Quick Hits From NC State’s Loss to #20 Auburn…

NC State lost 83-73 at #20 Auburn on the road this evening in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge. Here are my Quick Hits.

Box Score

• It’s hard to win a game when the other team shoots 59% from the field, and you shoot 41%.
  • It’s even harder when the other team shoots 54.5% from three.
  • Will Wade had this to say after the loss to Texas last week: “We’re going to have to look at some of our defensive stuff. I mean, we’re just not where we need to be defensively. So I’ve got to look at all that when we get back, and start watching on the plane tonight as we’re flying back.”
    • It’s cool that the Wolfpack forced 20 turnovers on the evening, but that doesn’t wipe away the sins of the defense. Auburn still found plenty of good looks, and open lanes.
    • It looks like Auburn watched NC State’s defensive tape a lot too.
      • You could watch the excitement on the faces of Auburn players. They knew if you moved the ball enough, someone would be wide open for three.
    • I would have the guys in the gym tomorrow, and make them get in defensive stance, and slide their feet for hours. There is an obvious concerted effort to live in the passing lanes in order to get deflections, but it isn’t clear there has been a concerted effort to get guys ready to stay in front of their man.
  • The last time an opposing team shot 59.1% against NC State was on February 25th, 2023, when the Pack lost 96-71 to Clemson.
  • Did NC State primarily get lit up by two dudes? Yeah.
    • Kevin Overton had 29 points, and Keyshawn Hall had 28.
      • Overton was 8 of 13 from the field, and 6 of 9 from three.
      • Hall was 9 of 14 on the night, and 5 of 7 from deep.
    • I don’t want to hear excuses.
      • Were the two of them hitting some “contested” shots?” Sure.
      • But these guys were hitting pull-up jump shots. They weren’t making a majority of their buckets off the bounce. If a guy gets a hot hand, you have to make him uncomfortable, forcing him to put the ball on the floor, and direct him to go where he doesn’t want to go.
  • I’m not saying this cost NC State the game, but why was Quadir Copeland on the bench for the final 5 minutes of the game?
    • Matt Able entered the game, who finished the game shooting 2 of 11 from the field.
    • Copeland led NC State with 22 points, making 8 of 12 from the field, and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
    • I love watching Q play basketball. Heck of a game by the Senior.
  • The Wolfpack entered the game as one of the best offensive teams in the nation.
    • They didn’t look like one of the best offensive teams tonight.
    • NC State was +11 in turnover margin, +3 in offensive rebounds, +2 in points in the paint and +1 in fast break points.
      • That wasn’t enough to recover from 40.6 shooting.
  • Kudos to Tre Holloman. Copeland was the spark in the 1st half, and Holloman picked up the torch in the 2nd.
    • Holloman scored 14 of his 16 points in the 2nd.
    • On the night, Holloman made 5 of 11 from the field, and 4 of 9 from three.
  • Darrion Williams looked pedestrian against the Tigers.
    • He made a couple of nice shots, but on the whole, he was frazzled with the ball in his hands, and outsized down in the post.