The NC State men’s basketball team fell to Illinois 88-74 Tuesday in Champaign, Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The Wolfpack (5-2) failed its first true road test of the year to a veteran, but subpar Illinois team. Turnovers were the story of the game, as the Pack had 13 in the first half alone and this carelessness with the basketball never really let NC State find its rhythm offensively. With much depth at the guard position, and a quick and athletic rotation, the Wolfpack is at its best when it is pushing the tempo and getting out in transition.
Turnovers and foul trouble slowed the game down, and NC State never really had the chance to ramp up the pace of the game. The Pack also had two players with more than two fouls at the half, as freshman forward Ted Kapita had three and redshirt sophomore guard Torin Dorn had two at the break.
Even with the messy play, the Wolfpack found itself with a 33-32 lead to the end the first half. Freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. led the team in scoring going into halftime with eight points, on 4-of-7 shooting. Dorn and junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu also came out strong in the opening half, scoring seven and six points, respectively.
However, in the second half, mental errors caught up to the Pack. Foul trouble cut into an already thin rotation, and the team just looked like they simply ran out of gas down the stretch. Freshman guard Markell Johnson played a solid game, but fouled out late in the contest.
Illinois’ defensive intensity also picked up, as the Fighting Illini held Smith to 0-for-4 shooting and 3-point marksman senior guard Terry Henderson to 0-for-3 from deep after halftime. Smith finished with 12 points, and struggled to get shots to fall, after scoring 20 points or more in four straight games.
The Pack’s defensive woes continued as well, and it had another lackluster outing, allowing Illinois have its way in the paint. Fighting Illini senior guard Malcolm Hill scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half, grabbing nine rebounds and four assists in the process. State lost the rebounding the battle overall, and allowed Illinois to get many of its points off of second-chance opportunities. At times, the group seemed to lack effort, and were out hustled by an Illinois team that was hungry after suffering three-straight losses.
With expectations high in Raleigh this year, it is hard to say that NC State has not disappointed thus far. However, with sophomore guard Maverick Rowan still out with the concussion he suffered during the season opener, and highly-touted freshman center Omer Yurtseven still serving his suspension, there is much reason for optimism. Both Rowan and Yurtseven should help the Wolfpack rebound and defend the paint better, which are two areas in need of improvement.
Illinois seems to be one of the tougher teams in NC State’s non-conference slate and the Pack will attempt to bounce back with the remainder of its non-conference schedule, before beginning ACC play against Miami on New Year’s Eve. The Wolfpack take on Boston University Dec. 3 in PNC Arena.
