NC State is hoping to have its full complement of players Saturday at Georgia Tech, but the Wolfpack will definitely have redshirt junior center D.J. Funderburk.
Funderburk was suspended the first two games of the season, and senior point guard Markell Johnson began the season with an injured ankle. Both were missed in the season opener.
Georgia Tech topped NC State 82-81 on Nov. 5, 2019, and GT senior center James Banks played a pivotal role. This time he was fouled with 2.1 seconds left in overtime, and he made both free throws. The Texas transfer finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Banks won’t have enough games under his belt to be known as a full-blown “Pack Killer,” but he has been a thorn in NC State’s side. He made all eight field goals last year, including the dunk and three-point play at the buzzer, en route to 19 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in Georgia Tech’s 63-61 win March 6, 2019.
Having both Funderburk and redshirt freshman center Manny Bates available would be key for NC State to slow down the Decatur, Ga., native. Banks enters Saturday’s game averaging 10.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. He had just 76 points in two years at Texas.
“James Banks is about as good as you can be,” NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts said.
Keatts said Bates is no longer in the concussion protocol program, but also hasn’t practiced yet. Senior power forward Pat Andree injured his ankle against Clemson, and both Andree and Bates didn’t play in Monday’s big 53-51 win over Virginia. Keatts said the duo are “questionable” against Georgia Tech.
“I don’t have a timetable on when each of them are ready to return,” Keatts said.
Funderburk is starting to blossom with the heavier workload. He is second on the team in both points (13.1 per game) and rebounds (5.9), and is shooting a nifty 64.1 percent from the field.
“He understands where we need him best at,” Keatts said. “The scoring side, to play great defense and rebound the basketball and to make some shots around the rim. He’s starting to do those things. We are seeing a guy maturing right in front of us.”
The 6-10, 225-pound Funderburk has scored in double figures in nine straight games, with the Wolfpack winning six of them. Keatts credited the recent surge to being in better shape and is taking better shots.
“He was suspended for a good portion of the summer,” Keatts said. “He didn’t play the first conference game. I think he’s starting to understand his role.
“His motor is what has really helped him get through. He plays hard and keeps plays alive.”
NCSU junior guard Braxton Beverly played with Funderburk at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy, were together for summer school at Ohio State and then the last year and a half at NC State.
“D.J. is my guy and we go back four years now,” Beverly said. “At Hargrave, we pressed to. He was such an athlete and on top of the press. He was up there trapping guards with me. He had a great offensive game.”
Keatts said he did talk to the ACC about the one-two punch of Funderburk picking up a technical foul as part of a double technical foul, which was his fourth of the game, and he then quickly fouled out. NC State still won the game, but It’s tough not having a productive player on the court. Funderburk learned another valuable lesson for the future, and Keatts said it’s more to know what not to do when talking to the league office.
“[ACC supervisor of officials] Bryan Kersey and I talked, and not just about that foul, but we talked about a lot of different calls that happened throughout the game,” Keatts said. “I’ll keep it private. I’ll tell you that we agreed on some of them, and we disagreed on a couple of them.”
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