Head coach Kevin Keatts has inserted graduate guard Michael O’Connell into the starting lineup and turned to four guards in four of the last five games following a 77-65 loss Jan. 27, against Syracuse. 

“Michael just knows how to play,” Keatts said. “He just has a good feel for the game. He’s a throwback point guard. If a guy’s hot, he knows how to get him the ball. You don’t typically get that in today’s game; guys don’t really understand the next play, and he’s got the next play mentality.”

NC State men’s basketball has gone 2-2 in the four games starting four guards, losing the two games by a combined seven points. The idea behind the smaller lineup is to allow natural scorers to thrive, as evidenced by graduate guard DJ Horne’s performances. 

The smaller lineup features O’Connell as the starting point guard, with Horne shifting to the shooting guard position. Rounding out the lineup are junior guard Jayden Taylor, graduate guard Casey Morsell and graduate forward DJ Burns Jr.

“The guy who loves Michael O’Connell more than anybody is DJ Horne because he can now slide over to the two and he can score the ball,” Keatts said. “Michael is the closest thing that I’ve had in a long time to a pure point guard. He allows our other guys to be able to play.”

While the Wolfpack hasn’t achieved all the desired results with four guards in the lineup, O’Connell has brought stability on both offense and defense. The Stanford transfer has averaged 4.6 points, 3.2 assists and 0.9 steals in 25 games. He is an efficient pass-first player with impressive court vision and the ability to facilitate opportunities for his teammates. 

“[O’Connell] completely understands his role,” Keatts said. “He would rather leave the game with four or five assists than trying to score 12 or 13 points. When you got older guys who are buying into their role you can have a chance to be really good as a team.”

When O’Connell receives the ball, his focus isn’t on scoring but rather on creating opportunities for his teammates, which has allowed Horne to become the team’s go-to scorer. Over the last five games, Horne has averaged 26.6 points per game, emerging as one of the ACC’s top scorers. 

Horne, a Raleigh native, returned home after stints at Illinois State and Arizona State. Keatts first utilized the four-guard lineup in a crucial matchup against Miami, resulting in a 74-68 win Jan. 30, with Horne leading the team with 24 points. He followed that with another strong performance in an 82-76 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 3, scoring 26 points and earning Co-ACC player of the week honors.

Another player who has thrived under the four-guard setup is Morsell, who has transitioned to the four-man spot and found some success, averaging 11.6 points over the four games with the smaller lineup.

On the defensive side of the ball, using four guards allows the Pack to apply pressure on its opponents and defend shots beyond the arc. The smaller lineup enables Keatts to employ a full or half-court press, aiming to force turnovers. Having four guards also aids in defending transition plays and preventing fast-break scoring opportunities. Defense has played a significant role in the Pack’s wins this season. 

One drawback of employing four guards is rebounding. NC State has struggled all season, allowing an average of 38 rebounds per game. The issue is exacerbated by Burns, who averages just 4.2 rebounds per game.

In the recent 78-77 win over Clemson on Feb. 17, Keatts opted for a different lineup to address the rebounding challenge posed by Clemson’s 40.1 rebounds per game average. Junior forward Mohamed Diarra replaced Taylor, providing the Pack with two bigs and three guards to counter Clemson’s play.

Diarra’s presence was immediately felt in the game. He scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, including four offensive rebounds. The Pack let up just 33 total rebounds while grabbing 31 of its own. 

Diarra and O’Connell’s added minutes have alleviated pressure on two of NC State’s most impactful scorers, Horne and Burns, who combined for 41 points in the win against Clemson. 

It appears Keatts may have found multiple different lineups he can rely on with a rotation of seven players, depending on the team and matchups. Whether it’s four guards and one big or three guards and two bigs, the offense will certainly run through Horne and Burns, with O’Connell handling the ball up the court.