Figuring out how to win close games key for Pack
NC State has been leading or within two possessions of its opponent in each of the last seven games, with six of them resulting in losses.
Finding a way to close out close games in the last five minutes will help dictate the rest of the season.
• NC State led Purdue 58-50 on Dec. 12.
• Richmond led NC State 70-66 on Dec. 17.
• Wright State led NCSU 73-61 on Dec. 21.
• NC State and Miami (Fla.) were tied 73-73 on Dec. 29.
• Florida State and NC State were tied 67-67 on Jan. 1.
• Virginia Tech led NC State 58-57 on Jan. 4.
• Clemson led NC State 57-53 on Jan. 8.
The lone win came at Virginia Tech, but the Wolfpack’s upcoming opponent Wednesday also fits this script. Louisville led 63-62 with 5:41 left and went on to win 73-68 thanks to two deep three-pointers Dec. 4 in Raleigh.
“We are fighting and competing every game and you can’t say that about every team that is struggling right now,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said. “We do have a lot of fight and we are in every game. We finished the Virginia Tech game and we got completely hurt inside in the Clemson game.”
Keatts said the emphasis has been put on the guards and the pressure to perform has been there each and every game.
“We are not taking moral victories but we are taking many wins,” Keatts said. “What I mean by that is small wins in small categories. I think it has changed from game-to-game. Initially, I thought it was more of an offensive thing. Now, we are pretty much getting into a good rhythm offensively.”
What should give NC State hope in close games is having one of the top “closers” in the ACC in redshirt sophomore Dereon Seabron. He’s averaging 19.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting an impressive 54.4 percent from the field and 70.8 percent at the free-throw line.
Seabron got a taste of key minutes last year, but he’s shattered all preseason expectations.
“To be honest with you, expectations were for him to grow as a sophomore,” Keatts said. “I really thought he’d be a guy that could jump from five points a game to possibly 12 and give us 6-7 rebounds per game.
“Of anybody that I’ve ever coached, he’s a guy that plays to his strengths. He knows who he is. He doesn’t do anything outside the box.”
What helps with Seabron being the closer is that he can have the ball in his hands down the stretch.
“We put the ball in his hands and he was making plays,” Keatts said. “Early in the year, he wasn’t making plays for others, he was scoring for himself.”
One of the reasons for the lower margin for error is the absence of redshirt junior center Manny Bates (shoulder surgery) and junior power forward Greg Gantt, who suffered a sports hernia injury last summer. Gantt has been warming up before games recently, but it is still unknown if he’ll play this season.
"He's close, but we are still talking back-and-forth with doctors, our trainers and also Greg,” Keatts said. “All three of them have to be on the same page. When I say close, I don't think it will be any sooner than 2-3 weeks. There is a possibility that it won't happen the entire year. We want to make sure all three are comfortable.”
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