The two paths here couldn’t have been more different.
For Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies dominated the Horizon League all season and won their conference tournament to earn a matchup against No. 3 seed Kentucky in the first round. As we know and as the whole world knows, 14th-seeded Oakland won the game, earning their place in the Round of 32.
For the Wolfpack of NC State, their season seemed to be lost. Before the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, they were 9-11 in their regular-season league games. Since Jan. 20, they had gone 4-7 in ACC play. NC State was just the 10th seed in their conference tournament, with virtually no shot of running the table. Then, they ripped off a legendary five straight wins in five days to win the ACC tournament and automatically qualify for March Madness. The Wolfpack earned an 11-seed and matched up against the No. 6 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders.
NC State pulled away late against the Raiders, fueled by 21 points from junior forward Ben Middlebrooks. Three other Wolfpack players scored in double figures to get a dominant 80-67 win over Texas Tech.
So, what kind of team is Oakland matching up with in the Round of 32? Let’s dig into NC State.
NC State Wolfpack
NC State is coached by Kevin Keatts. The 51-year-old coach is in his seventh year at the helm of NC State; with his win on Thursday night, he earned his first tournament win.
The Wolfpack is led by fifth-year senior DJ Horne, who averages 16.9 points per game on 44.2 percent shooting (41.3 percent from beyond the arc). He spent two seasons at Illinois State, two at Arizona State, and this final year at NC State. He had 13 games with over 20 points in the season. Most of his scoring is from spot-up shooting, but he can get downhill in pick and roll and score as well. He isn’t much of a playmaker, averaging only two assists per game. Horne leads the team with 93 3-pointers made.
The other DJ, DJ Burns, is a real bruiser inside. At 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds, Burns is a force to be reckoned with. The fifth-year transfer from Winthrop averages 12.4 points, four rebounds and nearly three assists per game. He shoots over 50 percent from the field but only 67 percent from the free throw line (on just 2.3 attempts a game). Burns operates with a flurry of post moves and has pretty good dexterity for his size. He’s had a great stretch of games to get the Pack to this point.
Jayden Taylor is the team’s third-leading scorer, with 11.9 points per game. In only his first season with the team, the junior spent his previous two years at Butler. He isn’t as efficient from the field, shooting only 41.7 percent. He’s been quite cold lately; in his last four games, he scored six, two, three and zero points. He is largely a catch-and-shoot guy, but he loves to get out and run in transition as well. Taylor is second on his team in 3-pointers made with 58.
Casey Morsell is the team’s last double-digit scorer, good for 11.5 points per game. Yet another fifth-year senior, Morsell spent two years at Virginia before coming to NC State for the last three. Morsell is having a dreadful season from three, shooting just 26.6 percent. He is another short guard, standing at 6-foot-3; Taylor and Horne both stand under 6-foot-4.
Mohamed Diarra is the team’s leading rebounder. The junior from France is averaging 7.4 rebounds and six points in his first year at NC State. He previously was at Missouri for a year, and before that, he played Junior College at Garden City Community College. (Fun fact: Coach Bobby Naubert for Oakland, point guard Tone Hunter and forwards Aundre Polk and Buru Naivalurua were all at GCCC and know Diarra. Basketball is a small world.) Standing at 6-foot-10, Diarra is a big energy and defense guy.
Rounding out their rotation is Michael O’Connell, a fourth-year senior himself who transferred from Stanford after three years. He has been a reliable option for the Wolfpack lately; he averaged 13.2 points per game in their five ACC tournament games before not scoring against Texas Tech. O’Connell averages just 5.7 points overall but shoots a respectable 46.5 percent from the field and dishes out three assists per game.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, forward Ben Middlebrooks has emerged as a big piece for them. The 6-foot-10 junior, who transferred from Clemson, is a solid backup big, averaging 5.5 points and four rebounds on 48 percent shooting. He won’t step out and shoot it from deep, however. Middlebrooks just had the best game of his career against Texas Tech, scoring 21 points with two blocks and two steals in only 23 minutes. Keep an eye out for him.
Keys to Beating NC State
I believe that NC State will have great difficulty with the zone that Oakland plays. They lack the shooters that Kentucky had, and they won’t be able to space the Grizzlies out like Kentucky did. If Oakland can get out and make their guards put the ball on the floor, they can be forced into some tough shots over the likes of Naivalurua and Conway.
DJ Burns must be stopped. Oakland must bring smart, hard doubles against Burns that force him to be uncomfortable and make mistakes in finishing and passing. One on one, Burns is too big to guard. But if he can be speeded up and pressured, he will make errors.
NC State has had a terrific run, but they’re tired. The stretch they’ve had would be draining for any team. I believe if Oakland comes out and punches them early, they’ll start thinking of home. It’ll be an Oakland win, 84-68.