The NC State men’s basketball team has rolled through its opposition this season, claiming both its wins by double-digits. This weekend, the Wolfpack will face two opponents from the Sunshine State: Jacksonville and South Florida.
State will face the Dolphins of Jacksonville first, hosting the team at PNC Arena Thursday night. So far this season the ‘Fins have been shaky on the court, dropping two of their first three contests.
Strangely enough, Jacksonville’s two losses have come to Jackson State and Hofstra, the two teams the Pack defeated in its first two games. While State took down the Tigers and Pride by 35 and 12 points, respectively, the Dolphins were handed 33- and nine-point losses by the two squads.
While the team has not shot with great efficiency so far this season, recording 35.3 percent accuracy from the floor, Jacksonville’s troubles have come from an inability to take care of the basketball.
The Dolphins have turned the ball over an astonishing 46 times this season, and the opposing team has gone on to score 54 points with these errors. To put that into perspective, points off turnovers have accounted for nearly one-fourth of Jacksonville’s total points allowed this season.
Jacksonville’s fatal flaw of turning over the ball will likely be its downfall Thursday night, as defense has been a priority for the Pack this season. In its first two games, State has forced 25 turnovers, 13 of which came from steals.
The Dolphins have found some structure in the play of junior guard Andris Misters. Misters leads the team with 15 points per game, while shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc. However, like his team as a whole, the junior has had trouble holding onto the ball, as his turnover-to-assist ratio sits at 0.8.
Sunday night, the Pack will face off against the South Florida Bulls, a squad that has gone undefeated through two games this season. The Bulls’ first victory came against D-II Flagler College, while the other was a nine-point win over Jackson State. While the wins have not been extremely impressive, there is still something to say about a team with no marks in the loss column.
As evidenced by the team’s 25 percent mark from three-point range this season, South Florida likes to feed the ball into the post. Sophomore forward Chris Perry has made a name for himself early, leading the team with 19.5 points and 8.5 boards per game, all despite not starting in the team’s first game.
Paired with the 6-foot-11 presence of junior center Jaleel Cousins, the USF frontcourt will be the first real challenge for the young bigs of State. So far this season, post production has been limited for the Pack, on both sides of the court.
Offensively, the four forwards in State’s regular rotation have combined to put up just 16 points per game. Sophomore Lennard Freeman, the team’s highest scoring post player, ranks just fifth among State players in points per game.
On defense, the group still has issues with foul trouble. Freeman fouled out in the team’s first contest, while sophomores BeeJay Anya and Kyle Washington were sidelined for most of the second half against Hofstra with four fouls each.
The Bulls’ big men will take advantage of the Pack’s defensive issues if they continue, as Perry has shot 11-for-14 from the free throw line this season. Conversely, as a team, State has been dreadful from the charity stripe, converting on a subpar 65.1 percent of free throws.
The Pack will own the advantage in the backcourt, as the three starting guards, redshirt junior Trevor Lacey, sophomore Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber and redshirt senior Ralston Turner, have averaged 54.5 points per game, while shooting an impressive 13-for-27 from downtown. Look for the guards to lead the way for the Pack Sunday night.
Even though it is early in the season, these contests are must-wins for the Pack, as every game counts when the NCAA Tournament selection committee is handing out berths in March. Thursday’s game will tip off at 7 p.m., while the Sunday game is slated to start at 4 p.m.
