NC State looks to play spoiler against in-state rival North Carolina
NC State comes in 11-17 overall, and 4-13 in the conference. The Wolfpack sit at the bottom of the conference standings but hold the tiebreak over Georgia Tech. They are coming off of a tough loss at home against Boston College, even though being 5.5 point favorites in Vegas. With three games left on the schedule, the Wolfpack still have a chance at finishing the regular season with momentum. In their last matchup, North Carolina was incredibly efficient on the offensive end, putting up 100 points on 54.8% shooting from the floor in a 20-point win. If NC State wants to pull off the upset, they will need to be much better on the defensive end.
North Carolina comes in 20-8 overall, and 12-5 in the conference. NC State is ranked 135th on the NET, while North Carolina is 41st. A win against North Carolina would give the Tar Heels a loss in the Quad 2/Quad 3 area. Living on the bubble, North Carolina can not afford bad losses at this time with only one Quad 1 win on their resume. NC State should be able to have fun and play this game stress free, knowing all pressure will be on the Tar Heels. At this time, as we know, the only way for the Wolfpack to get to any type of postseason play will be to win the ACC tournament.
NC State vs UNC Statistical Overview
Pace: North Carolina averages 72.3 possessions per game, ranking as the 74th fastest team in the country.
Points Per Game: North Carolina averages 77.5 points per game, ranking 38th nationally. (Last Game vs NC State: 100 points)
3pt% FG: North Carolina averages 37.6% from 3pt range, ranking 24th in the country. (Last Game vs NC State: 55.6% from 3pt)
Team Offensive Efficiency: North Carolina averages 1.072 points per possession (PPP), ranking 36th in the country.
Team Defensive Efficiency: North Carolina allows 0.997 PPP which ranks 187th nationally.
North Carolina Main Personnel
#5 Armando Bacot: Bacot is a 6’10” 240 pound big man out of Virginia. He is averaging 15.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on 58% shooting from the floor. Bacot is one of four players in the country who average at least 15 points and 12 rebounds per game. In blocks, Bacot ranks 68th nationally. His shot attempts have gone down in the last four games. Bacot had seven straight games with double digit shot attempts, and now has four straight games with attempts in the single digits. In the last four games, Bacot is averaging 10.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. (Last Game vs NC State: 18 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks on 50% shooting)
#2 Caleb Love: Love is a 6’4″ 195 pound guard out of Missouri. He is averaging 15.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 39.9% shooting from the 3pt line. Love is the top NBA Draft prospect on the roster, and it is evident in his explosive playing style. In the last four games, he has averaged 18.5 points and five assists on 48.1% shooting from the floor and 37.9% shooting from 3pt range. Love has deep range and explosive off the bounce, making him incredibly tough to guard. (Last Game vs NC State: 21 points and five assists while shooting 66.7% from 3pt)
Secondary Personnel
#45 Brady Manek: Manek is a 6’9″ 230 pound forward transfer out of Oklahoma. He is averaging 13.8 points and 2nd on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game on 48% shooting from the floor and 38.4% from 3pt range. Manek is having his best year statistically on a team where he is one of the main options. He offers North Carolina a lot of versatility, whether to take advantage of a size mismatch down low or offer some spacing from the perimeter. Manek is coming off of eight straight games scoring in double figures. (Last Game vs NC State: 17 points and three assists on 75% shooting from the floor and 71.4% from 3pt)
#4 RJ Davis: Davis is a 6’0″ 175 pound guard out of New York. He is averaging 13.5 points. 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 46.1% shooting from the floor and 40.8% from 3pt range. Davis provides a nice one-two punch alongside Caleb Love, working well together. He is heavily relied upon, averaging 32.5 minutes per game which is the 2nd most minutes on the team. In recent games, there are no eye popping trends but he has been off from 3pt range quite a bit. Davis could see this game as an opportunity to get back on track. (Last Game vs NC State: 17 points, three rebounds, four assists on 75% shooting from the floor)
