With nine minutes left against Louisiana State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, NC State trailed by 14 points and was in the midst of a two-minute scoring drought. In hopes of providing the Pack with an offensive spark, Gottfried looked to his bench and chose sophomore forward Kyle Washington, despite the big man having averaged just 3.5 minutes per game in State’s last four appearances.
After a media timeout with 7:21 remaining, Washington went on a tear, hauling in two offensive rebounds along with five points in just two NC State offensive possessions. This nearly two-minute stretch entered the highlight reel when Washington rose high above the rim to put back an errant layup with an authority that shook Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center.
Washington provided the inspiration the Pack needed, and the team pulled off the comeback win, with sophomore forward BeeJay Anya scoring the decisive basket with 0.1 seconds remaining.
Washington’s performance against LSU is illustrative of a larger pattern in State’s two unlikely victories: bigtime contributions from unlikely sources.
So far, sophomore Anthony “Cat” Barber is playing like one of the most elite point guards in the country. Redshirt junior Trevor Lacey has solidified himself as one of the game’s best isolation scorers. Redshirt senior Ralston Turner has enjoyed a strong final season, while Anya and freshman Abdul-Malik Abu have found their strides late in the year.
This is largely expected, however, as Abu’s massive dunks, Anya’s furious blocks, Turner’s shooting, Lacey’s clutch gene and Barber’s blazing speed stand out and make headlines.
However, when looking at State’s first two tournament games, one must not overlook the contributions of the Wolfpack’s unsung heroes. If it were not for the fine play of these unheralded players in some of the most crucial moments, you better believe a certain Villanova piccolo player would have retained some pride Saturday night.
Despite losing his starting spot during the regular season, Washington came out with a point to prove and was decisive in getting the Pack through to the next round.
In the Round of 32, it was sophomore Lennard Freeman and senior Desmond Lee who came up big for the Pack in its bracket-busting upset over Villanova. With the help of freshman Abu, Freeman limited the Wildcats to a season-low 26 percent scoring in the paint. In addition, Freeman compiled a double-double off a season-high 11 points and 12 rebounds, one shy of his season-high mark on the boards.
When Barber and Turner hit foul trouble in the first half of Saturday’s third round matchup, Gottfried looked to junior college standout Lee off the bench. Lee has averaged just 7.9 minutes per game on the season, while in eight games this year, the Norfolk, Virginia, native did not leave the State sideline.
Yet if you’d never seen NC State play a game before Saturday, you wouldn’t think that Lee was just a role player for the Wolfpack. In 20 minutes of play, Lee compiled seven points to go along with two rebounds and one steal.
One of the game’s most impactful plays came with 3:25 remaining when Lee challenged Villanova’s 6-foot-11 forward Daniel Ochefu at the rim. Lee exploded off a beautiful pass from Lacey and got an acrobatic layup to go plus the foul. Lee then went to the free throw line and completed the three point play, extending NC State’s lead back to eight points.
When the last horn finally sounded on Saturday night and the Wolfpack secured a spot in the Sweet 16, the State campus went into a frenzy as hundreds of students converged on Hillsborough Street to celebrate another Pack victory. While players such as Barber, Lacey and Abu deservedly received some of the highest praise, State fans shouldn’t overlook the performances of these unexpected Wolfpack heroes.
