Gameday: NC State ready for big challenge at Wake Forest | Game Preview & How to Watch

NC State Wolfpack @ Wake Forest
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Winston Salem, NC
TV: ACCN

Wake Forest sits tied with NC State at 6-4 in ACC play, however, the Deacs are coming off back-to-back losses. One at the hand of #10 Virginia (at home), and the other at Pitt.  But don’t let that fool you, the Deacs are good.

Wake is going to lean on Tyree Appleby, a 6’1 transfer from Florida. He’s really been the catalyst for them this season. He’s averaging 17.7 pts and 6 assists per game. He’s shooting 45% from the floor and 39% from long range. If I’m Wake, I’m attacking Burns with the high pick and roll, early and often. Appleby can get to the rim and finish or if you don’t hedge out far enough, he can hit the 3. He’s also a very good passer off the drive. That’s dangerous because Wake has guys who can knock it down if left open.

6’6 junior, Demari Monsanto is the other guy that Wake is going to lean on for scoring. He’s averaging 12 points per game and shooting 41% from 3. That said, NC State does have the guards to matchup with these guys. Joiner vs. Appleby will be a great matchup and Smith, at 6’4, can check Monsanto. That would leave Morsell to guard 6’4 Cameron Hildreth, who is Wake’s 3rd guard. He’s not very athletic and he’s not shooting it well from 3, but he’s averaging 13 points per game and plays very physical. Hildreth is an interesting player for Wake and can cause a lot of matchup problems due to his unique style. He plays like a 6’7 wing. He attacks, uses his body well and loves contact. However, at 6’4, he’s smaller than a lot of guys that take on that roll. Because of this, he’s probably a better matchup for Morsell than he is for Smith. We’ll have to see how Keatts plays that.

In the paint, Wake has Andrew Carr, a 6’10 versatile forward who can put it on the floor, back you down or hit the 3. He’s going to be a problem for NC State in this game. Gantt is your best bet against him due to his physical nature, but State doesn’t have a guy like Carr (esp. with Clark out).

Their big man is Matthew Marsh, a 7 footer who isn’t too versatile. He’s more of that slow, lumbering big. NC State has a big advantage with Burns in this one. Marsh has the beef to keep Burns from getting him too deep, but Burns’ quick spins and multiple pump fakes are going to cause problems for Marsh. Wake is last in the ACC in blocked shots per game.

The key for NC State is to bottle up Appleby and focus on getting quality shots. State is going to be quicker than Wake at a number of positions, so they’ll need to use that to their advantage. If Smith and Joiner can get to the rim, Wake really has no rim protectors, so the Pack can take advantage there.

The one thing that has us a bit worried in this game is Wake’s offensive style. They will run the pick and roll, but if you play up too much, they’ll also alleviate pressure with back cuts, which have hurt NC State this season (due to overplaying the passing lane). Wake also is good at finding open shooters when you help off. They are an unselfish team, and while they are 11th in the ACC in assists per game, they’ve had some success against teams that have allowed them to get drives into the paint.