On Sunday, the NC State men’s basketball team shocked the college basketball world, upsetting undefeated No. 2 Duke at home, 87-75. Many things can be taken from this game on both sides, but one shines through for me: What a difference a post game can make.
This is what head coach Mark Gottfried has been looking for since C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell left the program. This is what the fans have been missing, even though most of them don’t realize it. This is what makes a basketball team complete.
For most of the season, it was almost as if the Pack only put three players on the court at a time. While BeeJay Anya, Abdul-Malik Abu, Kyle Washington and Lennard Freeman would have their moments on the block, the fate of the team rode Trevor Lacey’s ability to create for himself and Ralston Turner’s shooting hand.
It was no mistake that State ranked 292nd in the nation in assists per game heading into Sunday’s game: there was no one to pass to. Fans cried out when Lacey or Cat Barber would dribble until the shot clock wound down to its final ticks, but in fairness, who else deserved the ball?
The lack of post play wore down Gottfried’s patience, who has advocated for his big men throughout the year. However, it’s tough to advocate for a four-man group that combined for just 27 percent of the team’s offense heading into Sunday. After the West Virginia loss, Gottfried’s frustration reached a peak, as the coach contemplated “playing four guards” instead of a second post player.
And why not? The Pack had slowly transitioned into a team that lived and died by the three-pointer. If the shot didn’t fall, the team did. While Turner and Lacey bailed the team out in some cases, State’s 37 percent clip from long distance was not sustainable for the team’s style of play. Especially when teams knew that locking down the three-point arc would shut down the Pack’s offense.
Jump to the Virginia game. After a strong first half, the Pack shot 2-of-9 from long range down the stretch and let the upset slip out of reach. The post play was dismal as well: Anya, Abu and Freeman all went scoreless while allowing 23 points from Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill, the Cavaliers’ two biggest players. To make matters worse for Gottfried and company, the matchup with Duke was just four days away.
While most were expecting Jahlil Okafor to impose his will underneath the basket, Gottfried had a plan, and the State big men had something to prove. Both came away from the game successful.
The State defense disrupted the inside-out playing style of the Blue Devils by doubling Okafor in the post and forcing the Duke shooters into rushed shots, most of which they did not make (Duke shot just 37 percent from the floor).
On the other side of the floor, the State offense showed the one thing that it had been missing all season: balance. While Lacey and Turner combined for 37 as usual, the Pack big men combined for a season-high 35 points between the four of them.
Against his long-time friend Okafor, Anya played easily the best game of his career, recording a career-high 14 points and adding four blocks. While the big man set the arena on fire with his final putback slam of the night over two Duke defenders, Anya was most impressive with his back to the basket.
Before Sunday, Anya had utilized one move on the low block: the drop step. While this may have worked when he could push people around with his 350-pound frame, the lighter Anya needed more versatility in his interior game. On Sunday, the sophomore delivered, throwing up hook shots with his off-hand and even throwing in a nifty spin move at one point.
Washington had a great outing as well, showing off the ranged game he worked on over the summer. The big man also showed something he hadn’t in the past: discipline. Gradually, Washington had become a black hole—once he got the ball, no one else was going to touch it. Against Duke, Washington shot a more humble 4-of-7 and dished out three assists.
Duke had multiple defensive breakdowns throughout the night trying to deal with the Pack’s newfound interior threat, which led to open three-pointers and dunks. State shot a season-high 62.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The team’s success starts with the post game. It’s the ugly that people don’t want to see but creates opportunities for the flashy highlight plays that the fans love, and it’s absolutely necessary for State to maintain the level of play that the team experienced Sunday.
