For the third time in the last four years, NC State men’s basketball is a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Pack starts in Dayton where it will face the Texas Longhorns. If the Wolfpack wins, it would then travel to Portland for a matchup with BYU for the opportunity to play either Gonzaga or Kennesaw State. Here’s how the Wolfpack stacks up against each potential foe through the first weekend of the tournament.
Texas
The Longhorns defeated the Wolfpack in a 102-97 shootout in the Maui Invitational earlier this season. Once again, Texas and NC State would almost certainly deliver another high scoring battle. With four different players scoring 13 or more points per game, the Longhorns will almost certainly feast on the red-and-white’s defense.
When NC State lost to Texas earlier this season, Longhorn guard Jordan Pope went nuclear on the Wolfpack defense with 28 points, fueled by seven made 3s. NC State’s perimeter defense is middling at best, making this a prime chance for Pope to once again go off from deep.
On the wing, Dailyn Swain is another challenging matchup for the Wolfpack. Leading the Longhorns in points, assists, rebounds and steals, Swain is the single most important piece in Texas’ lineup. While he was contained to only 14 points when Texas faced NC State, he remains dangerous and impacts the game on both ends of the floor.
The Wolfpack is catching Texas at the perfect time. The Longhorns are on a three game losing streak and winners of only one of their last six games. Falling to SEC bottom feeders Oklahoma and Ole Miss to end the regular season and SEC Tournament, Texas is a team that’s trending in the wrong direction. While the Longhorns have impressive wins at Alabama and against Vanderbilt, they’ve failed to impress since mid January.
BYU
If the Pack wins in Dayton, it will face BYU for the third straight season. Facing the Cougars in early season neutral site games last year and the year before, the Pack lost by at least nine points both times. This year’s Cougar squad will be just as challenging with potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft suiting up for BYU — AJ Dybantsa.
The Wolfpack has already faced super stars such as Duke’s Cameron Boozer or Kansas’ Darryn Peterson. However, Dybantsa would be the toughest challenge of them all. Scoring at least twenty points in every game in February and March, Dybantsa would have a field day against NC State’s defense that’s already shaky at best.
Despite Dybantsa’s incredible talent, the Cougars are vulnerable for an upset. Star guard Richie Saunders suffered a season ending ACL injury on Feb. 14 against Colorado. Since then, BYU is just 4-5 with multiple losses to teams that missed the NCAA Tournament. Stopping BYU’s other key guard, Robert Wright III, will be critical for NC State to pull the upset and defeat the Cougars.
Gonzaga
At 30-3, Gonzaga is a proven contender coming out of the WCC. As the No. 3 seed, the Bulldogs wouldn’t face the Wolfpack till the Round of 32. Forward Graham Ike is one of the best players in the country and would pose a significant challenge for the Pack’s front court.
While the WCC didn’t pose a significant threat to Gonzaga, the Bulldogs were able to prove their talent outside of conference play. Defeating Alabama, Kentucky, UCLA and more, Gonzaga is a battle-tested team. If NC State manages to reach the Round of 32, this could easily be the end of the road for the Wolfpack.
Kennesaw State
The other team NC State could face in the first weekend of the tournament is Kennesaw State, the C-USA champions. Despite finishing sixth in C-USA, the Owls won three in a row to secure the conference’s automatic bid. Guard RJ Johnson is likely Kennesaw State’s most dangerous player, scoring 14.5 points per game and shooting 43.3% from deep. While a matchup with the West Regional’s No. 14 seed is unlikely, the Owls are a sneaky team that is catching fire in March.
