ACC TOURNAMENT ROUND 1 PREVIEW: NC State (15) vs. Clemson (10)

NC State Wolfpack vs Clemson Tigers
Time: 4:30pm | Tuesday, March 8
Location: Brooklyn, NY
TV: ACCN

The good news is that the ACC Tournament is upon us and it’s basically a new season for NC State. They are finally playing for something again.

The bad news is, this is the same team that finished 4-16, good for last place in the conference.

That said, NC State has one last chance for a miracle run that would propel them into the NCAA Tournament. The odds are low (in fact the oddsmakers are giving NC State a 1 in 1,000 chance for it to happen, but you know the gif.

via GIPHY

NC State’s opening round is against Clemson. The Tigers are on a 4 game winning streak to end the season, however, all of those wins were against lower to mid-tier ACC teams. Prior to that run, they had lost 6 in a row, all against upper-tier ACC teams. So, Clemson seems to beat bad teams and lose to good teams.

Unfortunately, this year, NC State is one of the bad teams, but the point we’re making is that Clemson is beatable. In their only meeting this year, the Pack fell to the Tigers by 5 after having the game tied with 9 minutes left to play.

Clemson does have a big advantage inside, with PJ Hall averaging 15 points per game. He dropped 20 on the Pack in the first meeting. Meanwhile, the Tigers really had no answer for Dereon Seabron, who went off for 27.

The loss to Clemson was one of those games where Terquavion Smith couldn’t hit a thing. The freshman is averaging 16.5ppg this year but fouled out with only 2 points in that game. A big game from Smith and NC State may have walked away with a win.

State has been showing a little more zone lately to keep guys out of foul trouble and to attempt to eliminate the post-game from their opponents. The problem is, Clemson can shoot it. Despite only going 3-10 from long range in their first meeting, Clemson ranks 6th in the ACC in 3 point shooting percentage (almost 37%).

For the Pack to pull this one off, they’ll need big games from Seabron and Smith while keeping Hall from dominating the interior.

A win on Tuesday would have the Pack set to face off on Wednesday against Virginia Tech (a team they lost to by 5 in their first meeting and only 3 in their second). One thing to note is that in both games vs Virginia Tech, State had some of their most balanced scoring games of the season. In the first meeting they had 3 guys in double figures, and in the second meeting they had 4.

A win there would put them up against the #2 seeded Notre Dame. Not a great matchup seeing as they lost by 8 in their first meeting and 12 in their second. However, a win there and you’re liking facing UNC. A win there and it’s probably Duke.

Does NC State have the horses to pull this off?

No.

Can miracles happen? They can. So that’s what we’re left hoping for.