The N.C. State men’s basketball team (14-8 overall, 4-5 ACC) will look to pick up its second conference win on the road this season Saturday afternoon as it travels to take on Miami.
The Hurricanes, coming off a 59-55 overtime loss to No. 25 Pittsburgh Wednesday night, have struggled of late. Head coach Jim Larranaga’s squad has lost four consecutive conference games and stands at 11-11 overall, 2-7 in the ACC.
Last season, Miami took the pair of its meetings with the Pack. In the regular-season meeting in Raleigh, former Hurricanes center Reggie Johnson tipped in a late miss with 0.8 seconds on the clock to steal a, 79-78 win. The teams met again in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Greensboro, with Miami controlling the game and winning, 81-71.
This time around, each team will be facing a new-look version of its opponent.
Five of the Hurricanes impact players from last season’s ACC Championship team have either graduated or opted to enter the NBA Draft, most notably former point guard Shane Larkin, the 2013 co-ACC Player of the Year. That charged Larranaga, in his third year with the ‘canes, with replacing his entire starting lineup from last season.
The Wolfpack also boast a new starting five from last season. Only two players in State’s rotation this season, sophomore forward T.J. Warren and sophomore guard Tyler Lewis, saw significant minutes last year. But the Pack showed its tenacity by picking up gritty home wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland, a great sign of things to come from State’s relatively young team.
But for Miami, it’s been an uphill slog all the way this season. The Hurricanes opened the year with an overtime loss to low-major St. Francis Brooklyn, and their nonconference schedule also includes a loss to Central Florida (9-11 overall).
Still, Miami is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking 10th in Division I by allowing just 59.5 points per game. The Hurricanes’ opponents are shooting 39.9 percent per game, good for 42nd in the nation.
On the flipside, the Canes are 342nd in scoring offense at just 61.3 points per game. Senior guard Rion Brown leads the way offensively, averaging 14.3 points per game. Brown is the only Miami player with a double-digit scoring average. The Hinesville, Ga. native also co-leads his team in rebounding, tying with senior forward Donovan Kirk at 6.1 caroms per game.
Rebounding is an area where, when the Wolfpack struggles, it usually loses the game. State is coming off an, 84-70 loss at rival UNC-Chapel Hill, in which the Pack was outrebounded, 52-36, and surrendered 22 offensive boards to the Tar Heels. In a blowout loss to Virginia on Jan. 11, the Pack was outrebounded, 40-28.
State’s key to winning the battle of the boards Saturday is for its big men not to get into early foul trouble. In Chapel Hill, freshman forward Kyle Washington picked up two fouls within the first two minutes of the game, severely limiting his effectiveness the rest of the way.
Washington, along with fellow freshman forwards Lennard Freeman and BeeJay Anya, and senior center Jordan Vandenberg, will be counted on to complement Warren on the glass against a Miami team whose rotation includes three players taller than 6’9”.
Another key for the Wolfpack will be whether junior guard Desmond Lee can continue his strong offensive production. Lee, who had 18 points in the second half last Saturday, has scored in double figures in four straight games, raising his average to 10.5 points per game. That’s good news for the Wolfpack, which has been heavily dependent on Warren and freshman guard Anthony “Cat” Barber for points.
Finally, State will be well served to make sure the game is as high scoring as possible, pushing the tempo to get the Hurricanes out of their comfort zone. Miami, by contrast, will try to slow the game down, use the entire shot clock and frustrate the Wolfpack into turnovers and bad shot selection.
Tipoff at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla., is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Carolinas.
