Disastrous, dramatic, disappointing, regrettable and depressing are just a few words to describe the NC State men’s basketball season thus far. The Wolfpack (14-12, 3-10 ACC) reached a new low Saturday, as State fell to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 88-58.
NC State is currently on a five-game losing streak following the historic win against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. After the team’s only true road win on Jan. 23, the Pack has lost to Louisville by 25, Syracuse in OT by 7, Miami by 5, Florida State by 24 and Wake by 30.
In the loss in Winston-Salem, the Wolfpack never found its mojo. NC State shot an abysmal 36 percent from the field in the first half, and that trend continued in the second as the Pack shot just 34 percent after the break. While freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. and redshirt sophomore guard Torin Dorn had 17 and 14 points respectively, every aspect of NC State’s play was off.
Offensive production was not the only reason the Wolfpack was throttled by the Deacons. Paint protection and perimeter defense continued to be crippling issues.
Sophomore John Collins was an unstoppable force for Wake on Saturday. In Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Collins recorded his eighth straight 20-point game, the longest streak since T.J. Warren did so in the 2013-14 season. Collins was an impressive 9 of 13 from the field with 23 points and seven boards. Every time Collins had the rock, he owned the area around the rim.
Uncontested shots and a lack of perimeter pressure resulted in Wake Forest shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc. Redshirt sophomore Keyshawn Woods was locked in from deep. The Gastonia, North Carolina native virtually couldn’t miss, shooting 5 of 7 on 3-point attempts.
Following the loss to Wake, rumors swirled about head coach Mark Gottfried’s job security. Whether you believe it or not, the loss to the Demon Deacons was arguably the worst loss this season, and in Gottfried’s career at NC State. All of this drama and media attention is coming at an interesting time, just a few days before the biggest game of the season for the Wolfpack.
NC State will host UNC-Chapel Hill on Wednesday in PNC Arena. The Tar Heels (21-5, 9-3 ACC) crushed the Wolfpack in the first meeting in Chapel Hill, 107-56. The Wake Forest loss almost perfectly mirrors the drubbing from UNC. NC State looked beaten, outmatched and slow from the get-go in both contests.
NC State shot a comparable 36.5 percent from the field in its first meeting with UNC, and allowed the Tar Heels to shoot 44.4 percent from deep. The Pack was also easily controlled on the glass by the Heels. NC State had 36 rebounds, 10 offensive, to UNC’s 50, 17 of which were offensive.
Dominance down under will be another theme come Wednesday. North Carolina is first in the NCAA in rebounding margin, averaging 13.1 more boards per game than its opposition, while NC State currently sits at 192nd, just a .3 rebounding margin.
Forward/guard combo Justin Jackson and guard Joel Berry II had a field day against the Pack. At times NC State seemed to forget Jackson on defense; he made the Pack pay, sinking 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Berry, however, was a major key in NC State’s 33-point halftime deficit. He was tasked with covering Smith, and he frustrated the freshman guard. Smith committed three personal fouls in the first half, leaving the Wolfpack without its biggest offensive weapon. Berry flourished without Smith on the floor with 19 points, five boards and five assists to boot.
UNC cracked the code to NC State’s offensive scheme. This team lives and dies on the play of Smith. While Smith has a solid supporting cast in junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu, sophomore guard Maverick Rowan and redshirt senior guard Terry Henderson, the freshman stud ends up shouldering the load every time he’s on the court.
In order for NC State to have a chance in PNC, it must do the impossible. This Wolfpack squad needs to tune out the drama surrounding Gottfried, and play its best game of the season. An energetic, motivated and inspired effort is crucial for the team’s success. Most importantly, it is paramount that Smith has a great outing. Smith has the ability to completely take over a game, like he did against the Blue Devils. If Smith performs like the top-five NBA prospect he is, the Wolfpack could pull off a huge rivalry upset.
NC State faces off against the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels Wednesday at 8 p.m. in PNC Arena.
