Although Selection Sunday stands nearly two months away, the two teams meeting at BankUnited Center in Miami Thursday night are squarely on the bubble.
For the NC State men’s basketball team (13-6, 4-2 ACC), this game is a golden opportunity to show the selection committee that it can win on the road. For the Miami Hurricanes (12-5, 2-2 ACC), Thursday is a tough ACC game against a dangerous opponent and a chance to add another quality win to their resume.
The Hurricanes are led by a pair of transfer guards, juniors Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez. McClellan transferred to Miami after spending his freshman campaign at Texas and leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 15.4 points per game. Rodriguez spent his first season at Kansas State and has developed into a star in Coral Gables, averaging 14.5 points per game.
While the guards carry the offensive burden, Miami head coach Jim Larranaga also has a strong inside presence in junior center Tonye Jekiri, a 7-footer who averages 10.1 rebounds per game.
The Wolfpack is fresh off the heels of its win over Florida State in Tallahassee, a game in which the Wolfpack raced out to a large lead but had to stave off the Seminoles down the stretch.
Florida State had every opportunity to win the game and could not capitalize. A team like Miami will if given the chance. NC State will need junior guard Trevor Lacey (17.6 PPG) to have a performance like he had against Florida State, where he dropped 17 points after struggling mightily against No. 15 North Carolina. The matchup of Lacey and sophomore guard Anthony “Cat” Barber against the duo of Rodriguez and McClellan should be tantalizing.
Sophomore forwards Kyle Washington and BeeJay Anya will need to take advantage of a strong but not great rebounding opponent. The Wolfpack ranks 35th nationally in rebounds and 10th in the nation in blocks per game.
The Hurricanes will be at a severe disadvantage in both of these categories, ranking 160th in rebounds and 170th in blocks. If the Wolfpack guards can limit the scoring ability of the ‘Canes guards, then the Wolfpack should be able to dominate inside, similar to the way it did against No. 5 Duke, where Anya recorded a career-high 14 points.
The two teams split their matchups in the 2013-2014 season, with both road teams claiming a victory. Last year, former Wolfpack forward T.J. Warren scored 27 points to lead NC State to a 56-55 win over the Hurricanes.
This will be the only meeting of the season between the Wolfpack and Hurricanes and could decide which team is smiling on Selection Sunday if they find themselves being directly compared.
Both teams are ranked by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi as bubble teams for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. NC State is listed as one of the “First Four Byes,” while Miami is ranked in the “First Four In.”
Although a head-to-head win would be key for the Wolfpack in clinching an NCAA Tournament berth, the biggest opportunity will be to prove it can win on the road.
NC State’s victory over Florida State is the Wolfpack’s only road win this season, and the team struggled in defeats against No. 2 Virginia and Purdue away from PNC Arena earlier this season. A tough win at BankUnited Center would do the team’s confidence wonders.
In addition to NC State’s 87-75 upset win over No. 5 Duke, Miami can also claim a convincing win over the Blue Devils in the past week as the Hurricanes cruised to a 90-74 win. The play of the Hurricanes caught the attention of NC State head coach Mark Gottfried who holds his team’s opponent in high regard.
“Miami carved up Duke like a side of fries,” Gottfried said. “We better get ourselves ready.”
The game on Thursday kicks off another tough week for the Wolfpack, who will host No. 8 Notre Dame on Sunday.
