The NC State men’s basketball team did not have high expectations going into the season due to last year’s historically bad record, but the Wolfpack has gotten off to a much better start than many anticipated, which is in large part thanks to the play of graduate guard Jarkel Joiner.
This is Joiner’s first year at NC State after transferring from Ole Miss where he spent his junior and senior years. Joiner has been a much-welcome addition to the backcourt in his first eight games.
Coming into the season, Joiner was expected to be one of the Pack’s leaders and someone the offense would run through, and in his first game with NC State, he proved that he could be the leader of the offense with eight assists against Austin Peay. Over his collegiate career, Joiner has only averaged 1.6 assists per game, but he is averaging a career-high 3.6 assists per game this season as the orchestrator of the Wolfpack offense.
The most impressive part of Joiner’s game has to be the speed he plays with as he has the rare ability to blow by any defender in front of him, which puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses. This ability makes him a very tough player to guard; if a slower defender is guarding him he can blow by them, or if a quicker player is guarding him he can stop on a dime and let his defender blow by.
This trait makes him one of the most dynamic guards in the ACC and complements the rest of his game. Joiner was able to break down the Butler defense with his ability to speed by his defender.
One area of the game that Joiner’s speed helps is his 3-point shooting. So far this season, Joiner is shooting an elite 38% behind the arc, and he knocked down six of his eight attempts in a game against FIU.
With opposing defenders having to respect Joiner’s quickness, he is able to get open looks from 3 because his defenders have to give themselves space if he decides to drive to the rim. Joiner has never shot above 38% from 3 in a season, but if he keeps it up, he will be one of the most electrifying offensive players in the ACC.
A more underrated part of Joiner’s game is his defensive tenacity. To no one’s surprise, his speed also helps him defensively to stay in front of his opponent. He has been a pesky defender all season by picking up players full court and getting his hands into passing lanes for deflections and steals.
Joiner is averaging 1.7 steals per game and has had two or more steals in five of the first eight games. The guard stands at 6-foot-1, so the only problem in his defensive game is if he gets matched up with a taller guard that can shoot over him or post him up. One of his best defensive performances of the season came against FIU where he had a season-high three steals.
One of Joiner’s greatest attributes that may go unnoticed by most NC State fans, but not from his coaches and teammates, would be his leadership. Joiner has become one of the leaders of this team quickly due to his communication with his teammates, which built instant chemistry. Building relationships off the court with his new teammates has built on-court chemistry that has helped the red-and-white get off to an impressive 7-1 start.
Wolfpack fans could not have asked for a much better start from its starting point guard. His rare speed along with his ability to shoot from deep make him one of the most explosive players in the ACC. Joiner will be a player the Wolfpack can rely on from here on out.
