NC State men’s basketball is entering the home stretch of a very polarizing season. At 15-7 overall and 7-4 in conference play, the Pack is fourth in the ACC with several important matchups ahead that will determine if the team can find its way back to the NCAA tournament. Here are the biggest takeaways thus far from ACC play for the red-and-white.
Shooting woes from deep
It’s no secret the Wolfpack is struggling to shoot from behind the arc. The worst of the Pack’s struggles from deep seems to be behind it after shooting 2-27 during a two-game stretch in January. However, NC State remains near the bottom of the conference in shooting, sitting at 13th place and shooting .314 from behind the arc.
Among players that regularly see action, graduate guard DJ Horne is by far the Pack’s best shooter, hitting at a .421 clip from deep. Outside of Horne, there are no regular contributors shooting .330 or higher. Relying on one player to shoot from outside is a dangerous prospect, and it’s already hurt NC State on multiple occasions.
Winning the turnover battle
If there’s one thing NC State has done well this year, it’s winning the turnover battle. Third only to Virginia and Florida State, the Wolfpack holds an impressive 2.27 turnover margin per game. Taking care of the basketball has kept NC State in many games. Additionally, the opportunity to steal possessions and earn transition buckets is critical for the Pack, especially with the team’s shooting woes.
Struggles on the glass
NC State has moved to a four-guard lineup featuring Horne, graduate guard Michael O’Connell, graduate guard Casey Morsell and junior guard Jayden Taylor. By sacrificing size, the red-and-white is asking teams to out-rebound it. As a result, the Pack is 12th in rebounding, with a -2.7 rebounding margin per game.
Most concerning for the Wolfpack is its inability to clean the glass on the defensive end. Against both Virginia and Miami, NC State gave up a whopping 20 offensive rebounds in each game. For the red-and-white to reach the NCAA tourney, it’ll have to find ways to limit opponents from racking up offensive rebounds.
Strength at the free throw line
The Pack has struggled from deep but salvaged its shooting at the free throw line. Sitting at third in the ACC, NC State is shooting .801 from the line. The Wolfpack also has the fifth-most attempts in the conference, showing it can rely on getting to and converting at the charity stripe.
DJ Burns’ disappearance
Last season, graduate forward DJ Burns was without a doubt a star for NC State. Burns catching the ball on the block made fans erupt into cheers and was a terrifying sight for opponents last year — this season, not so much. Burns’ offensive impact has diminished, as he has only scored 15 points once in ACC play. Additionally, he’s only grabbed more than four rebounds once in conference matchups.
Burns was expected to be the centerpiece for this year’s NC State squad. Instead, he’s become an afterthought on both ends of the floor. Burns finding his way on the court again would certainly go a long way toward NC State working its way back into the bubble.
