Thanks to impressive offensive performances by redshirt sophomores Devon Daniels and DJ Funderburk and a press-happy defense that forced 24 turnovers, the NC State men’s basketball team faced little resistance as it topped Chowan 111-62 Monday night at PNC Arena in an exhibition matchup.
“A lot of good things tonight,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. “I thought guys played played hard for us, that’s kind of how we want to play.”
Chowan managed to grab a 1-0 lead on a free throw with 18:22 left in the first half, but that was the only lead of the game for the Hawks and it was all Wolfpack from there. Starting with an old-school 3-pointer by UNC-Wilmington transfer and redshirt junior C.J. Bryce two and a half minutes into the game, NC State launched a 20-3 run over the next five minutes to take control and make it 20-4.
Keatts went with a four-guard lineup of Bryce, Daniels, junior Markell Johnson, redshirt junior Torin Dorn and graduate student Wyatt Walker, with Walker as the only true big. The Wolfpack shuffled through several different lineups while pressing constantly and pushing the tempo offensively.
“If I had to put a name for his tactic, I’d say guerilla warfare, at every angle going out like a militia,” Walker said. “You’ve got different things you can do defensively, offensively and it opens a lot of things up.”
As expected, albeit in stark contrast from last season when the Pack just seven or eight players in its rotation depending on the game, 10 players scored and saw significant minutes for the Wolfpack. In fact, the bench outscored the starting five on the night, recording 58 points while the starters scored 53.
Keatts employed more of his press-and-run strategy, forcing 15 turnovers in the first half alone and scoring 24 points off those turnovers.
Daniels and Funderburk led the way for the Wolfpack in the first half, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively, as the Wolfpack entered halftime with a commanding 61-35 lead over the Hawks.
Daniels and Funderburk continued their excellent play in the second half, with Funderburk going 7 of 7 from the field with 20 points while Daniels had an impressive performance of his own, leading the team with 22 points and draining three shots from beyond the arc.
“We’re gelling pretty well,” Funderburk said. “Everybody on our team can score. That’s the great thing about our team. Everybody can put the ball in the basket. It’s surprising with all new players.”
The Pack, as a whole, shot a solid 58.6 percent from the field while going 9 for 21 from beyond the arc. The free-throw shooting, on the other hand, left something to be desired. The Wolfpack made just 20 of 33 from the charity stripe, good for just 60.6 percent.
Sophomore guard Blake Harris was a force on the defensive end and a problem for the Hawks all night, gathering five steals while scoring nine points on 4-of-9 shooting. The Missouri transfer didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet on the offensive side, but he was all over the floor and wreaked havoc in the full-court press.
The Wolfpack put up 50 more points in the second half to Chowan’s 27 as it cruised to the 111-62 victory.
“On this team, any given game I think anybody can lead us in scoring,” Keatts said. “I’m excited where we’re at right now and we’ve got some work to do before we play next Tuesday.”
NC State will get its regular season started when it faces Mount Saint Mary’s next Tuesday at 7 p.m. at PNC Arena.
Redshirt sophomore guard Devon Daniels guards an inbound pass on Monday, Oct. 29 at PNC Arena. Daniels scored a game-high 22 points on 8-16 shooting as the Wolfpack beat Chowan 111-62.
