Men’s basketball takeaways from winter break

Sports

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 11 • MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018

Men’s basketball takeaways from winter break

Jason Bacherman

Staff Writer

While NC State students were away for winter break, the men’s basketball team continued its play over the past month. The Wolfpack, under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Keatts, turned in some impressive performances along with some not-so-impressive showings.

The team played its way to an even 3-3 record since the end of the fall semester, bringing its overall record to 11-5 and 1-2 in the ACC. Here are some takeaways from the break:

This team is capable of competing with anyone

The first two conference games proved to be too much to handle, as the Pack dropped consecutive road games to Clemson and Notre Dame by double digits to open up ACC play. The team followed those lackluster performances up by upsetting No. 2 Duke in Raleigh for Keatts’ first conference win, handing the Blue Devils their second loss of the season and outplaying a team of superior talent. The Wolfpack also defeated another No. 2 team in Arizona back in November.

Despite a lack of depth down low and sophomore Markell Johnson suspended indefinitely, NC State has shown that it’s capable of hanging with tough opponents but also susceptible of letdowns against lesser opponents. The Pack fell to UNCGreensboro on Dec. 16 and took a while to pull away from Robert Morris. This season will be a mixed bag, but the ability to play at Duke’s level is encouraging for the Wolfpack faithful.

Braxton Beverly is the real deal

Since being declared eligible by the NCAA, freshman Braxton Beverly has played in 13 contests, starting nine of them, cementing himself as the starting point guard and filling in for Johnson admirably. The 6-foot guard is averaging 10.4 points per game and is second on the team with 30.6 minutes per game played, proving to be an integral part of the Wolfpack’s rotation.

What’s most impressive about Beverly is his ability to distribute. He’s averaging 4.4 assists per game and picked up five assists against Duke. He also posted 14 points in the upset over the Blue Devils on an efficient 3-of-5 shooting, including a 3-point dagger late in the game.

Yurtseven, bigs are improving

It’s no secret the Wolfpack’s frontcourt has little depth. With sophomore Darius Hicks out for the year with a torn ACL, Keatts has relied primarily on sophomore Omer Yurtseven, senior Abdul-Malik Abu and redshirt senior Lennard Freeman thus far.

When Yurtseven stays out of foul trouble, he’s a more-than-capable offensive weapon. The Turkish native is averaging 11.7 points per game this season, a substantial improvement over last year’s 5.9 points per game. Despite fouling out against Duke, the center managed to stay in the game until late in the second half, picking up 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds.

Abu, coming off an early-season injury, has struggled to get into a rhythm, averaging just 7.3 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field. Freeman is averaging 11.7 points per game while shooting an excellent 71 percent from the field, something that will have to continue if the Wolfpack wants to do some more damage in ACC play.

The key for this year’s team will be keeping the big men out of foul trouble. The Pack may struggle to keep up with teams that have ample frontcourt depth, but if the Pack manages to keep the fouls to a minimum down low, the rotation of Abu, Freeman and Yurtseven is formidable as NC State heads further into conference play.

NICHOLAS FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN Graduate guard Allerik Freeman drives into the paint during the 96-85 win over No. 2 Duke in PNC Arena on Saturday.

NICHOLAS FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN Senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu exclaims to the air as the fans jump around celebrating a 96-85 win over No. 2 Duke in PNC Arena on Saturday.

Sports

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 12 • MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018

Finley’s decision sets Pack football up to compete in 2018

Andrew Schnittker

Sports Editor

There is no doubt that the 2017-18 season was one of growth for NC State football. Capping off a 9-4 season that included a 6-2 ACC mark, the best conference record for the Wolfpack since 1994, the team had by far its best season under head coach Dave Doeren.

The Pack beat two, at the time, top-25 opponents in Florida State and Louisville after not getting a ranked win in Doeren’s first four years, and spent most of the season in the top 25 itself. Here’s the thing, though: NC State was expected to take a big step forward this year. With a senior-laden roster that had shown signs of growth the year before, it was thought this could be the best season for Pack football in a while.

It was also thought that, with all those seniors, it would be the Pack’s best chance at a huge season, and the team would take a big step back after this year. However, it’s looking doubtful that will be the case.

Yes, the team loses stud defensive end Bradley Chubb and the rest of the starters on the defensive line, two starting linebackers, multiple pieces in the secondary and on the offensive line and all-purpose back Jaylen Samuels.

It also brings back a whole lot, especially on the offensive side of the ball. One of the biggest questions for the Pack going into the offseason and next season would be whether quarterback Ryan Finley, who had a big breakout in his redshirt junior season, would return for his final year of eligibility or opt to try his luck in the NFL Draft. Finley announced Saturday he would return to NC State in 2018.

This is a massive development for the Pack. Finley had a great 2017 season, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,518 yards, 17 touchdowns and just six interceptions. His 6,577 passing yards in two seasons puts him fifth in school history.

In college football, quarterback continuity is one of the most important things a team can have from season to season, and the Pack will have that next year. The quarterback who already showed huge progress on his deep ball, decision making and twominute drill in 2017 will get the chance to make even more improvements in his third year under Doeren and offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz.

Finley gets his primary complement of weapons back as well. While the Pack will miss Samuels, the offense should be just fine in 2018. Back is receiver Kelvin Harmon for his junior season, with his size, hands, route-running ability and the strength to go up over defenders for incredible Randy Moss-esque “how did he just do that” type of catches. Harmon hauled in 69 catches for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns in 2017.

Jakobi Meyers broke out in a big way with 63 catches, 727 yards and five touchdowns from the slot position, and will be back for his redshirt junior season. Back too are speedy senior Stephen Louis and Emeka Emezie, who showed promise late in his freshman season.

The Pack’s ground game will be strong again as well. While speedy back Nyheim Hines has yet to make a decision, it’s expected that the Garner native who rushed 197 times for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, including three in the Sun Bowl, will be back for his senior season. While the Pack will lose a few pieces on the offensive line, most notably guard Tony Adams, offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford has shown his ability to put together strong groups there.

The Pack will have to rebuild its defense with so many seniors leaving, but is not left totally depleted there. Defensive end Darian Roseboro, while not on Chubb’s level, is a strong pass rusher and returns to lead the defensive line in his senior year. Playmaking linebacker Germaine Pratt will be back for his senior year, and the Pack has two four-star recruits coming in on defense in outside linebacker Payton Wilson and tackle Alim McNeill.

While it won’t be easy for NC State football to replace the contributions of the players it’s losing this offseason, the team will also be left with an awful lot to work with next season. Doeren’s program should be able to continue the building process it has undergone the past five years with the pieces in place for another strong run in 2018.

NICHOLAS FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN Redshirt junior quarterback Ryan Finley pulls back to fire a pass downfield. Finley had 35 yards on the ground, and torched the Clemson secondary to the tune of 338 yards through the air. The Wolfpack lost a 38-31 heartbreaker to Clemson on Nov. 4 in Carter-Finley Stadium.

NICHOLAS FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN Sophomore wide receiver Kelvin Harmon gets around the Clemson defense for what would be a big gain, called back by an illegal block in the back. Harmon led the team with 155 yards through the air. Despite the 38-31 heartbreaking loss in the final seconds Harmon said that “We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got Boston College next week, so we’re going to come back to work tomorrow and stay with our same routine.” The Wolfpack fell to Clemson on Nov. 4 in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Sports PAGE 13 • MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018 TECHNICIAN Wolfpack struggling against conference opponents

Kailee Jurnak

Correspondent

The NC State women’s basketball team was off to a strong start this season with an overall record of 12-4, but during the past week has started to face off against ACC conference challengers and experienced some struggles. Out of the four ACC games so far, the Pack has only defeated Virginia Tech; falling to No. 3 Louisville, Virginia and No. 17 Duke.

Even though the deficits were nothing significant, they have still caused a crushing blow to the Pack’s efforts defensively, particularly against Louisville. While the Wolfpack held down the number of turnovers to seven against Louisville, the Pack’s pride in rebounds did not hold up against the highly-ranked Cardinals.

The Pack has out-rebounded its other three conference foes, but the Cardinals were a problem on the boards. The Cardinals defensively rebounded 36 times compared to the Pack’s 27 defensive boards.

While free throws were at 70 percent for the Pack, an improvement the team has been addressing, 3-pointers were not coming easily for the Wolfpack against the Cardinals, who held NC State to 13 percent from the perimeter.

The team’s strong starting perimeter shooters had a rough time hitting their shots. Redshirt junior Kiara Leslie only made one out of seven attempts from the 3-point line and sophomore Aislinn Konig also had one 3-point shot out of five attempts.

The team’s best free-throw shooting game was against Virginia Tech. The Pack shot 76 percent from the free-throw line, with all players making at least half their shots. Senior Chelsea Nelson led the team in free-throw shooting against the Hokies, shooting six of seven. The increase in ability to make free throws has been an improvement for State.

However, in the loss to Virginia, the Pack had 18 turnovers and shot 20 percent lower from the free-throw line than it did against Virginia Tech. Free throws were not the only shooting issue against the Cavaliers. It was a struggle to score from anywhere, as the top scorer for the Pack, redshirt junior Armani Hawkins, only managed 14 points.

The Wolfpack appears to still be finding balance among its players while trying to hone in on skills and cut down errors. If the Pack can find its way sooner rather than later, there are high hopes for the team. The Pack holds a lot of potential but has young players that lack the experience that is shown by the older players such as Nelson and Maize.

GLENN WAGSTAFF/TECHNICIAN Sophomore point guard Aislinn Konig runs the ball down the court at the NC State vs. University of Southern Alabama women’s basketball game in Reynolds Coliseum on Nov. 8. The Wolfpack won against the Jaguars, 71-50, in a thus far undefeated normal season.

Women’s basketball outshot by Blue Devils

Kailee Jurnak

Correspondent

The NC State women’s basketball team was defeated by Duke, 69-56, Sunday afternoon in Durham. At halftime, the Wolfpack was down 36-25 and Duke never gave the Pack a chance to recover.

The Wolfpack (12-4, 1-2 ACC) had a slow start against the No. 17 Blue Devils (13-4, 1-2 ACC), only scoring five points in the first quarter. The Pack tried to make up the difference in the second quarter with 20 points, but faced an 11-point deficit at the break.

The Wolfpack notably struggled with layups, as the team only managed to make six of 16 attempts. On top of the missed layups, the Pack also racked up 13 turnovers, compared to the Blue Devils’ 18 turnovers. The smaller number of turnovers is proof of the Pack’s growing strides, but there are still improvements to be made.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Wolfpack had some ground to gain as the team was down 55-40. Along with the point deficit, senior Akela Maize faced foul trouble with four personal fouls.

Compared to its game against Louisville, the Wolfpack once again took its pride in rebounds, outrebounding Duke with a total of 37 boards compared to the Devil’s 34.

Surprisingly, only the starters from the Pack scored throughout the game. Senior Chelsea Nelson and redshirt junior Kiara Leslie tied with the most points at 15.

Duke’s points were more spread out among different players, but two Blue Devils players fronted their team. Duke’s Lexie Brown scored 34 points and Haley Gorecki scored 13 points.

Overall, the Wolfpack had a solid performance apart from its shooting. No player from the Wolfpack made more than half of their field goal attempts. Sophomore Aislinn Konig, redshirt sophomore Kaila Ealey and Leslie all missed 10 shots.

The Wolfpack returns to Reynolds Coliseum this Wednesday to play Georgia Tech at 7 p.m.

DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN Senior forward Chelsea Nelson attacks the basket during the Wolfpack’s 71-50 win over University of South Alabama on Nov. 17 at Reynolds Coliseum. Nelson was in double figures, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Sports

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 14 • MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018

Early impressions of Kevin Keatts

NICHOLAS FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN Head coach Kevin Keatts signals to the team. The Wolfpack showed off its new defense and a high-powered offense with a 109-66 win over Mars Hill on Nov. 3 in PNC Arena.

Nick Sinopoli

Assistant Sports Editor

It’s been almost 10 months since head coach Kevin Keatts was hired as the 20th coach in NC State men’s basketball history; therefore, by now Wolfpack fans have gotten a sample size of what to expect.

The 2017-18 season should be considered a rebuilding year, but in his first 16 games, Keatts has experienced some incredible highs. The Pack impressed in wins over No. 2s Arizona and Duke, but was brought down to earth in a home loss to UNC-Greensboro and two lopsided embarrassments to Clemson and Notre Dame.

Though it’s too early to make a proper estimation of what Keatts will be, let’s analyze what to make of the halfway mark of his first season at NC State:

Play style: In Keatts’ introductory press conference he vowed to bring a fast-paced, up-tempo style offense paired with a fullcourt press, and there is definitely a difference from last year’s squad.

In the patented four-guard scheme, NC State pushes the pace on the offensive end. Although this forces small ball, the Pack hasn’t given up much dominance off the glass thanks to redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman, senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu, sophomore center Omer Yurtseven and the man usually serving as the cleanup crew, redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn.

But the most noticeable and improved aspect of this Wolfpack team is its effort. In the Mark Gottfried era, uncontested shots and a lackadaisical outlook on defense absolutely maddened NC State fans. This year, an energized attitude on defense has translated into the Pack forcing 16 turnovers per game, good for second in the ACC.

Though State will not win every game, this team will put up a fight in nearly every contest.

Coaching: Due to Keatts’ scheme, the Wolfpack endured rigorous offseason conditioning; in fact, after the first exhibition game Dorn said he believes that NC State is one of the best conditioned teams in the country.

As for in-game adjustments, Keatts and his team have showed poise in big moments. On Nov. 22, the Pack was tied 4040 at the half with No. 2 Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Every time the Wildcats made a run, the Wolfpack answered.

Another huge upset happened on Saturday against the No. 2 Blue Devils. Down 27-16, Keatts rallied his crew and the Pack climbed back on a 15-0 run, to fuel its 4341 halftime lead. Though NC State was up, freshman sensation Marvin Bagley III was having a field day, and with legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski at the helm everyone expected Duke to make the correct adjustments to formulate a comeback.

However, NC State never trailed in the second half and answered every Blue Devil run. But another notable coaching adjustment came against not a ranked opponent or power-five team, but against Presbyterian on Nov. 16.

In the fourth game of the season, the Wolfpack finally faced adversity as it found itself down by eight at the half to the Blue Hose. The Pack allowed Presbyterian to shoot 60 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range in the first frame, and it tightened up on the defensive end in the second to force 22 total Blue Hose turnovers. NC State came away with an 8668 win and limited Presbyterian to just 24 second half points.

Personality: Keatts has already dealt with the curious cases of the NCAA, specifically with its handling of the eligibility of freshman guard Braxton Beverly. He has also suspended sophomore guard Markell Johnson due to his felonious assault charge in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Taking into account the troubles Keatts has faced in his short time in Raleigh, he has taken everything in stride, and with a charming persona.

Over the summer in his first media availability at Dail Basketball Center, Keatts ended the presser by shaking the hand of every media member, thanking them for coming and for welcoming him to NC State.

He has also dished out a couple of funny one-liners as well, especially after beating Duke on Saturday.

“Well since it’s my first ACC win, I think it’s the best one I’ve got so far,” Keatts said. “I don’t know what my team learned, but I know what I learned. Every team that we play I’m going to tell them they are the No. 2 team in the country.”

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