NC State men’s basketball team routed Barton 112-60 Monday night at PNC Arena in its final tune-up before the regular season.
Led by freshman Dennis Smith Jr.’s 24 points and redshirt sophomore Torin Dorn’s double-double, the Wolfpack overwhelmed the Bulldogs on both ends of the court as it cruised to an easy victory.
“I think the thing that stood out collectively as a group was how well we passed the ball,” NC State head coach Mark Gottfried said. “Very unselfish players, very unselfish guys.”
Just as he did in the previous exhibition against Lynn University, Gottfried went with a guard-heavy lineup to begin the game. Smith Jr., Dorn and redshirt senior Terry Henderson started in the backcourt. Sophomore Maverick Rowan and junior Abdul-Malik Abu rounded out the starting five.
“We have guards that are fast and we’re deeper this year, so we can press up a little bit more,” Dorn said. “We’re just versatile. We can guard a lot of different positions. We got guys that can guard the one through the four and that helps us be better defensively.”
Noticeably absent was freshman center Omer Yurtseven, who will be out nine games to start the season, while Gottfried gets a look at his probable starting five to kick off nonconference play.
Yurtseven didn’t enter the game until midway through the first half, but it was expected as Gottfried wants his small-ball lineup to gain as much experience as possible before the season opener.
The Wolfpack started off strong, making 9 of its first 12 field goal attempts and jumping out to a 23-7 lead over the Bulldogs to start off the game.
A high-tempo, transition-focused offense for the Pack proved to be too much for Barton to handle, as State extended its lead to 36-10 with just under eight minutes to play in the first half. Both Smith Jr. and Dorn were catalysts on the offensive end, creating opportunities off the dribble on a consistent basis.
In the first half of play alone, Dorn posted an excellent nine points on 4-of-6 shooting along with nine rebounds and three assists. Smith Jr., Henderson and Rowan added 10 points each before halftime.
“I just try to let the game come to me,” Dorn said. “Take shots when I’m open … find my teammates and get them open shots and get on the glass, do a little bit of everything.”
At the half, the Wolfpack led the Bulldogs 59-23 while shooting 22 of 32 (5 of 12 from three-point range) and also adding 27 points in transition. Every player that took the floor for the Wolfpack in the first half scored with the exception of senior Beejay Anya. State’s defense was also steady, holding Barton to 7-of-32 shooting in the first half while forcing 12 turnovers.
Smith Jr. continued to put on an offensive showcase, slamming home several impressive dunks early in the second half.
NC State fans held a collective breath as Dorn exited the game with just over 15 minutes left to play, favoring his right leg with an apparent cramp. Dorn ended up returning to the bench, but never checked into the game. The UNC-Charlotte transfer played like his hair was on fire before his exit, tallying 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block.
The first part of the second half was more even than the first, with State holding a slim 18-17 scoring advantage in the first eight minutes after halftime.
Smith Jr. finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, as the rest of the starting lineup scored double figures. A surprising spark off the bench was sophomore Shaun Kirk, who grabbed eight rebounds en route to scoring 10 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the floor. The Whiteville native showed off his incredible athleticism with several put-back dunks in the second half.
“Coach has been getting on me about rebounds and everything,” Kirk said. “So I’m trying to use that to my advantage, try to grab every rebound.”
With its exhibition slate now wrapped up, the Wolfpack looks to kick off the 2016–17 season on a high note against Georgia Southern Friday at PNC Arena.
Freshman guard Dennis Smith evades a Barton College player. Smith took 14 shots during the game scoring nine for a team-high 24 points. The NC State basketball team beat Barton College 112-60 on November 7 at PNC Arena.
