Surrendering a 15-0 run to open the game, NC State men’s basketball gave itself little chance against No. 10 Kansas. The Wolfpack woke up and held its own through the final 35 minutes, but ultimately fell 75-60 on its trip to Lawrence, Kansas.
The Wolfpack (7-4) once again squandered an opportunity for a signature win. In its last chance to impress in the non-conference, the Wolfpack defense appeared lost against the Jayhawks (8-2). Giving away wide-open 3s and uncontested layups throughout the afternoon, the red-and-white showed it has plenty of work to do to reach its potential.
Kansas star guard Zeke Mayo scored a career-high 26 points against the Pack. Mayo proved to be a nightmare for the Wolfpack, drilling corner 3s all game. By the final whistle, Mayo recorded five triples in a performance that was the difference in the game.
Senior forward Ben Middlebrooks did his best to keep NC State in the game, but couldn’t match Mayo’s performance. With 14 points to pace the Wolfpack, Middlebrooks’ effort was valiant but unable to overcome the rest of the Pack’s offensive struggles.
Aside from Middlebrooks, only one other starter scored in double figures: senior guard Marcus Hill. Graduate guard Michael O’Connell had a particularly rough outing, scoring just two points on 1-6 shooting, including 0-3 from deep. Without much scoring punch, NC State had little chance of catching up with the Jayhawks.
Things weren’t much better for NC State’s bench. Despite playing a combined 25 minutes, freshman guard Trey Parker and sophomore forward Dennis Parker Jr. failed to score. Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield scored 12, but otherwise, it was a quiet day from the reserves.
NC State’s other major shortfall came on the glass. In a recurring theme, the Pack turned in a minus 10 rebounding differential. Getting out-physicaled in the paint, the Wolfpack gave Kansas extra shots all day, making it even tougher to climb back from the early deficit.
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson proved to be especially problematic. The Jayhawks’ big man corralled 14 boards during the game — six more than any individual Wolfpack player. For the Pack to have success moving forward, the red-and-white must do a better job of rebounding.
One positive from NC State’s performance is that it won the turnover battle. Forcing 13 Kansas turnovers, the Wolfpack’s aggressive style helped keep NC State within striking distance for most of the night. However, the Pack failed to capitalize offensively with just three fast break points. If NC State took advantage of the turnovers it may have been capable of storming back, instead, it let the opportunity drift away.
With most of its non-conference behind it, the Wolfpack’s NCAA Tournament resume is not looking promising. While the red-and-white has avoided upset losses, there are no wins over Power Five competition outside of the conference. NC State will have little margin for error the rest of the way as long as it is missing signature wins.
Next up, NC State will face Rider at Lenovo Center. The game will tip-off at 4 p.m. on Dec. 22.
