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NC State looking to start winning streak vs. Clemson | Breakdown, Preview, & How to Watch

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2 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Clemson Tigers
Time: 12:00pm | Saturday, January 8th
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: ACCNX
Ken Pom Line: Clemson -2

NC State is coming off their first ACC win and looking to make it two in a row as the Tigers come into town.

Clemson comes in at 9-5 with their only notable win over Virginia (a 17 slaughter in Charlottesville). They’ve dropped their rematch with Virginia, a game to Rutgers, Miami and #22 St. Bonaventure.

Clemson relies on two pretty versatile forwards. Their leading scorer is PJ Hall. He’s a 6’10 sophomore who is averaging 14 points per game. He’s decently athletic, had good hands, good footwork, and can pop out and shoot it (33% from 3pt range). He’s not going to beat anyone off the bounce, but he can score on the block or knock down a jumper.

Then you have Hunter Tyson, a 6’8 senior. He’s another big kid who likes to shoot it (hitting 39% of his 3s). He’s averaging 12 ppg. And while he’s not going to beat you on the block or out quick you, he’s fundamental, and a very well-rounded player who has been hot all season long.

At guard, Clemson relies on USF transfer David Collins, a 6’4 senior who, on tape is’nt all that exciting, but does put up decent numbers. He’s averaging 11.8 ppg, 7 boards and 2 assists. He’s a solid guard, he isn’t that quick, nor is he crazy athletic. He does play physical, and is a disciplined kid who doesn’t take many bad shots or make many mistakes.

Then there is Al-Amir Dawes, a 6’2 junior who, like Collins, doesn’t really wow you with anything he does, but puts up good numbers at 11 ppg. Dawes is another guy who can shoot if you leave him open.

Lastly, there is Nick Honor. NC State fans might remember him from his 21 point performance off the bench in their 74-70 OT win over the Pack last season.

To this day, that is still Nick Honors’ career high. He was eating Shakeel Moore and Thomas Allen alive in that game. Putting some size on him seems to keep him in check, and this year, that is something NC State will be able to do. Honors is averaging 10 points and 3 assists per game. He doesn’t shoot a ton from long range, but when he does, he usually hits. He’s shooting 43% from out there this year.

Keys to the game for NC State

  • Lean on Seabron. Clemson doesn’t have a single guy who can match up with him.
  • Defend the high screen. Nick Honor is going to be going off the high screen and PJ Hall is a pretty good roll man, or pick and pop guy. Honor can hit if you leave him. How good the Pack plays the high screen will dictate a lot.
  • Replicate the intensity. The NC State defense looked great against Virginia Tech and really limited their open looks. Clemson is going to shoot 3s, so State really needs to not get caught helping down on the drives. And we’ll beat the dead horse in saying, they have to keep the guards out of the lane!
  • Smart defense wins this game. While staying intense is a key, playing smart defense might be even more important in this one. Clemson doesn’t have a single guy you have lock down, they can come at you from any spot and all their guys can hit from long range. This is going to take extreme focus for NC State defensively. No getting lost, no falling asleep, your guy can score at any moment.

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Papajohn
Papajohn
2 years ago

The winning team will hit a lot of threes.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

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15 hours ago

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April 22, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

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NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

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1 day ago

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April 22, 2024

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What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s DJ Horne Named to Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team

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2 days ago

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April 21, 2024

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NC State’s DJ Horne played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this weekend, and he was named to the All-Tournament Team.

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In 3 games, Horne averaged 14.3 points, shooting 41.5% from the field, and 30% from three.

Horne’s Portsmouth Partnership team made it to the finals, but lost to Jani-King 68-75.

The Portsmouth Invitational is an annual pre-draft camp that has been showcasing College Seniors to professional scouts since 1953.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Has Shown Interest in Utah Guard Transfer Deivon Smith

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3 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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NC State has reached out to Utah Transfer Guard Deivon Smith (6’0″/173).

Smith filled up the stat sheet every game this year, averaging 13.3 points, 7.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds, shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.8% from three for Utah. He earned All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention this season. Smith had 8 double-doubles and 1 triple-double this year.

Wherever Smith lands, this will be his 4th college. He started at Mississippi St., starting in 8 of the 33 games he played in, averaging 22.5 minutes per game. Smith went on to spend his next two seasons at Georgia Tech. Year 1 in Atlanta, Smith started in 5 of the 24 games he played in, averaging 19.7 minutes per game. In Year 2, he carved out more of a role, starting in 13 of the 24 games he played in for the Yellow Jackets, averaging a career high 24.8 minutes per game.

At Utah this year, Smith broke out and had a career year in every possible way.

NC State is familiar with Smith, offering him back when he was a 4-Star prospect out of Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. Rivals ranked Smith as the #53 overall player nationally in the 2020 recruiting class. ESPN ranked him as the #5 player in the state of Georgia. 247Sports ranked him as the #11 Point Guard in his class.

 

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