In a Jan. 27 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, NC State men’s basketball star redshirt senior guard Devon Daniels tore his ACL, ending his season prematurely.

Now, the already struggling Wolfpack that’s dropped four of its last five games will look to pivot in the wake of the injury in order to save its season. Daniels was in the midst of his best season, averaging 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 34.5% from beyond the arc.

Replacing that type of production won’t be an easy task since only two other players on the team average over 10 points a game, redshirt senior forward D.J. Funderburk and junior forward Jericole Hellems, neither of which play Daniels’ position.

As for the next few games, fans will likely see a committee of guards attempt to replace the production that Daniels put up. Redshirt junior guard Thomas Allen, senior guard Braxton Beverly and freshmen guards Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore will all see a bump in playing time.

Allen figures to be the player that attempts to take on the brunt of the scoring load, as he’s been trusted by head coach Kevin Keatts in big minutes this season. However, Allen’s most productive games have come off the bench, when he scored a combined 30 points in back-to-back losses to Miami and Florida State.

Beverly has been much improved this season even though his scoring and minutes are down, and he figures to help replace some of the on-ball intensity that Daniels brought to the table. A shot volume uptick should help offset some of the scoring void, but it won’t be all that the Pack needs.

The Wolfpack is going to need its freshmen to step up, with both Moore and Hayes showing flashes at points throughout the season. Hayes and Moore average a combined 13.6 points per game, and the hope will be that by giving them more minutes per game and potential starting roles, that one will be able to break out in a consistent manner.

But here’s where the Pack is really going to struggle: generating offense. Already the Wolfpack offense was simply abysmal, ranking near the bottom of the ACC in assists per game. Hayes will probably earn a starting nod, as he is the only one on the team that has shown a consistent ability to create plays for others, but his youth shows often in the sheer number of times that he turns the ball over.

Daniels wasn’t perfect with the ball in his hands, but Hayes posts a suboptimal 26.2% turnover rate on the season in conference play, compared to Daniels’ 16.4%. This means that in 100 possessions, Hayes would be expected to turn the ball over in over a quarter of such plays.

Hayes will have to step up and snap out of his cold shooting spell (He has shot 24% from the floor in his last four games) in order to take the reins of a starting guard spot. If Keatts doesn’t go big by starting redshirt sophomore forward Manny Bates next to Funderburk and Hellems, expect to see Hayes join the starting lineup next to Beverly and Allen.

Moore will also see an increase in playing time, and if he can continue play from his games against UNC-Chapel Hill and Boston College, the Pack should be in fine hands.

Outside of the obvious minute increases, Keatts will probably experiment with the back end of his rotation until he settles on something he likes. The other guards on the roster include redshirt freshman Dereon Seabron, who will almost certainly earn more playing time, and sophomores Max Farthing and Chase Graham.

Seabron is a 6-foot-7 lanky guard that can switch and hustle; he’ll provide the team with some energy. Keatts may also offer playing time to freshman forward Jaylon Gibson, someone who’s quietly appeared in 10 games this season and the coach has spoken highly of in the past.

Daniels being out is going to make it hard for the Pack’s season and tournament aspirations not to spiral; there’s no easy way to put it. Especially with big games against Syracuse, Duke and Virginia on the way. However, if Keatts’ highly touted rookie class can step up to the spotlight, there’s a real chance that this team has some fight left in it.