After a three game losing streak for the NC State men’s basketball team, there is a contingency of Wolfpack fans who have given up on this season. Some say that it’s time to look past this season and onto next season, when the nation’s seventh ranked recruiting class will come to Raleigh. It’s hard to blame State fans for being disappointed in the team’s play over the past few games, especially when two of the Pack’s last three losses have come against .500 or below teams. But now is not the time to lose hope in the basketball team. Believe it or not, the pieces are there to put together a run that can go deep into March. With that being said, there are some issues that need to be addressed.
From a team perspective, the offense is broken. Over the last three games, NC State has shot a combined 37.9% from the field and 21.3% from 3-point range. As Alec Lower of Backing the Pack writes, “Obviously that sucks really bad,” and “The team cannot shoot.” The first step for the basketball team in turning things around is figuring out the offense, which involves taking good shots. What has become apparent over the last three games and more is that the Pack is not a 3-point shooting team. Its best offense relies in guards driving to the basket and getting the ball to the big men. The Pack needs to find better shot selection.
Turning to individual players, one player who really needs to step up his game if the Pack wants to make a deep run in March is senior guard Markell Johnson. Less than a year ago, Johnson decided to test the NBA Draft waters, only to return for his senior season. He was selected to the preseason All-ACC second team and was a primary reason why many believed, before the season, that NC State would be back in the NCAA Tournament this year.
While he has shown flashes of the player he is capable of being, such as a 19-point performance at UNCG in which he hit a half-court buzzer beater to win the game, a gritty 17-point performance on the road against then No. 12 Auburn, and a season-high 27-point performance against Notre Dame, Johnson has largely not played up to the caliber that many expected of him before the season. He should not be shooting many outside shots.
On the season, Johnson is shooting 25.2% from beyond the arc. His best offense, like much of the rest of the team, is driving to the basket. When Johnson plays at the level Johnson is capable of playing, he is one of the best guards in the country, and that is what NC State needs down the stretch of the season.
Another player who needs to show up for every game is redshirt senior guard C.J. Bryce. While Bryce has been fairly consistent thus far this season, leading the team with 13.2 points per game, Bryce went the last two games prior to the Louisville game without scoring a single point. That simply cannot happen.
Big time players have to show up in big time games, and Bryce has to show up for every game for here on out for the Pack. He appeared to get things back on track against Louisville as he led the team with 15 points, which hopefully is a sign of things to come down the stretch of the season.
NC State’s best player during conference play this season has arguably been redshirt junior forward D.J. Funderburk, who is playing the best basketball of his career right now. Funderburk is averaging 13 points per game and leads the team in rebounds per game with 6.1 and field goal percentage at 61.8%. The Pack should try and get the ball to him as much as it can.
Of all the players on the NC State men’s basketball team, perhaps no one plays with more energy and effort than redshirt junior guard Devon Daniels. On defense, Daniels is a lockdown defender and isn’t afraid to chirp back-and-forth with opposing players. On offense, there is one thing on Daniels’ mind every time he has the ball: attack the basket. Moving forward, the Pack should put the ball in Daniels’ hands more often. He doesn’t settle for outside shots and takes the ball to the basket.
Another player who brings maximum energy to every game is sophomore forward Jericole Hellems. While his jump shot isn’t pretty, Hellems goes hard on every possession. He, along with Daniels, is a lockdown defender, and he is at his best offensively when he takes the ball to the basket.
Other than Bryce, the only other players that pose significant threats from the outside are junior guard Braxton Beverly and graduate forward Pat Andree. While the two have largely struggled to score recently, if both can get their shots going down the stretch of the season, it would go a long way in opening up State’s offense.
Protecting the rim is redshirt freshman Manny Bates. He leads the ACC in blocked shots per game with three and could very well find himself on the ACC All-Defensive Team at the end of the season. While he doesn’t pose a huge threat offensively with 5.2 points per game, he provides a huge force on defense that makes any opponent reluctant to come across the middle of the paint while he’s in the game.
While the last three games haven’t been proof, NC State has the pieces capable of making a run deep in March. The Pack has stellar guards, solid big men and a couple of sharpshooters who can contribute. If there was any game this season that proved that the Pack could compete with anyone, it was the trip down to No. 12 Auburn. Although it lost 79-73, the State showed resilience in a hostile environment against a top-15 team and came pretty close to winning.
Hopes of the team making the NCAA Tournament are far from gone. The Pack still has work to do, which will probably have to include a marquee win against either Duke or Florida State. If it can make it to 20 wins in the regular season and get a marquee win over one of the top teams in the ACC, there is a good chance State’s name will be called on Selection Sunday. If the Pack is in the tournament, there is always a chance.
