It’s that time of the year again. March Madness.
The NCAA Tournament yields arguably the best moments of the college basketball season. The shocking upsets, buzzer beaters and shining moments are just moments away and for the first time since the 2014-15 season, the NC State men’s basketball team gets the chance to be a part of the magic that is the month of March.
The Wolfpack (21-11, 11-7 ACC) is dancing for the first time since 2015. Under first-year head coach Kevin Keatts, the Pack far surpassed preseason expectations and clinched the No. 9 seed in the Midwest region, where Seton Hall awaits in Wichita, Kansas.
In the round of 64, the Pirates (21-11, 10-8 Big East) stand in the way of NC State, and the talk of the contest has centered around how the Wolfpack will handle the heroics of star forward Desi Rodriguez, though he has been battling injuries as of late.
The 2018 All-Big East second-team selection and leading scorer for Seton Hall is having an incredible year. Rodriguez is averaging 18.1 points per game thanks to converting an impressive 50.4 percent of his shots from the floor.
While the 6-foot-6 senior is known for his aggressive, and successful, slashing to the basket, he’s also a threat from long range, shooting 38 percent from downtown. His imposing frame allows him to win most battles at the rim on both ends of the floor, also notching five rebounds per game.
Fellow senior and conference second-team selection Angel Delgado is the obvious leader in the frontcourt. Delgado is a 6-foot-10 and from the Dominican Republic — and he means business on the offensive glass.
Delgado is easily averaging a double-double on the year with 13.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, including 3.87 offensive boards per outing; in fact, in a win over Depaul on Jan. 28, Delgado became the Big East’s all-time leading rebounder backed by a 19-rebound performance.
Watching Delgado on tape, he simply doesn’t quit on offense. He’s often used in the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop game; he’s aggressive in the paint and nearly always follows his shots. Delgado and the Pirate backcourt will be quite a handful for the Wolfpack.
Thursday’s game should prove to be a fun and interesting matchup of sorts. Redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn and graduate guard Allerik Freeman will more than likely be tasked with controlling the offensive firepower of Rodriguez.
As for Delgado, it will be exciting to see him and sophomore center Omer Yurtseven face off. It could be a battle of the bigs as Delgado’s aggressive post maneuvers match up against Yurtseven, a 7-footer who has developed into an inside-out threat, averaging 51.2 percent from deep.
The Pirates and Pack could turn the game into a shootout when 4:30 p.m. rolls around on Thursday in the Intrust Bank Arena, and the Wolfpack has absolutely nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
NC State has just three players, Al Freeman and senior forwards Lennard Freeman and Abdul-Malik Abu, that have experienced postseason play, which could be detrimental to the Pack’s success. This year marks the third consecutive year Seton Hall has made the big dance, but it hasn’t reached the second round since 2004.
If the Pack is to exit with a victory, Keatts, his staff and his team deserve to celebrate the victory, an incredible success in his first year in Raleigh; however, the next game and the rest of the Midwest is about as daunting as it gets.
Barring the upset of the century, the Wolfpack will be rewarded for a first-round win matchup with No. 1 seed Kansas, on virtually its home court.
Weighing the Pack’s chances versus a title contender would be premature. It’s just another year and yet another year to take home the National Championship for head coach Bill Self and his squad.
If NC State meets the Jayhawks (27-7, 13-5 Big 12) in the second round, senior guard and Raleigh native Devonte’ Graham will be licking his chops to face his hometown school. The Broughton High alumnus has reached two Elite Eights in his four-year career with Kansas, and it will take a miracle to knock his team out on the first weekend.
But Wolfpack fans have witnessed miracles.
As the No. 8 seed in 2015, the Pack first defeated LSU, 66-65, in the round of 64 thanks to an improbable last-second bucket from former fan-favorite Beejay Anya. In the second round NC State knocked off No.1-seeded Villanova, 71-68, in an all-around team performance highlighted by the prowess of Trevor Lacey and Cat Barber.
Lennard Freeman and Abu are the only current members of the Wolfpack who were on the Sweet 16 team from three years ago, and remember the incredible feeling of doing the impossible.
While neither senior has contributed as much as in years previous, maybe the big men can jumpstart another miracle, or the future of the Wolfpack can fabricate one of their own.
March is the best month of the year for college basketball, and NC State is just happy to be here. Playing with no pressure and excitement alone could bode well for Keatts and Co. The Midwest region is highlighted by giants like Kansas, Duke and Michigan State who are bound to punch their tickets to the big dance, and the Wolfpack is looking to crash the party.
