Quick Hits from #25 NC State’s 85-79 Win Over VCU

NC State improved to 4-0 this evening, defeating VCU 85-79 in the Lenovo Center. Here’s my quick hits from the victory.

• When you hold a team to 40.9% shooting from the field, and 31% from three, you expect to beat the team by more than 6 points.
  • VCU did the little things this evening to keep things close.
    • The Rams snagged 12 offensive boards, turning them into 14 second chance points. NC State continually failed to box out, lacking discipline.
    • VCU also turned the Wolfpack over 17 times, turning them into 13 points.
      • The 17 turnovers are a season-high for the Pack.
    • If you combine both of those numbers, that’s 27 points the Rams scored that could have been prevented with discipline.
  • The Rams might have only shot 31% from three, but the jacked up freaking 42 of them, making 13, compared to NC State’s 8.
• NC State was led once again by an incredible performance from Senior Forward Darrion Williams.
  • D5 finished with 28 points and 7 boards, shooting 9 of 15 from the field, and 2 of 4 from three.
    • Williams scored 17 of his 28 points in the 1st half.
• Senior Guard Tre Holloman had a career evening, scoring a career high 25 points.
  • Holloman made 50% of his shots from the field, making 6 of 12, but that wasn’t the most impressive aspect of his performance.
    • Holloman’s perfect evening from the free throw line sealed the victory for the Pack, making 10 of 10 from the charity stripe.
      • Tre made 6 of his free throws in the final minutes, with VCU keeping the game close to the final seconds.
• Senior Forward Ven-Allen Lubin and Freshman Guard Matt Able were the other two Wolfpack players to score in double figures.
  • Lubin quietly almost had a double-double, finishing with a stat line of 11 points (4-8 FG) and 9 boards (tied for team lead).
  • Able had 12 points, making 3 of 4 from the field, and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
    • I’d like to see Able take more than 4 shots a game. He’s too talented of a scorer to only take 4 shots.
• After scoring a career high 27 points against UNCG, Sophomore Guard Paul McNeil Jr. was held scoreless this evening.
  • VCU was determined to not let P2 get in rhythm. He missed all 4 of his shot attempts, which were all from three-point land.
  • McNeil Jr.’s 9 rebounds tied for the lead, setting a new career high. Can’t say I expected to see that.
• 14 of NC State’s 17 turnovers were committed by Senior starters.
  • Tre Holloman: 5
  • Quadir Copeland: 4
  • Darrion Williams: 3
  • Ven-Allen Lubin: 3
    • These four will get an ear full from Will Wade. Your Seniors can’t be this reckless with the ball. When NC State plays better competition in the future, the four of them will have to play with more discipline, or the result will be a loss.
• It’s hard to criticize the Wolfpack defense, when it held the Rams to 40.9% shooting from the field, and 31% from three, but I can’t resist.
  • NC State’s switch-man zone (I think that’s what Wade calls it) can be extremely effective, but the players allowed VCU a plethora of wide open three’s.
• For the first time this season, NC State didn’t cover the spread.
  • The Wolfpack was favored by 12.5 points, and only won by 6.
• For the first time this season, the Total went Under.
  • The Total was 166.5, and the Rams and the Wolfpack combined to score 164 points.

Box Score