GAMEDAY PRIMER vs. Miami | Keys to the Game, Team Trends and How to Watch

NC State Wolfpack VS Miami Hurricanes
Time: 4PM
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: ESPN2

The Miami Hurricanes (19-5, 8-3 in the ACC) roll into Raleigh today for a big road test against NC State, fresh off a statement win over No. 11 North Carolina earlier this week. That 75-66 victory at home was their first ranked win of the season, and it showed just how much this team has bought in under first-year head coach Jai Lucas.

Miami’s been one of the ACC’s hotter squads in the ACC lately—winners of two straight and four of their last five—with a solid 5-1 mark away from home. Their numbers back it up: strong adjusted offensive efficiency (118.1), a defensive rating around 100.8, and a balanced attack that shoots efficiently (56.4% eFG%), crashes the boards well, and keeps turnovers in check.

The offense runs through forward Malik Reneau, who’s putting up 19.8 points per game on really efficient shooting (56% from the field, 36% from three, 78% at the line). He’s been a matchup problem all season.

Guard Tre Donaldson is the engine—15.8 points, 6.1 assists, and plenty of steals while playing heavy minutes. He makes everything flow and can take over when needed.

Inside, Ernest Udeh Jr. is the anchor with 9.6 rebounds and solid rim protection (1.3 blocks), plus he’s finishing at a high clip around the rim. Depth from guys like Shelton Henderson adds scoring punch too.

This Hurricanes group has come together nicely with a mix of transfers and returners, playing with good pace, attacking the paint, and defending with discipline. Coming off that emotional high against UNC, they’re chasing win No. 20 and a real boost to their NCAA resume.

Wade’s Thoughts on Miami:

“They’re big, they’re physical, they play to their strengths. Coach (Jai) Lucas does a great job. They have an identity and play to their strengths. Their strengths are how tough they are, how physical they are, getting that ball in the paint…Reneau is able to drive it down there with his left hand, Shelton Henderson is able to drive it in there with his right hand. The big, he gets a bunch of lobs, a bunch of layups, a bunch of stuff around the rim. Donaldson is a good player. They’re going to be big. They’re going to be physical. They’re going to try to punk us. If they watch the film from Louisville, they’re going to be salivating, ready to come after us. We’re going to have to be a lot tougher, more physical than we’ve been for sure.” – Will Wade

Keys To the Game

For NC State, it’s simple. Match their physicality.

NC State is the better team offensively and defensively, but Miami has a near Top-25 offensive rebounding %, while the Wolfpack really struggles on the offensive glass.

NC State needs to shoot it well. Miami ranks 193rd in 3pt % defense and NC State ranks 7th in 3pt%.

Play physical knock-down shots.

Players to Watch

Malik Reneau (MIAMI – F) The standout forward is the heart of the Hurricanes’ offense, averaging 19.8 points per game on efficient shooting (56.1% from the field, 35.8% from three, 77.9% at the line). At 6’9″, he’s a tough matchup inside with his scoring versatility, pulling down 6.6 rebounds and creating problems for defenses all season. He’s been Miami’s go-to guy, especially in big moments, and he’ll need to stay aggressive against NC State’s frontcourt that doesn’t have a great matchup for him.

Quadir Copeland (NC State – G) The senior guard has been electric as the Wolfpack’s floor general, leading the ACC in assists at 6.9 per game while scoring 13.9 points. At 6’6″, he brings size and playmaking to the point, shooting efficiently (around 52% FG overall) and adding rebounds (3.6 per game) plus steals (1.8). He’s coming off a strong stretch, including ACC Player of the Week honors recently, and his ability to control tempo and distribute will be key in trying to slow Miami’s momentum.

Game Notes

– NC State had its six game winning streak – the program’s longest win streak in ACC games since the 1973-74 season – snapped in a 118-77 loss to 24th-ranked Louisville on Monday. The 118 points by the Cardinals are the second-most ever allowed by NC State and Mikel Brown Jr’s 45 points are tied for the most by an opponent in program history.

– Ven-Allen Lubin led NC State with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Louisville. Lubin has now shot over 50 percent in every game except for one this season. The Orlando, Fla., native leads the ACC and ranks fourth in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 68.0 percent. In his fourth season of college basketball, Lubin is averaging a career-best 13.6 points per game and his rebounding average of 7.0 per game is also the best of his career.

– Quadir Copeland had 10 points and was held to just three assists in the loss to the Cardinals. Copeland leads the ACC and ranks 10th in the NCAA in assists per game, but the three assists are tied for a season-low for the Philadelphia, Pa., native and the fewest in a game for him since he had three in the Pack’s game at Auburn on Dec. 3. Copeland had more turnovers than assists at Louisville, just the second time this season (Nov. 25 vs. Boise State) that Copeland has had more turnovers than assists. Copeland has a 2.57 assist-to-turnover ratio this season which ranks sixth in the ACC and is currently the 10th-best single season assist-to-turnover ratio in program history.

– Copeland was named ACC Player of the Week last Monday after two stellar performances in NC State wins the week prior. In an 84-83 win at SMU, he had a career-high 16 assists with zero turnover and also had a season-high 10 rebounds. The 16 assists tie for the fourth-most in a single game in program history. Copeland is the first Division I player to log 16 assists and zero turnovers since Belmont’s Grayson Murphy in 2019 and the first ACC player to have 16 assists and zero turnovers since 1997. Copeland set the program record for most assists without a turnover. (previous 15 ast/0 turnovers by Ishua Benjamin on 12/18/97). He wrapped up the week with 21 points, 10 assists and a career-high tying five steals in the win over Virginia Tech

– Senior guard Tre Holloman scored 19 points at Louisville. It’s the second-most points he’s scored in a game this season. The Michigan State transfer has now scored in double digits in four consecutive games, tied for the longest double digit scoring streak of his career. Over the last four games, Holloman has made 10 three-pointers and is averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting 52.5 percent (21-of-40) from the field.