NC State Wolfpack vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Time: 7:00pm Location: Raleigh, NC TV: ACCN Line: VT -1
NC State is coming off a loss to #8 Duke and looking to get back on track after what was a pretty rough stretch. The Pack has now lost 7 of their last 9 games, and with the ACC season approaching its halfway point, they need to get things rolling.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech, losers of 4 of their last 6, is coming off of a win against Notre Dame (their first ACC win).
NC State is entering the part of their schedule where a big run is possible. They take on VT tonight and then don’t face one of the top 3 ACC teams (Duke, FSU, Miami) until the last night of the season (FSU).
So it starts with this one.
State beat the Hokies 68-63 in Blacksburg just a couple of weeks ago. They did this by really negating the VT guards from hurting them. Keve Aluma did have 18 in that game, but he didn’t get much help. In fact, the Pack kept Justyn Mutts, one of their best players, to just 6 points. The Pack dominated the boards and got big games from Seabron (21 and 10), Smith (17 points, 4-9 from 3) and Hellems (15 points, 3-6 from 3).
They will need to do exactly the same thing in this game. Take away Mutts. Take away their guards and do your best to slow down Aluma.
Here are the highlights from the first game…
Areas for improvement for NC State
As for the gameplan, as we mentioned, NC State needs to stick to what worked last time. But there certainly are areas they can improve. They need to get more production out of their 2 guard position. Thomas Allen had a decent game last time out, with 5 points and 3 assists in just 15 minutes, but Hayes struggled. He had just 4 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 TOs in 24 minutes. Casey Morsell was still rusty coming off injury, logging just 6 minutes and not scoring. He did have 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
More minutes for Casey Morsell
Keatts has a fine line to walk with those 3. On one hand, he needs scoring. But is the scoring he’s getting from Allen and Hayes worth sitting Morsell (your best defender)? We’d like to see Morsell take that role and run with it. In fact, we think that given more minutes and more leash, you’d see a decent scoring option emerge. Morsell is actually NC State’s 3rd best 3 pt shooter by percentage. He’s hitting 34.8% of his 3s. That trails just Hellems (41.3%) and Smith (35.6%). Couple that with Morsell’s ability to be a lockdown defender and we suspect he’s about to break out any day now as a major contributor for this team.
Ross is a game-time decision
Ross being able to play is important for NC State. While Dowuona did an ok job on Aluma in game one, he’s certainly going to be tested again tonight. With Ross as an option, Dowuona will be able to play without fear of fouling and that will allow him to challenge more shots and play a little more physical on the block. If Ross is out, then it’s going to be all up to Ebe. Keatts said he didn’t have an update on Ross yet, so we’ll keep waiting to see what happens. In game one, Ross played 15 minutes, had 4 points and 3 boards (including this monster dunk).
This was the beginning of the Ross emergence. After getting no burn against Clemson, he was an impact player in the win over Louisville (4 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks in 18 minutes). If he’s healthy, he’s going to start to be a bigger part of the rotation going forward.
Seabron a problem
Virginia Tech doesn’t really have an answer for Dereon Seabron, although VT is likely going to base their entire gameplan around neutralizing him. You’ll see more sinking down, maybe more zone. They don’t have a guy who can stop him man on man, and if they try, expect him to be over 20pts yet again. Likely, going forward, teams are going to sell-out to slow him down. This means it’s even more important to get big games from Smith, Hellems and eventually Morsell.
A pasta eatin', Wolfpack lovin' loudmouth from Raleigh by way of New Jersey. Jimmy V and Chuck Amato fanboy. All opinions are my own and you're gonna hear'em.
He’s out for the season. And yes, unbelievable. Please tell me another team that has worst luck then ours. Better yet, I dare you to. And Biscuit, fine you feel that way but seriously, we’re not looking for a new coach. Keatts has been thrown a ton of curve balls, lessons, if you can call them that, that exist in no one’s coaching book. I fully understand your frustration though.
I was there too. Watched almost all practices while DT was there. Watched Kenny Carr ruin team chemistry while Sloan said nothing. But watching teams lose is not fun. In fact, it has become downright depressing. I for one do not blame Keatts. I have seen bad coaching, Lowe for example. Not sure how many “Maybe next year” any of us have left.
UNC Guard/Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/210) is expected to be visiting NC State soon. According to a source, he was expected to take an unofficial visit tomorrow, but it has been rescheduled to Monday.
Styles entered the Transfer Portal on March 17th.
Over the past two seasons, Styles has seen limited action for the Tar Heels, averaging 5.9 minutes in 45 total games (15 this season).
Styles is no stranger to NC State. He played high school for Kinston (Kinston, NC), and was offered by Kevin Keatts. Styles was a consensus 4-Star prospect coming out of High School. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally in the 2021 recruiting class, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.
ON3 ranks Styles as the #21 player currently in the Transfer Portal.
Dunn averaged 15.3 points per game this season, earning 3rd Team All-AAC honors. He shot 41.1% from the field this season, and 34.8% from three-point land.
In 2021-22, he led the Owls in scoring (14.9), and earned 2nd Team All-AAC honors.
Dunn originally is from Kinston, North Carolina, but played his Senior season of High School for Meadowcreek in Georgia, finishing his high school career as a 3-star prospect.
With the almost guaranteed loss of Terquavion Smith, NC State will be in need for a dynamic scorer, and Dunn has proven that he can do just that at the collegiate level.
Currently, Dunn is the 16th ranked player in the Transfer Portal according to ON3.
Dunn is a Redshirt Sophomore this season, with 2 years of eligibility remaining.
I heard from a source that it was close to 50/50 whether Clark would return to NC State next year for his final year of eligibility.
Clark started in 17 of the 23 games that he played in for the Wolfpack this season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Clark led the Wolfpack on rebounding in 22-23.
When it’s all said and done, I wouldn’t be shocked to see NC State pull in 6 players from the Transfer Portal when all the dust settles.
As stated yesterday, NC State lost Ebe Dowuona and might lose a couple more guys to the portal eventually. They also are very likely to keep their core guys aside from Terquavion Smith who is almost surely headed to the NBA.
The Pack has a few glaring needs for next season. They need a starting PG, they need a starting SG and they need a 4/5 guy that can be the bruiser option at the 4 against bigger, stronger teams, and also a guy who can slot in as a backup behind Burns if Mahorcic’s knee doesn’t get back to full strength. Those are the direct needs at this moment, however, based on what guys on the current roster do, there might end up being other needs. That said, we’d going to focus on the needs of today.
There is always the case that transfers can via the portal with no prior connection to the team. That means they aren’t local kids and they don’t have a prior relationship with the coaching staff. While that is possible, it’s not usually how this plays out. What usually happens is a kid wants to come closer to home, or they have some prior relationship with the staff (sometimes both).
So right now we’re going to limit our focus to a few guys that are in the portal and either local or have a prior relationship with the staff. We’re also going to limit the discussion in this piece to just Point Guards.
What is a ‘Keatts’ Point Guard?
NC State runs their offense off of an initial high pick and roll, like many college teams today. That means they need a playmaking PG. Now, a playmaking PG doesn’t mean a guy who just puts up a ton of points (although that is what Joiner was for the Pack last season), but it could also mean a guy who can score but also get his team involved.
Remember, the high pick and roll is not designed to get a PG open shots. Sure, that is one option, but if you have a good PG coming off that high screen, they have 3 real options. Shoot it, pass to the roll guy/pop guy, or draw help and kick out to the corners. If you have a guy who can do all of these things well, then the high pick and roll is nearly unguardable. However, if you have a guy who only does one of those things, the high pick-and-roll looks pretty stagnant and one-dimensional.
Right now, Keatts is constantly criticized for his offensive system, and based on his personnel and how the offense ran last season, I get it. But with a pass-first PG (who can also score), this offense could be really efficient. I think for the sake of the team and the sake of his job, Keatts would be smart to prioritize a PG who is a little more pass-oriented and creates a little more havoc off that screen (meaning he keeps his dribble alive on the drive and probes, not to score necessarily, but to bait the defense to get out of position.) So, what would you say Keatts’ ideal PG looks like?
Well, we don’t really know. His first two recruited were Lavar Batts and Braxton Beverly, both taken in his first year and both kind of out of desperation. Then he landed Jalen Lecque, who was a 6’4 elite athlete PG, who opted to skip college and go to the NBA. Then he brought on Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore. Moore was a late addition, who I believe was taken to entice teammate Josh Hall to come to NC State (Hall also skipped college to go to the NBA after committing to State). Hayes, however, was a Keatts guy and Hayes was a 6’2, 185lb combo guard who was known as a shooter and good defender (he ended up being not much of either at NC State unfortunately). Then he brought on Breon Pass, a 6-foot guard who has given State some good minutes the past couple of years, but doesn’t look quite ready to take over as a starter. Pass was known as a good scorer at a smaller NC school, and a very good defender. So far his defense has panned out but not as much scoring as we expected. Next there was LJ Thomas last year. He’s a bigger 6’2 190lb PG. Not quite as quick but more physical. Not as much of a playmaker, but more of a scorer. Then Keatts brought in Joiner this year, a 6’1 scoring threat who never averaged more than 2.3 assists per game before coming to Raleigh.
So, to us, this is Keatts biggest flaw during his NC State tenure. He has an offense built around having an elite PG, and he really hasn’t decided what an elite PG in his system looks like. The best he’s brought in was Joiner, but the offense ended up being a lot of isolation and one on one play. To really reach the next level, Keatts needs to find a PG who is a playmaker and passer, one who can defend and then pair him with an elite scoring guard.
Who is out there right now that we should keep an eye on?
Jalen Cone Northern Arizona | 5’11, 175lbs | 18ppg, 2.5 assists, 40% from 3pt range | From Walkerton, NC
Cone started his career off at Virginia Tech. He was a 3 star kid who was super quick, and more of a scorer than a playmaker. He had offers from VT, Tennessee and Baylor, but that was really it. NC State was involved a little bit here but never given an offer.
He had decent stats at VT, but really came into his own when he transferred to Northern Arizona. Obviously, this is weaker conference, but he had 20pts, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against Michigan State, 17 points and 6 boards against Arizona State. He did get shut down against Texas, scoring just 6 points and turning the ball over 5 times, but this is a guy who had games of 45pts, 38 pts, and 29pts. He’s super quick and really a good shooter. He’s a less physical version of Jarkell Joiner if you ask me. So maybe Keatts sees this as a decent fit, but in my opinion, you need to target a guy who is more interested in getting his teammates involved (but I guess that depends on your ability to lock down an elite scoring 2 guard). I’m also concerned about his 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. You want your lead guard to be better than that.
Bobby Pettiford Kansas | 6’1, 190lbs | 2 ppg, 1.3 assists, 30% from 3pt range | From Durham, NC Pettiford is a stout, physical guard who can defend, but really hasn’t shown much on the offensive end. That said, he’s had a case of the injury bug during his two years at Kansas. He started with an ankle injury and then had an abdominal injury, both really slowed him down. When he committed to Kansas (after decommitting from Louisville) Bill Self really thought Pettiford was going to be a major contibutor to his team saying “We were very fortunate when Bobby opened up his recruitment last month. He became a priority immediately. We feel Bobby has a tremendous future, great upside and will make an immediate impact for us. His work ethic and drive are something I think every program hopes every player has.”
Pettiford is interesting to me. He’s a very physical guard, a good defender, and a good finisher around the rim, but he’s not super athletic, nor is he a great long-range shooter. He also isn’t someone who is explosive in transition. Those seem to be all things Keatts is looking for in a PG, so you’d think Pettiford isn’t going to be a major target for State, but you never know. He has a lot of talent, but I’m not sure he fits great with the pieces NC State currently has in place. However, in HS he was a really good shooter and showed a real scoring ability, so who knows.
Javon Small ECU | 6’2, 180lbs | 15.8 ppg, 5.6 assists, 33% from 3pt range | From South Bend, IN
Small isn’t a North Carolina prep kid, but his connection to the state is that he’s transferring from ECU. This is a kid who was a 3-star recruit and only had mid-major offers, but has erupted for the Pirates this season. He’s a big, strong PG who shot nearly 40% from the floor and 33.3% from long range. This year Jarkel Joiner shot 42.8% from the field and 35.4% from long range. So he’s not quite the shooter that Joiner was, but he’s not that far off. He also is more of a playmaker than Joiner. He averaged 5.6 assists per game and 3.4 turnovers per game. He was ranked 18th nationally in assist rate when he went down with a knee injury in mid-January. This is a guy that I think Keatts should try to bring in, and it looks like he’s already reached out.
ECU transfer Javon Small has heard from the following schools since entering the transfer portal, he tells @On3sports:
LSU
Mississippi State
Penn State
Clemson
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Maryland
NC State https://t.co/oY8D4CDfHM
Dayvion McKnight WKU | 6’1, 195lbs | 16.5 ppg, 5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 34% from 3pt range | From Shelbyville, KY McKnight is being listed here because NC State has reached out to him. I’m not aware of any connection with the staff, but he definitely fits the Keatts mold. He’s a little bit of a bigger, stronger guard, and honestly is like an undersized James Harden with the way he creates space and attacks the basket (He’s also a lefty). McKnight is going to be a really unique player no matter where he ends up. He’s got a knack for creating space, great footwork, a nice jumper and he really loves drawing contact on his drives to the hoop. I can definitely see why NC State reached out, and if he really does pattern his game after James Harden, then the NC State high screen and roll offense is the perfect system for him. Don’t look at his frame and think he’s slow, either. The kid has speed and while he’s not going to play above the rim, he’ll be a scoring threat no matter where he lands.
Western Kentucky transfer Dayvion McKnight has heard from the following schools since entering the portal, source tells @On3sports:
Kansas
Memphis
Iowa State
Purdue
NC State
Xavier
LSU
Oklahoma
Dusquene
Mississippi State https://t.co/rPam5GZvdb
well, that was certainly enjoyable bassetball. I wonder where Keats will be next year?
does anyone know if we are looking for a basketball coach?
Somebody posted that Ross had been seen wearing a boot, using crutches.
Unbelievable
He’s out for the season. And yes, unbelievable. Please tell me another team that has worst luck then ours. Better yet, I dare you to. And Biscuit, fine you feel that way but seriously, we’re not looking for a new coach. Keatts has been thrown a ton of curve balls, lessons, if you can call them that, that exist in no one’s coaching book. I fully understand your frustration though.
appreciate your response. I was in school during the Sloan years and some of the V years. MBB just aint fun anymore at State.
I was there too. Watched almost all practices while DT was there. Watched Kenny Carr ruin team chemistry while Sloan said nothing. But watching teams lose is not fun. In fact, it has become downright depressing. I for one do not blame Keatts. I have seen bad coaching, Lowe for example. Not sure how many “Maybe next year” any of us have left.