The NC State men’s basketball team is undefeated; however, its nonconference schedule is heating up as it faces tough competition in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
The Wolfpack (3-0) will play Presbyterian in Raleigh before it travels to the Bahamas to face No. 3 Arizona. The Pack will then play either SMU or Northern Iowa on Nov. 23. The other side of the bracket features Tennessee, Western Kentucky, No. 19 Purdue and the 2016 National Champion No. 5 Villanova.
On Thursday, the Blue Hose (1-1) travels to PNC Arena in a winnable game for the Pack. Presbyterian fell in its first contest against Tennessee, 88-53, before winning its second game over Johnson University, 107-87.
Forward Francois Lewis is the main source on the glass for the Blue Hose. Lewis has started his junior season averaging 14.5 points and seven rebounds in his first two outings. The duties of the Presbyterian offense have fallen on the shoulders of guard Davon Bell thus far. The 5-foot-10 redshirt junior is averaging 21 points and recorded five steals against Johnson.
While the Pack should be able to handle the Blue Hose, NC State will turn around and face one of the best teams in the nation on Wednesday.
The Wildcats (2-0) are a dangerous team with NCAA title hopes. Arizona is led by guard Allonzo Trier who is averaging 31 points, 4.5 rebounds and three assists per game.
Down low, the athletic 7-foot-1 freshman forward Deandre Ayton is absolutely dominating the paint. Through two games, the No. 3 recruit in the ESPN class of 2017 is averaging 19 points and 12.5 rebounds.
The Wildcats boast another 7-footer in center Dusan Ristic; so the Pack will have its hands full as it battles for paint presence all game long. Redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman and sophomore center Omer Yurtseven could be in for a rough night.
On the perimeter, sophomore guard Markell Johnson should match up well with point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Jackson-Cartwright is running the show, dishing 8.5 assists and scoring seven points per game, but Johnson has also impressed in his three games, averaging 12 points and 9.6 rebounds and coming off his first career double-double against Bryant.
The Wildcats are a talented team, even if they aren’t at full strength. The third-ranked team in the nation will be without guard Rawle Alkins, the No. 21 ESPN recruit in the 2016 class who was heavily recruited by NC State, until December due to a foot injury suffered in September. With Alkins unable to dress, playing time has increased for the reserves and those who step up on the defensive end will receive extended minutes.
Head coach and former NC State assistant coach Sean Miller is in his eighth year at the helm in Arizona. In the 2017-18 season, the 2017 Pac-12 coach of the year has embraced a fast-paced offense that allows his players to run the floor and make incredible plays.
In Arizona’s first two games against Northern Arizona and UMBC, the Wildcats scored more than 100 points, outscoring their opponents by 25-plus with ease.
Arizona’s up-tempo style yields an intriguing matchup for NC State since head coach Kevin Keatts swears by his patented scheme.
It will be interesting to see which facet of the game plan Keatts will be forced to give in to: Arizona’s high-flying offense or the Wolfpack’s full-court press.
The Pack has already forced its opponents into committing 72 turnovers on the season, with only 31 turnovers of its own. The Wolfpack has also recorded 33 steals thus far. At this point, however, all statistics go out the window as Keatts faces his first true test as the head coach of the Pack.
Whether NC State manages to slow down the Wildcats and push its tempo on offense, or Arizona breaks through the press unfazed, this will be an interesting game where two strategies clash.
NC State plays Presbyterian on Thursday in PNC Arena at 7 p.m., and will then travel to Paradise Island, Bahamas, to face No. 3 Arizona on Nov. 22 and continue the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
