After months of off-season anticipation and hype, the NC State men’s basketball team finally looked to showcase its talents in an in-game setting, as it dominated the Lynn University Fighting Knights 100-66 at PNC Arena on Thursday night.
NC State got off to a sluggish start, falling behind 14-3, a little over five minutes into the first half. It didn’t take long for the Pack to lose its off-season rust, as a crossover and 3-pointer by freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. tied the game for NC State 14 with eight minutes to play in the first half. The electric play ignited the whole team, as it went on a 19-3 run.
Although, the Wolfpack went small to start with a four-guard lineup through most of the first half, rebounding was something the team took care of. Junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu found himself with a double-double with minutes to play still in the first half. The big man finished the first half of play with 10 points and 12 boards. Smith Jr. led the team in first-half scoring with 15 points, and the Pack led the Knights 44-30 at the break.
“It’s a beginning of things to come,” Abu said. “[Smith Jr.] has a super high I.Q. He threw the ball to me one time when I wasn’t even looking and it was right there. We’re just going to keep growing, playing game speed and it’s only going to be good from here.”
The Wolfpack started gelling early to open the second half, and stretched its lead to 20 points less than three minutes into the half. A Smith Jr. assist led to sophomore guard Maverick Rowan knocking down a 3-pointer. On the next play, sophomore guard Torin Dorn’s steal resulted in an explosive fast-break dunk that made the crowd roar and forced the Knights to call a timeout with 17:09 to go in the game. The flashy guard nearly finished with a double-double, scoring nine points to go along with eight rebounds.
Redshirt senior guard Terry Henderson also proved to be an effective scorer. The veteran transfer tallied 10 points and showed his range, hitting 2-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. The addition of a more-than-capable ball handler and 3-point shooter of Henderson’s caliber will be key for the Wolfpack moving forward.
The anchor to the Pack’s second half performance was its defense. State came out in a matchup zone to start the half and the Knights couldn’t find any way around it. The Knights dug themselves into a deep hole after starting the half shooting 1 for 16 from the floor. State’s athleticism helped force multiple turnovers that the Pack was able to convert into easy transition buckets.
“I think early in the game, they were beating us off the dribble a little too much, they got in the paint a little too much,” said NC State head coach Mark Gottfried. “I thought after the half we seemed to correct most of all that. We switched defenses… I thought that was good for our team tonight. I hope this team can become a really good defensive team, and hopefully our defense can really help us generate our offense at times.”
The Knights finally snapped their dry spell with a dunk making the score 74-37 with 10:55 to play in the game. However, the Pack had already hit its stride. Even with Smith Jr. and Abu resting on the bench, the offensive production did not slow down.
The Pack also moved the ball extremely well regardless of who was on the court. At several points throughout the game it was as if the Pack was putting on a passing clinic as the ball changed multiple hands each possession.
Freshman guard Markell Johnson had a nice showing, scoring seven points including a highlight reel-worthy dunk on a Lynn defender that ignited the Pack crowd with 6:39 to go in the final half of play. Johnson’s role as a backup point guard this season will be crucial to the Pack’s bench depth this season.
Smith Jr. led the way for the Pack with 22 points, five rebounds and six assists. Abu notched his first double-double of the year with a 10-point, 15-rebound performance. Along with Smith Jr. and Abu, Rowan, Henderson and sophomore Shaun Kirk all finished in double figures for the Wolfpack.
Although it was just an exhibition game, the Pack showed flashes of greatness as it gears up for what could be a special season in Raleigh.
Dennis Smith Jr. helps the Wolfpack clench victory on Thursday in PNC Arena against Lynn University. Smith lead the team with 22 total points. The final score was 100-66 Wolfpack.
