Raiders
Time: 7:00pm
Location: PNC
TV: ACCNX/ESPN3
Line: State -10

For the first time ever, Wright State and NC State will meet on the court.

Neither team has made the impact that they thought they would this year. Wright State came into the season as the favorites in the Horizon League, but have struggled with a 3-7 record. State had chances to win in their ACC opener and then a week later against the #1 team in the land, before miscues and leads slipped away.

It probably doesn’t need to be said, but this is an absolute must win for State.

Get Steady Points

Every team has moments of shooting struggles. For State, it’s happened each and every game. They are by far the more athletic team, but we’ve seen that doesn’t always translate to wins. ACC is a mess and upsets are a constant this year. For State, it starts with steady scoring.

Last time out for Wright State, they went on a 23-2 run to win. They have the ability behind Tanner Holden (averaging near 20 points a game) to put up numbers. State HAS to force the Raiders to shoot from three and stay strong inside. 6′ 9″ forward Grant Basile (second leading scorer) has taken 65 three-point attempts this year, hitting on a wildly successful (wait, checking notes) 15%. Make them push outside and take advantage of rebounds.

Wolfpack need to keep the legs moving and get to the free throw line (AND HIT THEM). Wright State’s top scorers will foul, need to make them count. State ranks 5th in the nation at free throw attempts.

Big Boy Ball

Tell us if you’ve heard this before; Midwest team with a lot of tall white dudes and experience.

Wright State has bodies to throw inside. Duwuona and Gibson have to play tough, as they did against Purdue. Stay strong in the paint and just go all out on the defensive end. Let our guard and forward play keep it moving on the offensive side. While there will definitely be a major weight difference, wouldn’t mind seeing Ross thrown in more to extend Duwuona’s minutes.

Raiders returned 10 players from last years regular season champ team. The have depth, if nothing more than playing in bigger games. Seabron, Smith and Hayes have to find their groove early. The faster the start, the better chances at forcing Wright State into ill-advised outside shot selections.

Home Sweet Home

With a win tonight, State will move to 37-1 under Keatts in non-conference home games. It would also mark 30 straight for the Pack in non-conference at home. While it may seem on the surface to be an easy win, that no longer applies for the rest of this season and this team.

Wright State is solid, even though they have yet to put it together this year. A win might actually give State a win against a NCAAT team (laugh, but the Horizon League could be Wright State’s). A loss and the season rapidly morphs into; How well can you play in the ACC to position yourself for the ACCT?

Raiders are 1-3 on the road. Make this a win.

#GoPack