The NC State men’s basketball team is riding a two-game losing streak as it heads up north to play Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
With Pittsburgh one game ahead of the Wolfpack (8-9, 4-8 ACC) in the ACC standings, this is an important game for conference tournament seeding as March draws near.
The Panthers (9-7, 5-6 ACC) are also on a two-game losing streak themselves. In their most recent game, Pittsburgh fell to Georgia Tech 71-65 in Atlanta. In the game before that, the Panthers were defeated 73-66 against ACC leaders, then-No. 14 Virginia.
The heart and soul of Pittsburgh is very clear when watching its games. The team runs through forward Justin Champagnie, who leads the ACC in scoring and rebounding with 18.7 points per game and 11.6 rebounds. He is also dangerous on the offensive glass, with three offensive rebounds per game, which also leads the conference.
His breakout game was in January against Duke, when he went off for 31 points and 14 rebounds. Stopping Champagnie on the offensive end and on the boards will be pivotal if NC State wants to go on the road and win this ACC matchup.
Guards Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson present one of the strongest backcourts in the league offensively. Both players average just over 14 points per game. Johnson also has a good eye for a pass, finding open shooters consistently, as he averages 6.1 assists per game, which leads the ACC.
Defending the perimeter is important in any ACC game. NC State will need to be wary of Ithiel Horton, who leads the team with 36 made 3-pointers on the year and shoots it at 37.9%. He averages 10 points per game and is the fourth and final player on Pittsburgh who averages double-figures in scoring.
As a team, the Panthers average 72.1 points per game while allowing 69.5 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. This +2.6 scoring margin ranks 10th in the ACC.
Turnovers have been the killer for NC State in its last two losses against Syracuse and Duke. Against the Orange, the Wolfpack had 20 while against the Blue Devils it had 19. Taking care of the ball is what NC State head coach Kevin Keatts will have pressed on in the practices leading up to this game.
Junior forward Jericole Hellems will need to have another good game offensively, as he averages 13.0 points per game. Redshirt senior forward D.J. Funderburk averages 11.9 points per game, which is second among active players. These two, along with redshirt sophomore center Manny Bates, will need to play big in the frontcourt for NC State all game.
Hopefully for NC State fans, the team can also get production from its backcourt. Freshmen guards Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore have had their good moments, but it will need to be veteran guards like redshirt junior Thomas Allen and senior Braxton Beverly who lead by example in Pittsburgh.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 4:30 p.m. from Petersen Events Center and will be televised on the ACC Network.
