Jericole Hellems isn’t afraid to take the big shots for the NC State men’s basketball team. Often overlooked in favor of the flashier Markell Johnson, fan-favorite Braxton Beverly or veteran C.J. Bryce, Hellems isn’t always in the forefront of fans’ minds.
But after back-to-back career performances, it’s time to start taking Hellems seriously.
The sophomore forward scored a then-career-high 17 points in a Thanksgiving day loss to Memphis, and Wednesday night in PNC Arena, he followed that up with an encore performance of 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting with four 3-pointers in NC State’s 69-54 win over Wisconsin.
“Just in a groove, just staying in the gym,” Hellems said. “My teammates just trusting in me that I’ll knock down shots. I’m just enjoying the game.”
His 23 points Wednesday night didn’t just help NC State pull out an important nonconference win; it kept the team in the game during some ugly scoring droughts. In a first half that saw his teammates shoot just 40% from the field, Hellems scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, hitting key bucket after key bucket as Wisconsin’s tenacious defense forced the Wolfpack into an array of bad shots.
Then, with NC State clinging to a two-point lead to start the second half, Hellems opened up the period with eight straight Wolfpack points, including two 3-pointers, to help NC State start slowly pulling away.
“For me, it’s nothing new,” Hellems said. “I feel like I’ve had it before, and I’ve also gone through a lot of learning curves … I’ve just been staying in the gym, working on all aspects of my game, just trying to get better and trying to help my teammates as much as I can.”
With the loss of Torin Dorn over the offseason and senior guard Markell Johnson struggling to start the season, NC State has needed someone to step up in the scoring department, and Hellems is answering the call. After an up-and-down freshman season, Hellems has earned head coach Kevin Keatts’ trust, and it’s starting to show on the court. Hellems is averaging over 28 minutes per game and is quickly becoming one of the Pack’s most important players. Hellems said this new trust was one of the biggest factors in stepping up his game.
“Just coaches having confidence in me,” Hellems said. “Just staying in the gym and having a whole lot of confidence.”
NC State’s loss to Memphis kicked off a tough nonconference stretch heading into ACC play. NC State plays at Wake Forest Saturday in an ACC game and still has to travel to Auburn and UNC-Greensboro. The Wolfpack is going to need all the help it can get as it enters a tough part of the schedule that won’t ease up until the season is over.
If Hellems’ last two games are any indication, he’ll be more than up to the task of helping NC State make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
“There’s a lot more to come,” Hellems said.
