North Carolina State Wolfpack
ACC (22-11, 9-9)
North Carolina State got off to a good start this season. They went 12-1 in non-conference play with wins over Vanderbilt, Penn State and Auburn. The lone loss came at Wisconsin. It was not the toughest non-conference slate, but it gave the Wolfpack an opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Big Wins: 12/19 Auburn (78-71), 1/26 Clemson (69-67), 2/13 Syracuse (73-58)
Bad Losses: 1/15 at Wake Forest (67-71), 1/24 at Louisville (77-84), 3/6 Georgia Tech (61-63)
Coach: Kevin Keatts
Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Kevin Keatts has a very potent offense. There are five guards who average at least nine points per game. Torin Dorn leads the way with 13.4 points and also averages a team high 7.1 rebounds. The 6-5 senior often struggles shooting the ball, but he is a solid leader who can attack the basket effectively. C.J. Bryce, Markell Johnson and Braxton Beverly are the more consistent outside shooters. Those three have turned NC State into a pretty good outside shooting team. With the help of Devon Daniels, the Wolfpack guards can also create plenty of turnovers and that often leads to easy buckets on the other end of the floor.
Why They Can Disappoint:
As good as the offense has been at times, it has also been scarily poor at times. Most notable was the early February loss to Virginia Tech when the Wolfpack scored just 24 points. They went 9-of-54 from the floor and 2-of-28 from beyond the arc. The Wolfpack constantly settled for jump shots and went to the free-throw line just six times. If North Carolina State falls into that trap again, it will be a very short NCAA Tournament.
Probable Starters:
Markell Johnson, Junior, Guard, 11.9 ppg, 4.1 apg
Braxton Beverly, Sophomore, Guard, 9.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
Torin Dorn, Senior, Guard, 13.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg
C.J. Bryce, Junior, Guard, 11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Wyatt Walker, Senior, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Key Role Players:
DJ Funderburk, Sophomore, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Jericole Hellems, Freshman, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Devon Daniels, Sophomore, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 81.0 (27th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 70.5 (159, 11)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.1 (81, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.8 (180, 13)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.4 (110, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.1 (97, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.5 (148, 10)
Rebound Margin: 4.7 (43, 4)
Assists Per Game: 15.6 (33, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (176, 8)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2018 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Seton Hall |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over LSU |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Villanova |
| 2015 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville |
| 2014 | NCAA | Opening Round win over Xavier |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Saint Louis |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Temple |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over San Diego State |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Georgetown |
| 2012 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Kansas |
| 2010 | NIT | First Round win over South Florida |
| 2010 | NIT | Second Round loss to UAB |
| 2007 | NIT | First Round win over Drexel |
| 2007 | NIT | Second Round win over Marist |
| 2007 | NIT | Quarterfinal Loss to West Virginia |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over California |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Texas |
| 2005 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Charlotte |
| 2005 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Connecticut |
| 2005 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Wisconsin |
| 2004 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Louisiana |
| 2004 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Vanderbilt |
*all team stats through 3/10
