The NC State men’s basketball team (9-1) will have a tough matchup as it faces off against the No. 8 Auburn Tigers (9-1) Wednesday at PNC Arena. NC State’s only loss this year came from another ranked team, a 79-75 loss to No. 22 Wisconsin, and the Wolfpack seeks an even record against ranked teams.
NC State will look to its consistent shooting and stellar coaching to pull off the upset. Auburn’s only loss came from powerhouse Duke (9-1).
NC State is coming into the match on a three-game winning streak, courtesy of a win over the Penn State Nittany Lions, a game which saw five Wolfpack players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Braxton Beverly led the Pack with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc.
Consistency was key for NC State, as the team reached a season-high field goal percentage of 60.7 percent, and tied its 3-point percentage season-high with 50 percent. The Wolfpack controlled the lead for most of the game, only surrendering it once after overcoming an early deficit to start the game.
The Pack found itself in foul trouble early in the second with senior forward Wyatt Walker and redshirt sophomore DJ Funderburk each picking up four. Funderburk went on to score nine points before fouling out.
The only issues head coach Kevin Keatts will have to address before the game on Wednesday are the turnover and foul trouble the Pack found themself in. The Wolfpack had a +6.7 turnover rate for the season going into the Penn State game, but ended that game with three more turnovers (17-14) than PSU.
Auburn struggled in its last game, an overtime win over UAB (6-4). Auburn had trouble with accuracy, as the team finished the game with a field goal percentage of 38.6. Despite this, Jared Harper lit up the rim, scoring 31 of the Tigers’ 75 points. Auburn’s season point-leader, Bryce Brown, had an uncharacteristically bad game, going 1 for 7 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3. The Tigers are relying heavily on Harper and Brown to power their offense, and NC State will have to work hard to control those two.
The NC State players will have to keep up their hot hands and be smart with the ball if they hope to overcome the strong defense of Auburn. This game also marks the beginning of a three-game homestand for the Pack.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
