David Tracey
Redshirt senior guard Torin Dorn takes a shot on Saturday, Nov. 24 at PNC Arena. Dorn scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting along with nine rebounds as the Wolfpack beat Mercer 78-74.
NC State men’s basketball will travel to the Hoophall Miami Invitational to compete against Vanderbilt Saturday evening. The Wolfpack will enter the game at 6-1, while the Commodores are 5-1.
NC State boasted a perfect record until its recent 79-75 loss against the 22nd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
Here’s a preview of Saturday’s game in Miami:
NC State
Redshirt senior guard Torin Dorn has been a leader for the Wolfpack this season, averaging 17.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Dorn posted his first double-double of the season against Wisconsin when he tallied 14 points and 11 rebounds. Last season, the guard was ranked 21st in the ACC in scoring and 18th in rebounding.
Redshirt junior guard C.J. Bryce is a new face to NC State this year, but has not fallen short of expectations. Bryce is averaging 13.6 points per game with a 54.1 field-goal percentage this season.
Junior guard Markell Johnson has led the Wolfpack in assists since last season, ranking first in the ACC with 7.3 per game. The offensive asset scored 21 points against Wisconsin and holds a 58.2 field-goal percentage for the season.
Sophomore point guard Braxton Beverly is getting back into the swing of things after injuring his hand a few weeks before the season began. Last season, the point guard had a 3.27 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is the best by any freshman in ACC history.
Graduate forward Wyatt Walker is currently in his first season with NC State and has the team’s second best field-goal percentage with 63 percent. The 6-foot-9 forward has 24 rebounds and eight blocks this season.
Vanderbilt
Sophomore guard Saben Lee has scored double digits in every game except for one. Lee is averaging 12 points per game with 3.7 rebounds. Last season, the sophomore was the team leader in steals and assists, posting 39 and 99, respectively.
Freshman forward Aaron Newsmith had his best game of the year for the Commodores in their most recent game against Savannah State, tallying 20 points and 13 rebounds. This was the freshman’s first double-double of the season.
Redshirt junior forward Matt Ryan has 61 points and 12 assists so far this season. With a 41.7 field-goal percentage for 2018, Ryan has been a consistent player for the Commodores in the front court.
Freshman forward Simisola Shittu is statistically the best player for Vanderbilt averaging 16.2 points per game. Shittu has gone 23 for 25 with a 59.7 field-goal percentage and is one of the most consistent players from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Joe Toye has scored double figures in four games this season totaling 74 points. With four blocks and four steals, Toye has been a major asset in the back-court helping run the offense.
The Commodores will be without star freshman Darius Garland, a consensus five-star recruit, who will miss the remainder of the season.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams since the 2011-12 season when the Wolfpack came up short to the Commodores 86-79 in the Legends Classic.