NC State men’s basketball looks to finish the season strong after a disappointing 0-2 week. The Pack suffered two road losses against Florida State and No. 9 UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Wolfpack will host No. 10 Duke on Monday for its final home game of the season before traveling to Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Versus Duke
Duke is coming off a strong 2-0 week, defeating ACC bottom-feeder Louisville and crushing NCAA Tournament hopeful Virginia, winning both games by 25 points.
The Blue Devils are the best two-way team in the ACC. They are second in the ACC in points per game, third in points allowed per game, and have the highest margin of victory in the conference. As if that isn’t enough, they also have the highest field goal percentage from the field and beyond the arc.
NC State’s focus should be containing Blue Devil center Kyle Filipowski. Filipowski averages 16.8 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. He also averages one steal and 1.6 blocks per game, making him a versatile weapon. Presumably, he will be guarded by either junior forward Ben Middlebrooks or junior forward Mohamed Diarra — the Pack’s best defensive big men.
However, Filipowski is not the only offensive threat on this team. Duke’s backcourt contains two sharpshooting guards in Jared McCain and Jeremy Roach. The Wolfpack guards will be presented with one of their toughest matchups all season.
McCain, who is a true freshman, has shown his premier shooting ability all season, most notably in a 35-point performance against Florida State. McCain averages 13.3 points per game and is a 41% shooter from beyond the arc.
Roach is the veteran of this young Blue Devil team. The senior averages 14.1 points per game and shoots an elite 46.1% from 3-point range. Roach is the main facilitator for Duke’s offense and is very familiar with the Wolfpack as he is 3-1 in his collegiate career against NC State.
The Wolfpack have had issues with defense in the back half of the season, giving up 87 points to Syracuse and 90 points to Florida State, both losses. NC State simply cannot rely on just the scoring of graduate guard DJ Horne to carry them to victory in this matchup. The Pack will need to play the best they have all season on both sides of the ball to secure one final home victory on senior night.
At Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is coming off a middling 1-1 week with a solid victory at Boston College but also suffering a detrimental loss to Clemson that severely hurts their chances at making the NCAA tournament.
The Panthers are familiar with the Wolfpack, winning their last matchup in Raleigh by three points. In addition, they also boast an impressive win at Duke, an accomplishment that only one other team holds.
Pitt is led by forward Blake Hinson, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, good for fourth in the ACC. Hinson is the centerpiece of the Pittsburgh offense, notably showcasing his scoring prowess in a 41-point outing against Louisville — the second-most points in a game for an ACC player this season.
Besides containing Hinson, the key to this game is Horne. The Arizona State transfer has scored 20 plus points in seven of the last nine games, including a season-high 32 points against Syracuse. He stands atop the ACC in 3-point percentage. Horne will want to end his last collegiate regular season game with a win, and being the heart of the Wolfpack offense, his sharpshooting will be key to victory.
Also, watch for graduate forward DJ Burns Jr. to step up in this game. Burns will also be playing in his final collegiate regular-season home game. In his last matchup against the Panthers, Burns set his season-high with 19 points. Pitt will be primarily focused on containing Horne, which could open the door for one last high-scoring game from Burns.
A win at Pittsburgh would be a much-needed morale boost for the Wolfpack heading into the ACC Tournament. The Pack likely needs to win the competition to qualify for the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid.
