BY THE NUMBERS: Breaking Down NC State’s Individual +/- Numbers in Their Exhibition Win Over South Carolina

NC State defeated South Carolina 88-86 in an exhibition game in Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a breakdown of the +/- numbers of each Wolfpack player in the contest.

A player’s plus/minus (+/–) measures the point difference when that player is on the court, showing how much their team outscores or gets outscored by the opponent during their minutes of play.

+/-

Quadir Copeland (Starter): +19
Terrance Arceneaux (Starter): +15
Ven-Allen Lubin (Starter): +6
Darrion Williams (Starter): -1
Musa Sagnia: -3
Paul McNeil Jr. (Starter): -4
Tre Holloman: -5
Matt Able: -8
Jerry Deng: -9

Minutes

Darrion Williams: 33
Ven-Allen Lubin: 33
Quadir Copeland: 28
Tre Holloman: 26
Paul McNeil Jr.: 24
Terrance Arceneaux: 21
Matt Able: 16
Musa Sagnia: 11
Jerry Deng: 8

I didn’t need to see the numbers to know that Senior Guard Quadir Copeland was the most valuable player on the court for the Wolfpack on Sunday. Simply using the eye test, it was clear. Copeland finished the game with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, but his impact on his team transcended his ability to score. Yes, he attacked when his team needed a spark, but his energy, passion, and leadership made everyone better when he was on the court.

Don’t let Redshirt Junior Terrance Arceneaux’s point total fool you. His value can’t be measured by his 7 points (2-for-5 FG). Arceneaux was hyped as one of the best defenders in the country by Head Coach Will Wade, and his defensive ability is a major reason the Pack was +15 with him on the court. You could argue that Arceneaux’s +/- number was even more impressive than Copeland’s, considering he only played 21 minutes.

Senior Forward Ven-Allen Lubin was steady for NC State, bringing consistency (+6). His points didn’t come in bunches, but they often came in moments that stifled Gamecock runs.

With Lubin and Senior Darrion Williams playing the most minutes (33), their +/- numbers proved that the Wolfpack’s starting forwards were stabilizing agents.

The +/- numbers of NC State’s four bench players in the contest were negative. That doesn’t mean they necessarily played poorly, but they didn’t provide much of a spark off the bench, as the team lost ground when they were on the court.

As a caveat, I need to reiterate that +/- numbers aren’t everything. Don’t let Senior Guard Tre Holloman’s -6 fool you. Holloman was essential to the Wolfpack’s victory on Sunday, scoring 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and leading the team with 3 assists and 3 steals. In my opinion, I’d love to see a starting lineup featuring Copeland and Holloman.

Box Score

Holloman, Copeland and McNeil Jr.’s Press Conference

Game Write-Up

A Deeper-Look at the Numbers

Will Wade’s Press Conference 

SLAM’S Highlight Reel