QUICK HITS: From NC State’s 82-70 win over Coastal Carolina

NC State moved to 3-0 with a win last night over Coastal Carolina.

The Pack blew out SC Upstate in the opener, but have had two ‘closer than you’d like’ wins over Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina. Here are some quick hits about the game.

– NC State’s defense was much better against Coastal Carolina than it was against Presbyterian. Multiple shot clock violations caused, and they really sped up a Coastal team that was more comfortable taking it slow in the half court.

– The game really shouldn’t have been close, but Coastal’s Rasheed Jones was 5-7 from 3pt range and hit big shots any time the Pack started pulling away. While he did get 2 or 3 good looks, most of his 3s were heavily contested and he even hit a heave from near half court as the shot clock was winding down. Jones is now shooting an insane 65% from 3pt range on 17 attempts.

– The biggest takeaway for me was the play of freshman guard Trey Parker. He was 6-8 from the floor, was great at knocking down the mid-range jumper and had a few very explosive drives. This is a kid who is just getting his feet wet in college basketball, but it’s apparent he’s going to soon be a star. Parker is eating away at Paul McNeil’s minutes. Many thought McNeil would be playing the role that Parker is currently filling. Parker also added 5 boards (2nd best on the team) and zero turnovers.

– Jayden Taylor scored 22 and is really putting pressure on opposing defenses. At the same time, he’s a little out of control. Too many quick 3s and forced drives. Over the first 3 games, against sub-par opponents, Tayler has 12 turnovers and is shooting just 19% from long range. NC State can up it’s offensive efficiency (which is already really good) if Taylor slows down a bit and starts picking his spots.

– Brandon Huntley-Hatfield looked decent on the block. He finished with 13 points, but did so on 2-6 shooting. He did get to the foul line 10 times, converting on 9 of those attempts. NC State really did a good job of playing inside out in this game and while BHH played very physical, I’d like to see him not settle for the hook shot everytime. He is quicker than most bigs but needs to work on using that quickness to keep defenders on their toes. Too often it’s just been backing down and shooting a hook over his left shoulder. I know we’re a little spoiled having watched DJ Burns the past couple years, but BHH has the quickness to use some of those spins moves off the his back down. I’d also like to see BHH put up better numbers on the boards. He’s 6’10 and physical, yet he’s only nabbed 13 rebounds in 3 games.

– Dontrez Styles hasn’t been flashy, but he’s been consistently good for the Pack. He’s undersized at the 4, but he’s spreading the defense with his ability to shoot and he’s collecting boards. He led the team last night with 6 rebounds after collecting 7 against Presbyterian.

– Mike O’Connell played well but was limited by foul trouble. It’s very obvious that when he’s on the court, the NC State offense is flowing much better. He finished with 5 points, 2 assists and 2 steals in 16 minutes.

– Ismael Diouf got his first taste of game action after being suspended for 2 games. He looked good and I’m excited to see more of him in the coming games. He had 2 points and 3 boards in 8 minutes, most of which came at the center position. Coastal was smaller, so it made sense, but as we face bigger teams, I’ll be excited to see a lineup of BHH at center, Diouf at the 4 and Styles at the 3. That’s a very versatile, very strong, and very long front court. Diouf missed a 3 that hit the back of the rim, but you can see that it’s a shot he’s going to knock down this season.