When NC State agreed to play the Saint Louis Billikens this Thursday, the Wolfpack added one of the more formidable non-Power Five opponents to its nonconference schedule. The Billikens have a chance to replicate the success of one of their fellow Atlantic 10 rivals last year: the 29-2 Dayton Fliers.
Saint Louis (5-0) has already beaten the LSU Tigers 85-81 earlier this season, and a win over NC State could vault it into a top-25 ranking. While NC State (3-0) will be looking to avenge a loss to Saint Louis in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, coming out with a victory won’t be so easy.
“I’m looking forward to an opportunity to play tomorrow,” said head coach Kevin Keatts in his Dec. 16 press conference. “It’s been a long couple of weeks, and our guys are just grateful to be back on the court.”
This will be men’s basketball’s first game since defeating UMass Lowell on Dec. 3, because three cancellations and one postponement in the last two weeks. Keatts was aware of how good Saint Louis was this season, and how tough a matchup it would be.
“[Saint Louis was] looking for a game and so were we,” Keatts said. “And they’re a great opponent. In the latest AP Poll, they were ranked No. 27. Very rarely do they get many high majors to come into their program and play, but we needed a very good game. They’re well coached, returning all five starters, they’re a good program. They’re entering the game at 5-0 and our team will be challenged.”
One of the weirder players in college basketball to evaluate is Saint Louis guard Jordan Goodwin. He’s averaging 15 points per game, but what makes the 6-foot-3 guard so unique is his ability to rebound the basketball. The senior from Centreville, Illinois has reeled in 10.2 boards a game this season, including 11 against LSU. Before you think that odd stat line was the result of a small sample size, Goodwin averaged 10.4 rebounds a game last season.
With his 3-point percentage dipping below 30 in his first three seasons at Saint Louis, it’s his inside game that makes him a viable option offensively. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against redshirt senior forward D.J. Funderburk and redshirt sophomore forward Manny Bates, possibly the best frontcourt tandem in the ACC this season.
Rounding out the rest of Saint Louis’ impact players are Javonte Perkins, Gibson Jimerson and Hasahn French. Last year, Perkins was the Billikens’ spark plug off the bench, scoring 15 points a game en route to an A-10 Sixth Man of the Year award and third-team All-Atlantic 10 honors. This year, Perkins has upped his scoring average to 19.4, including a 32-point outing against LSU, where he scored 26 points in the second half. Jimerson is this team’s marksman, shooting over 59.1% from 3 in limited time. French, along with Goodwin, make up the main rebounding tandem for Saint Louis, with French averaging 10.4 boards last year. However, French is a liability on the free-throw line, shooting just over 30% from the charity stripe his first three seasons.
NC State’s depth allowed Keatts to experiment with different lineups in the Wolfpack’s first three games this season. That won’t be the case against Saint Louis, but that experience given to young players will be key.
“We’ll travel with nine guys [to St. Louis],” Keatts said. “And those nine guys are extremely excited about their opportunity.”
NC State will play Saint Louis on Thursday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
