NC State knows it will need to slow down Texas long-range shooters

Typically in NCAA Tournament games, players are learning quickly the old adage “KYP — Know Your Personnel.”

That won’t be quite the usual issue with NC State playing Texas at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in the First Four game in Dayton, Ohio. The Longhorns won an offensive shootout against the Wolfpack 102-97 in the third game of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 26.

Senior point guard Jordan Pope scored 17 of his 28 points in the first half in the fifth-place game in the Maui Invitational. Pope went 7 of 13 on three-pointers, and added four assists in the win. 

Texas had a 47-37 lead at halftime and led by as much as 15 points with 1:33 left in the first half due to Pope’s hot shooting — 5 of 7 on three-pointers. It led to NC State playing from behind throughout the second half, and the Wolfpack shot a blazing 20 of 31 after halftime for 65 percent.

NC State coach Will Wade can already rattle off details from the Longhorns victory.

“Or [junior wing Simeon] Wilcher who hit three threes on us or [junior stretch four Camden] Heide, who hit three threes on us,” Wade said. “Look, that’ll help [already playing them]. It’s a team that we lost to earlier in the year. So, certainly our guys will have their full attention. I mean, we should — it’s an NCAA tournament game.”

NC State guards won’t have any mystery about how Pope can get hot at times, or the athleticism senior wing Chendall Weaver brings off the bench. Weaver had 17 points, eight rebounds went 3 of 5 on three-pointers in the first meeting.

The Pope explosion happened in two other games this season, and he’s done it in the past. He went 6 of 13 on three-pointers en route to 28 points in a 92-88 win at Alabama on Jan. 10. He recently went 7 of 18 on three-pointers for 30 points in a 88-85 overtime loss against Oklahoma in the regular season finale March 7. 

Pope finished the year averaging 13.3 points and 1.9 assists per game, and he shot 37.5 percent on three-pointers. He said after the first meeting that they knew NC State game-plan defensively and took advantage.

“They’re a heavy gap team,” Pope said. “They stuff the paint. I know drive and kicks were going to be open, and my teammates gave me all the confidence and they gave me the right passes when I needed to, and they were all rhythm shots, and I’m glad they went in.”

Weaver cracked double figures just four time this season and averaged 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game off the bench. Pope, Weaver and reserve sophomore power forward Nic Codie are the three Texas players remaining from the squad that defeated NC State 63-59 on Dec. 4, 2024, at the Lenovo Center. Pope had 13 points and three three-pointers, and Weaver added nine points and four rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

The NCAA Tournament historically tries to avoid rematches early in the NCAA Tournament.

“I was surprised,” Wade said. “I think they try to avoid rematches in the first round. I’m not sure what all went down there. We’re going to break down some film tonight and get, get ready for Tuesday night.”