The first two games of the new college basketball season couldn’t have gone much better for the NC State men’s basketball team, as the Wolfpack is 2-0 after two blowout wins at home in PNC Arena.
The Pack beat Mount St. Mary’s 105-55 to open the season, before topping Maryland Eastern Shore 95-49 Saturday afternoon in a game that saw the Wolfpack hold a 51-15 halftime lead. Second year head coach Kevin Keatts’ squad has come out of the gates running, and showing that, despite an almost entirely new roster, it is ready to compete.
Here are a few thoughts after seeing 80 minutes of the Wolfpack in action:
As promised, this team plays fast and aggressive
Keatts emphasized all last year how fast he wants to play, and spent the build-up to this season saying this year’s team would be even faster. So far, that promise has been fulfilled. An average of 100 points per game is not sustainable, but has shown that the Pack can push the pace and create havoc on defense and earn itself chances.
The Pack is forcing 16.5 turnovers per game through two games, and has made teams pay for that. NC State has 55 points off turnovers so far, and has gotten great opportunities thanks in large part to an overwhelmingly successful press.
It’s been just two games, against much smaller schools, but the Pack has already attempted 136 field goals this season. That averages out to 68 per game. Last season only two Division I teams, Savannah State and Portland State, averaged more field-goal attempts per game.
Who needs big men?
Keatts runs four guards, and occasionally five, on the court together at most times. That means there’s only one true big-man in the game, and that’s a good thing, because the Pack doesn’t have an abundance there. Graduate transfer Wyatt Walker has started at center, and redshirt sophomore DJ Funderburk has also played a lot down low as well.
That’s it. Freshman Jericole Hellems is listed as a forward, but at 6-foot-7 he isn’t a true big. Freshman Ian Steere is a true big, but he’s played just five minutes all season and wasn’t with the team against Maryland Eastern Shore.
Despite the lack of size, the Pack has out-rebounded opponents 99-54 so far. Walker and Funderburk have combined for 21 of those, but it has been the stretch guards that have made all the difference. Redshirt senior Torin Dorn leads the team with 19 rebounds, followed closely by redshirt junior guard C.J. Bryce.
NC State is never going to be a conventional rebounding team, but if Dorn and Bryce can continue that pace it won’t matter. Dorn is the perfect player for Keatts’ system, and Bryce, who was at UNC-Wilmington with Keatts, is almost as good of a fit. They crash the boards, and make up for the Pack’s lack of depth at forward.
This is Torin Dorn’s team
There’s a lot of talent on this Wolfpack squad, but the leader is clearly Dorn. He’s been around the program as long as anyone, and after testing the waters of the NBA draft this offseason he has stormed into his final college campaign.
He’s averaging 24 points per game, and also leads the Pack in rebounds. He looked incredibly improved under Keatts last year, and the progression is clearly continuing. Dorn’s skill set and experience are huge assets for NC State, and he is showing early why he deserves some more credit on a wider scope.
DJ Funderburk may never miss a shot
Obviously this isn’t true, but the redshirt sophomore big man is perfect from the field in an NC State jersey so far. A 6-foot-10 junior college transfer, Funderburk is 9-for-9 from the field and 16-for-16 if you add in the Pack’s exhibition win over Chowan.
Funderburk is a solid stretch forward option for the Wolfpack, and seems to be the top option off the bench as a forward in Keatts’ four-guard system. His shooting has been good, and so far he has looked capable of filling in the role of a jump-shooting big man that Omer Yurtseven did so well at for the Pack.
