Courtesy of Timothy Sofranko/N.C. State Athletics
Sophomore forward T.J. Warren throws down a vicious fastbreak dunk agaisnt 12th-seeded Xavier in Dayton, Ohio Tuesday night. Warren finished the game with 25 points, his 30th game of the season with at least 20 points.
One win down, six more to go.
That’s the sentiment of N.C. State fans, as the 12th-seeded Wolfpack men’s basketball team continues its NCAA Tournament push. On Thursday, the State team will suit up in Orlando, Fla. To take on No. 5-seed Saint Louis. Tip-off at the Amway Center is set for 7:20 p.m., and the game will be televised by TNT.
The Wolfpack (22-13) dispatched Xavier, 74-59, on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio in the tournament’s first round. Thursday’s game presents a quick turnaround, but coming off of last week’s ACC Tournament in which the Pack advanced to the semifinals, fatigue will not be an issue.
Sophomore forward T.J. Warren led the way as usual for State on Tuesday, scoring 25 points. However, Warren was helped tremendously by his supporting cast. Junior guard Ralston Turner had 17 points, and sophomore guard Tyler Lewis distributed the ball brilliantly, finishing with eight assists compared to only one turnover. Lewis’ production was particularly important, as freshman guard Anthony “Cat” Barber, State’s other primary ball-handler, spent most of the game on the bench due to an undisclosed illness.
Additionally, the Wolfpack’s usually-suspect defense harassed the Musketeers, forcing 13 turnovers, and limited Xavier to 41 percent shooting, including just two-of-14 from beyond the arc. Senior center Jordan Vandenberg totaled four blocks, while freshman forward BeeJay Anya had three.
In short, Tuesday’s victory was a true team effort. When Warren picked up two early fouls that sent him to the bench, players like Lewis and freshmen forwards Kyle Washington and Lennard Freeman picked up the slack.
Tuesday’s game took place in the same building the Wolfpack’s season ended in 2013 with a loss to Temple in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This year’s Wolfpack squad couldn’t be more different than last year’s group.
The 2013 State team, led by former Wolfpackers C.J. Leslie, Lorenzo Brown and Richard Howell, was much more talented than Warren and Company. However, they didn’t play together as a team, but instead as five players, and State’s season finished in disappointing fashion.
This year’s Wolfpack? These guys are a team, and it’s showed as the season has progressed. The Pack looked dead in the water following a home loss to Miami on Mar. 1, but the team came together, won its final two regular season games, advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament and snuck into the Big Dance like a teenager into a bar with a fake ID.
Saint Louis (26-6), led by senior forward Dwayne Evans and senior guard Jordair Jett, will look to play the role of bouncer on thirsty Thursday. Evans leads the Billikens with 14 points per game, and Jett is right behind him at 13.7. Jett also averages 4.8 assists per game, 1.1 more than Lewis.
The Billikens, out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, went on a 19-game win streak earlier this season and rose as high as No. 10 in the AP poll. However, they limped into the tournament after losing four of their last five games, including a last-second loss to St. Bonaventure in their first A-10 Tournament game. The Saint Louis team plays tough defense, holding opponents to 39.9 percent shooting and just 28 percent from three.
No. 12 vs. No. 5 is a historically popular upset pick by pundits across the country. A 12-seed has pulled off the upset in every season since 1990 with only two exceptions – 2000 and 2007. Can the Wolfpack continue that trend? It won’t be easy, but with one win under its belt and an opponent on a bit of a slide, the stage is set for another upset.