Sure, this game didn’t count. It was played against Mars Hill, a Division II team who has nowhere near ACC level talent. But that isn’t what tonight was about. Tonight was about observing, about learning what this Wolfpack team has and how they are going to use it.
Regardless of the opponent, what we witnessed tonight was impressive. It wasn’t the 109 points they scored or the fact that they won by 43. No. It was the fine details of tonight’s game that should have Pack fans very excited. The fact that NC State’s defense was constantly in the passing lanes. When they got beat, there was communication in the help and recover. They dove for loose balls, they deflected passes. They played insanely fast and with a true aggression. They drove to dish to create instead of driving to score. In short, they played as a team who had something to prove.
What we saw tonight was what NC State fans have been asking for over the last 30 years. A group of selfless players who will lay it on the line to come away with the W. A group who takes pride in their performance and are accountable to one another.
Now for the stats.
Torin Dorn (yes, the guy we told you to watch out for) led the scoring with 19 points on 8-12 shooting. Al Freeman was right behind him with 18 points. He also added 8 boards. Then came the point guards. Johnson and Batts both played outstanding and both put up 16 points. However, it was Johnson who had the bigger night. His 16 points went along with 12 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks (all while only committing 2 turnovers). Batts added 3 assists and 2 steals. Omer Yurtseven had 12 and 5, Freeman had 7 and 10, while Sam Hunt had 11 of his own.
Most Impressive player: Markell Johnson. He really looked elite out there. Super quick, improved jumper and great job getting into the lane and finding the open guy. He looked like a leader on the court and even though Keatts has been tough on him in the media, he answered the call and should be one of the Pack’s top producers all season long.
Biggest surprise: Lavar Batts Jr.. I didnt really know what to expect from Batts. He’s new to the college game and I wondered how his jumper would translate. I was wrong to question. Batts ended with 16 pts and he had some really explosive plays down the stretch. His ability to go zero to full throttle is amazing. He is a selfless guard who is going to be a star in this league.
Key Stats: State forced 26 turnovers and scored 35 points off of those, That’s the stat that we think you should focus on. They were focused and aggressive on defense. This is a team that takes pride in that. This is the type of basketball that wins games. If they can continue to improve, this team will be much better than expected.
