NC State set to take on BYU @ 3:30 PM | Gameday Preview & How to Watch

NC State Wolfpack (5-1) vs. BYU Cougars (5-1)
Time: 3:30PM EST
TV: Fox
Line : BYU -6.5
Location: San Diego , CA

BYU is going to be a tough matchup for NC State. This is a team that is very smart with the basketball and loves to shoot 3s. They are young, but their two freshmen who start are absolute studs. Kanon Catchings is a 6’9 stretch 4 who is extremely dynamic. He is averaging 12 PPG but has scored 31 points over his past 2 games. He loves to shoot the 3 and will fire it with a hand in his face.

Meanwhile, freshman guard Egor Demin is a 6’9 guard who is averaging 15 PPG and shooting an insane 47% from 3. And its not like he’s being real selective about his 3s. He’s taken 32 on the season. Most believe Demin will be a lottery pick in the next NBA draft.

It doesn’t get easier inside the paint, Keba Keita is a 6’8 junior big averaging 7 and 9. Off the bench they bring an even better offensive weapon in Fousseyni Traore who has a 7 foot wingspan and is averaging 14 and 8. Don’t let his height fool you, he’s a handful with his back to the basket.

BYU’s only weakness is their inability to stop downhill guards from getting to the rim. They were touched last night by 5’11 Jalen Murray who carved them up and scored a career-high 28 points. BYU has a lot of big, slower guards that can shoot. If you want to beat them you need to exploit that. Unfortunately, this is the one area NC State struggles.

If I’m NC State I’m looking for Marcus Hill to be my version of Jalen Murray and to allow him to isolate and try to create havoc at the rim.

Defensively, while I’ve been critical of overplaying on defense against veteran guards, I think the pressure, switch everything defense is going to cause problems for BYU. They are young, they will take bad shots and they aren’t going to blow by you. Taking away their 3s is key and with the way NC State switches screens, it will be tough for them to get clean looks, forcing them to do their damage in the paint.