Elite point guards on display Saturday

From the day Dennis Smith Jr. verbally committed to NC State, the buildup started on how would he do against rivals North Carolina and Duke. The Wolfpack and Smith get their first chance at 8 p.m. Saturday against the No. 14-ranked Tar Heels. The matchup of Smith against UNC junior Joel Berry will be a nifty game within the game.

Smith, who is averaging 19.6 points and 6.5 assists per game, is fresh off of recording the second triple-double in school history and first in an ACC game. He had 27 points, 11 rebound and 11 assists in helping NCSU (12-3, 1-1 ACC) crush Virginia Tech 104-78 on Wednesday.

The top point guards Smith has faced this season are arguably fifth-year senior Maurice Watson of Creighton and Miami junior Ja’Quan Newton. He had 21 points apiece in both games, but the Wolfpack lost. Watson finished with 13 points and seven assists for the Bluejays in a 112-94 win Nov. 20, and Newton had 21 points and four assists in a 81-63 victory last Saturday.

St. Joseph’s junior point guard Shavar Newkirk might have been the third best point guard thus far, and he had 23 points and five assists, but the Wolfpack won 73-63 on Nov. 21.

Smith has been striving to play a complete game for two halves, and he put it all together against Virginia Tech, giving a glimpse of what he could achieve in his likely one-and-done campaign.

“He was spectacular in every phase of the game,” NC State head coach Mark Gottfried said. “Defensively, he was great. He brought our team together. Our team played really well and he was the catalyst, no question about it last night."

Gottfried expects Smith to keep improving because he is learning something from each game. Fifth-year senior shooting guard Terry Henderson referred to Smith being a future top five NBA Draft pick, and likened the Wolfpack backcourt to the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys squads. Smith would be the new-aged Isiah Thomas and Henderson would be Joe Dumars under the comparison.

“If I was a regular fan, why not?” said Henderson on whether he’d buy a ticket to see Smith vs. Berry. “I want to see that matchup.”

Teammate Torin Dorn, a redshirt sophomore, is another one who is looking forward to watch the two point guards square off.

“They are two great guards, and I think it will be exciting to watch them go at it,” Dorn said.

Berry has been inconsistent and missed a pair of games due to a left ankle injury, but is coming off perhaps his top game of the season. The 6-foot, 195-pounder had 31 points and went 7 of 10 from three-point range in the Tar Heels’ 89-86 overtime win over Clemson last Tuesday.

Berry is averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, he is shooting 42.9 percent on three-pointers and he has missed just three free throws on the season (39 of 42).

“Joel Berry is playing at a high level,” Gottfried said. "I think Dennis is going to go against good guards a lot of nights. Joel Berry is one of the best point guards in the country. I’ve watched him since high school and have great respect for Joel and his game.”

Berry has played against potential NBA Draft picks Jawun Evans, a sophomore at Oklahoma State, and Kentucky freshman De’Aaron Fox. Wisconsin senior Bronson Koenig is also one of the top point guards in college basketball.

Berry had 24 points and four three-pointers in a 107-75 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 22, and Evans had 30 points in the loss.

Berry went for 23 points and seven assists in the 103-100 loss vs. Kentucky on Dec. 17, and Fox had 24 points and 10 assists for the Wildcats. He poured in 22 points and four three-pointers in a 71-56 win over Wisconsin on Nov. 23. Koenig struggled going 1 of 13 from the field for two points.

Berry has absorbed more offensive aspects with the departure of Marcus Paige from last year’s UNC team.

“He is shooting the ball at a high level now,” Gottfried said. “He is the glue that holds everything together for them. It will be a good opportunity for Dennis and great opportunity for our team.”