Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 23 NC State
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Syracuse returns from its bye weekend to face No. 23 NC State on Tuesday night, with the Orange six days removed from a nine-point win at Florida State. SU improved to 15-10 with the victory, but is still far removed from the NCAA Tournament bubble and in desperate need of quality wins.
The Wolfpack, who are fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings and have beaten conference heavyweights Miami and Duke this season, certainly provide Syracuse with an opportunity for a key win. NC State is coming off a 30-point drubbing of Boston College on Saturday, and has won five of its last six games.
Here’s everything to know about NC State before Tuesday night’s matchup:
All-time series
Syracuse leads, 11-6.
Last time they played
Syracuse traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, last February, coming out on top 89-82. Jesse Edwards and Cole Swider each notched 19 points, and SU finished the game on a 6-0 run to seal the victory. The Orange got all of their scoring production from the starting five, with Joe Girard III scoring 18 points, Buddy Boeheim adding 17 and Jimmy Boeheim 16. Syracuse’s three bench players combined to play 20 minutes, and didn’t tally a point.
NC State’s Terquavion Smith knocked down seven 3-pointers, and registered a game-high 25 points. Dereon Seabron added 17 points, including two free throws late in the second half that got the Wolfpack within one point. But Swider then delivered a 3 from the left wing and NC State proceeded to miss its next five shots.
Syracuse recorded one of its best shooting games of the season, hitting over 59% of its shots from the field and 11-of-19 3-point attempts. The win was the second of a four-game streak for SU that eventually ended with a 12-point loss at Virginia Tech 10 days later.
KenPom odds
NC State has a 55% chance of winning, with a projected score of 75-74.
The Wolfpack report
Smith is again leading this year’s NC State team, averaging 18.5 points per game, which is good for second-best in the ACC. He also leads the Wolfpack in assists (4.6 per game) and steals (1.6), and ranks 66th nationally, per KenPom, in percentage of possessions used at 29.2%.
Like it displayed last year against Syracuse, NC State has one of the top offenses in the ACC, leading the league with nearly 79 points per game. The Wolfpack are top-40 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, and have scored 90 or more points in six games this year, including on Saturday against Boston College.
NC State has three other double-digit scorers, including senior guard Jarkel Joiner, who dropped in 26 points against the Eagles. Guard Casey Morsell (12.8 points per game) and forward D.J. Burns Jr. (11.9) are also threats, and Burns is the team’s leading rebounder at five per game. The Wolfpack rank third in the ACC in rebounds per game, and second in offensive rebounds at 11.6 per game.
How Syracuse beats NC State
Syracuse got strong performances from its main three scorers — Girard, Edwards and Judah Mintz — against Florida State, and that’s something that will have to continue on Tuesday night. SU hasn’t really played in any high-scoring games outside of Pitt in December and Miami in-mid January, but this contest against NC State could be one that needs more buckets than usual. If that’s the case, the Orange will need Girard to be on with his outside shot, and can’t afford for Edwards to turn in a poor performance like he has in several important games this season.
SU’s defense, meanwhile, has turned in three straight games with fewer than 70 points allowed. An active 2-3 zone, with potentially some full-court press mixed in, will be a good start toward upsetting the ACC’s best scoring team. Syracuse will also have to control the glass, which it’s been doing a better job of recently — only getting outrebounded twice in the last five games after struggling in that area in the start of the season. SU’s forwards will also have to help out, like Chris Bell did last Wednesday when he notched 10 points.
Stat to know: 13.8%
NC State ranks fourth nationally, and second in the ACC (only behind Notre Dame, the nation’s leader) in turnover percentage. The Wolfpack only give up the ball on 13.8% of their possessions, and while Mintz leads the conference with two steals per game, State’s ability to take care of the ball could make matching that number a tall task. In the five games this season when Syracuse has recorded less than six steals, they’ve lost three times.
Player to watch: Terquavion Smith, guard, No. 0
Stephanie Zaso | Digital Design Director
Smith has had a huge sophomore season for the Wolfpack, reaching double digit points in all but one game and notching 20-plus points nine times. He’s also fired at least 11 shots in every game, highlighting his importance to NC State’s offense. Smith’s a solid shooter from deep, hitting 34.4% from beyond the arc this season and is also a strong driver. Syracuse’s zone will likely regulate Smith to playing on the perimeter, and if the sophomore has a strong shooting night, it’ll be tough for the Orange to keep up.
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