Coming off possibly its most impressive win of its season against Maryland on Monday night, N.C. State (12-7 overall, 2-4 ACC) welcomes the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to the PNC Arena on Sunday afternoon, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets (11-8 overall, 2-4 ACC) are coming off a win over Boston College after losing their previous two ACC matchups. Senior guard Trae Golden, who averages 14.1 points and 3.3 assist per game, leads an experienced Georgia Tech squad into Raleigh.
The status of sophomore forward T.J. Warren is still in doubt for Sunday’s game. Warren, who didn’t play against Maryland after spraining his left ankle against Duke on Saturday, was named on the midseason watch list for the Wooden Award on Wednesday, and his absence would deprive the Pack of its leading scorer for the second straight game.
Playing at home inside PNC Arena should provide an advantage for the Pack, who is 9-4 at home this season. State’s offense will be eager to get after the Yellow Jackets defense, ranked 81st in the country in points allowed per game and 74th in rebounds per game.
The Wolfpack will look to spread the floor against Georgia Tech by knocking down the deep ball. This season N.C. State is shooting a measly 29 percent from three, allowing opposing teams to pack to lane, taking away the Pack’s ability to score in the paint.
Junior guard Ralston Turner is coming off a monster game against the Maryland. After returning to the starting lineup for the first time in 14 games, Turner scored a career high 23 points and connected on five threes, which all came in the second half. If the Wolfpack wants to open up the paint, Turner and his teammates will need to knock down some early threes.
On defense, N.C. State will need to slow down Golden and Georgia Tech’s dynamic guards. Junior guard Desmond Lee put in a faultless performance on Monday against Maryland junior guard Dez Wells, considered one the most physical guards in country. Lee held Wells to 10 points in the contest, below Wells’ season average of 14 points per game.
Lee was also very aggressive on the offensive end. The junior relentlessly attacked the basket against the Terrapins, scoring 14 points and making eight of 11 free throws.
State’s freshman guard Anthony “Cat” Barber scored 13 points for the Pack against Maryland, but only shot five-for-13 from the floor. The speedy guard will need to limit bad shot selections and capitalize in fast break situations where his game excels. Barbers’ vast array of dribble moves and a consistent pull up jump shot gives him the ability to excel on the collegiate stage. If Barber plays within his game, he will be a tough assignment for even Georgia Tech’s experienced guards.
The Wolfpack’s big men will have to step up and play consistently against a physical Georgia Tech interior. In its loss to Virginia, N.C. State allowed the Cavaliers’ sophomore center Mike Tobey to shoot six-for-10 from the floor, with most of his buckets coming in the first half.
State’s senior center Jordan Vandenberg, freshman forward Beejay Anya and the Wolfpack’s interior will need to neutralize Georgia Tech’s senior center Daniel Miller, whose game resembles Tobey’s. Miller, who stands at 6’11”, averages 10 points and seven rebounds per game.
The Yellow Jackets head into the PNC Arena on Sunday looking to stop their losing trend against the Wolfpack. Georgia Tech has not beaten the Pack since 2011, where the Yellow Jackets defeated a State squad led by former forward C.J. Leslie. A win against the Yellow Jackets this weekend would improve the Wolfpack’s record to 3-4 in the ACC.
Tip off at PNC Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
