OUR TAKE: On NC State’s 63-59 nail-biting, yet frustrating loss to Texas

NC State dropped it’s 3rd in a row, this time to at home to #28 Texas. This is one NC State really needed. It was the last best chance to secure a strong out-of-conference win. Their next chance is at #1 Kansas, which would obviously be an amazing win, but will definitely be an uphill battle to eek that one out, especially with the flaws this team has shown up until this point.

Now, let’s not jump in here and focus solely on the negatives just because of the outcome. There certainly were big positives that came out of this one, and we’ll focus on those first.

Dontrez Styles found his offense
Styles was going to have to be pretty darn good for him to fill the role Keatts needed him to fill coming into the season. He was going to take over the spot from Mo Diarra who averaged double-digit rebounds during last year’s postseason run. Styles set a career best last season with 5.8 rebounds per game. He also was going to have be a real scoring threat for the Pack, as it was clear they were going to take a big dip from losing the DJs, Diarra and Casey Morsell.

In the first real competition of the season (Purdue & BYU) Styles went missing, scoring just 6 points and grabbing 3 rebounds combined over the 2 games. So I think the concern was warranted. You have to start putting the pieces together real soon as you’re looking to secure a decent non-conference win and you have the ACC schedule staring you down.

But Styles showed us something against Texas. Yes, he found his shot, knocking down a season high three 3-pointers. But he was also aggressive to the rim. It was clear that Styles is starting to understand that he’s going to have to step up as a scoring option for this team and last night he proved he’s up for that challenge.

Styles scored 17 points on 7-12 shooting (also a season-high in attempts) and really should have used more on that end of the court down the stretch.

Unfortuntely, Styles had another sub-par game on the glass with just 2 rebounds. NC State’s biggest weakness right now is their rebounding, and they need a 4 who can go and get it off the glass.

If Styles is going to be this aggressive and he’s going to knock down shots, you need to find a way to get that output, but not have to deal with lack of rebounding. Styles always has been more of a 3 than a 4, and I think Keatts could look to use him there to create mismatches. Only once all game did Styles use his quickness to get to the bucket on a bigger guy, and that’s when Shadrick (the Texas 7 footer) was switched on him. Otherwise he used physicality on his drives to get in the paint. I think you can accentuate that skill set by putting him at the 3 and allowing him to be matched up against smaller guys more often. Use his 6’6 frame as an oversized 3 instead of using his 6’6 frame as an undersized 4.

Marcus Hill reminds us why he’s been a leading scorer on every team he’s played on
Marcus Hill, I was wrong about you.

Last night proved that Hill can be a game-changing scorer at this level when he’s locked in and given the opportunity. Hill scored 16 points on 7-11 shooting, was 1-2 from 3pt range and secured 3 rebounds. He is really a unique player and I can’t honestly say I’ve seen many scorers like him. He’s not a great shooter, so defenders can play a step off. But he’s so quick and so fast at shifting direction that he can get a defender out of position. But that’s only step one. Then he gets into the paint, usually jumping, not directly to the rim, but off to one side or the other. This is confusing for defenders who are used to challenging attacks straight to the rim. And now that Hill has a little space, he’s able to convert high-difficulty shots with either hand.

I’d say that it’s likely not a sustainable way to be a high-volume scorer, but Marcus Hill has done it year after year, so at some point, I guess you have to just accept that he’s mastered this type of scoring.

That said, if that’s the player that is emerging here, after a short transition period where it seemed he was getting acclimated to the size and length at this level, then NC State needs to use him as their rim pressure guard. Keatts has always had a guy that he’ll isolate and just let them go off the dribble, and it seemed as if he initially wanted that to be Jayden Taylor, but with that not going so well, it seems like Marcus Hill is taking those reings. I hope this is the beginning of us seeing Hill blossom in his role with the Pack.

PS. Really wish, if Keatts was going to draw up an isolation play to end the game, that it would have been with either Hill or Styles.

No excuse for missed free throws
NC State lost by 4, but it was really just a 2 point loss. And when you look at the fact that they shot just 6-14 from the free throw line (2 or 3 of which were front end of 1 and 1s), NC State should have won this game by 3 or 4.

This is just a focus issue and is very disappointing to see this type of display on our home court.

Mike O’Connell was a mess
Usually MOC is our most reliable guy, but not last night. The senior guard had what was likely his worst game in the red and white. He was 1-8 from the floor, 0-3 from 3 point range and 1-3 from the FT line. Yes he had 7 assists, but he also had 4 turnovers, including a late one that really cost the Pack. Not sure what was going on there, but NC State almost winning despite MOC’s play is, i guess, a decent sign.

Trey Parker got his first real dose of elite athleticism
Neither Purdue nor BYU is full of elite athletes, but Texas was, and man did it bother freshman Trey Parker. Parker couldn’t even stay on the court long enough to get comfortable as he missed a shot, turned the ball over and committed a foul in his 5 minutes of play. I still believe Parker is going to be an elite playmaker and he’s going to play a big role for this team at some point this season, but for a guy who spent his entire life being the most athletic guy on the court, you could tell he was a little shell-shocked by a team full of guys taller and as athletic. I still believe you have to get Parker major minutes, but you have to be choosy now. He needs to work out kinks and get acclimated, but you can’t keep losing. The time to prep the freshman has ended and I don’t really think any of them are prepped enough to contribute at a high level.

Defense was much better 
I thought NC State’s defense was better tonight. Yes, Texas shot 45% and 47% from 3pt range, but NC State didn’t have that many breakdowns and really had a hand in the face of almost every shot attempt. Tre Johnson, Texas’ elite freshman, was amazing and hit shots where I thought NC State couldn’t have played better on-ball defense.

I like the Keatts zone trap early in the game, and I think Texas has problems at the point and can really get sped up, so this was a game where I felt like you gain more than you lose by pressing.