Sophomore point-guard Markell Johnson rounds the Wake Forest defense at the NC State vs. Wake Forest men's basketball game hosted at Wake Forest University in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. The Wolfpack won against the Demon Deacons with a final score of 90-84." />
Glenn Wagstaff
Sophomore point-guard Markell Johnson rounds the Wake Forest defense at the NC State vs. Wake Forest men's basketball game hosted at Wake Forest University in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. The Wolfpack won against the Demon Deacons with a final score of 90-84.
After dropping two games in a row earlier this month, the NC State men’s basketball team has righted the ship with back-to-back road wins and is looking to extend its winning streak on Tuesday against Boston College at PNC Arena.
The Wolfpack (18-9, 8-6 ACC) currently sits tied for fifth in the ACC and would move up to fourth, where it has not finished a season in five years, with a win over Boston College.
The Eagles (16-11, 6-8 ACC) have proven to be a tough out this year, with wins over ranked teams Duke and Florida State, and close losses to Virginia and Clemson, and cannot be overlooked by an NC State team that is so close to an NCAA Tournament appearance the team can almost smell it.
Leading the way for the Eagles is one of the best backcourt duos in the entire country, guards Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman.
Robinson, who grew up in Raleigh and attended Broughton High School, is averaging 21 points per game and is shooting lights-out from behind the 3-point line, knocking down treys at a 46.5 percent clip. Robinson has been electric as of late, averaging 32.8 points per game in his last four games, including a 46-point outburst against Notre Dame earlier this month.
Bowman, who also grew up in eastern North Carolina and played basketball at Havelock High School, is the Eagles’ best all-around player, averaging 16.4 points per game to go along with 7 rebounds and a team-leading 4.9 assists per game. Bowman is also a menace on the defensive end, leading the Eagles with 1.3 steals per game.
Six-foot-8 forward Steffon Mitchell leads an undersized Eagles team in rebounding. Mitchell is corralling 7.9 rebounds per game, 2.6 of which come on the offensive glass each game. Six-foot-11 center Nik Popovic is the only Eagles player playing over 10 minutes per game who is taller than 6-foot-8. Popovic plays just 25 minutes per game, but has been dominant lately with 10 rebounds in his last two games.
The Wolfpack is led on offense by sophomore guard Markell Johnson, sophomore center Omer Yurtseven, and junior guard/forward Torin Dorn.
Johnson has been a revelation as the team’s point guard this year, averaging a double-double in points and assists in his last eight games. Johnson broke the school record for consecutive games with double-digit assists earlier this season when he dished out 10 or more dimes in five straight games from Jan. 21 through Feb. 7.
Yurtseven and Dorn are second and third, respectively, on the team in scoring. Yurtseven is hitting 59.1 percent of his shots from the field and 48.6 percent of his three pointers on his way to averaging 13.8 points per game. Dorn is scoring 13.4 points per game on an extremely efficient 53.4 percent shooting and has elevated his game in ACC play.
In addition to getting buckets for the Wolfpack, Yurtseven and Dorn also lead the Wolfpack in rebounding. Yurtseven is grabbing 6.8 boards per game while Dorn is pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game.
Slowing down the fearsome duo of Bowman and Robinson will be crucial for the Wolfpack defense. The two combined for 54 points in a win over then-undefeated, No. 1 Duke and 53 points in a win over Miami. If the Wolfpack’s guards are up to the task, the Pack should inch one step closer to an NCAA Tournament berth.
The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. Tuesday at PNC Arena.