NC State will finally get to play in front of fans Monday night against Elizabeth City State in a 7 p.m. exhibition game at PNC Arena.
The Wolfpack went 14-11 overall and 9-8 in the ACC last year, missing out on the NCAA Tournament. NCSU fell 65-61 to Colorado State in the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament, but return four starters from that game.
Here are five thoughts going into the exhibition contest:
1. Remain healthy
Teams get beat up practicing against each other leading up to the season. The exhibition game will show who still needs some rest going into the season opener Nov. 9 vs. Bucknell at PNC Arena.
There is no point in having anyone further injuring themselves against Elizabeth City State.
Junior power forward Greg Gantt has been slowed during the ball with a sports hernia injury, and that could open the door for sophomore post players Jaylon Gibson and Ebenezer Dowuona, plus freshman Ernest Ross to get extra playing time. An exhibition game is ideal for that trio of players, who need to show they can be trusted when the season starts for real. All three could make an impact blocking shots, but it will be interesting to see which one proves to be a reliable offensive player, even in spot minutes off the bench.
2. Cam Hayes shows improvement
Playing point guard in the ACC is difficult for freshman. That is simply facts, and proven in various ways last year with sophomore point guard Cam Hayes, along with Shakeel Moore, and then at North Carolina (Caleb Love), Duke (Jeremy Roach) and Wake Forest (Carter Whitt). Advanced statistics had Love as the worst guard among players in the top six conferences.
Hayes averaged 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game last year. He shot 38.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent on three-pointers. He’s a quality long-range shooter and his game will be built around that particular skill. With the premature departure of Moore to Mississippi State, there isn’t a returning point guard on the roster, and fifth-year senior Thomas Allen is other lone guard.
Hayes making plays for others will be a key development in the Elizabeth City State exhibition game, along with how effective the offense runs with Hayes out of the game.
3. Casey Morsell has confidence in his jumper
NC State junior shooting guard Casey Morsell was the No. 49-ranked prospect in the country in the class of 2019 by Rivals.com. He collected 20 offers out of St. John’s College High in Washington, D.C., and was a standout with both USA Basketball and Team Takeover traveling team program in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
The 6-3, 200-pounder signed with Virginia and it seemed a perfect fit. The struggles on the offensive end occurred right away his freshman year. He shot 27.7 percent from the field and 17.6 percent on three-pointers en route to 4.0 points in 21.8 minutes per game. The shooting woes were surprising, considering he shot 15 of 41 for 36.6 percent from beyond the arc in 10 games with Team Takeover.
Morsell improved slightly his sophomore season for UVA, shooting 39.6 percent form the field and 26.3 percent on three-pointers for 4.4 points per game.
Morsell transferred to NC State, where he’s expected to blossom this season, but has competition from freshman Terquavion Smith and fifth-year senior Thomas Allen. Getting some quality confidence against Elizabeth City State could help Morsell going into the season.
4. What to expect from Elizabeth City State?
Programs like Elizabeth City State typically have one player who can get hot. Typically, it is an undersized guard who knows how to get buckets.
The player who fits that bill could be Zaccheus Hobbs, who is a 5-11 guard from Jacksonville (N.C.) Northside High. The senior averaged 15.3 points per game in 2019-20, and he went 55 of 174 from three-point land for 31.6 percent. He didn’t play point guard that season and had 51 assists, but also 41 turnovers. Hobbs, who has averaged at least 11 points a contest in his three years with the Vikings, could be the one player that could test the Wolfpack’s perimeter defense.
The other aspect that usually happens in exhibition games, NC State is usually massively bigger than its opponent. One Elizabeth City State player who is recognizable to hard core prep basketball fans is junior center DeAndre Wilkins, who is 6-11 and 235 pounds. The Edenton, N.C., native made the move to prep powerhouse High Point (N.C.) Wesleyan Christian, and then finished up at Great Bridge Christian Academy in Chesapeake, Va. Wilkins played at Wagner for two years and then transferred to his home area.
5. Who will surprise?
Someone is bound to go for 15-20 points that could be considered a surprise. The three best candidates could be redshirt sophomore Dereon Seabron and the aforementioned Smith and Allen.
NC State will need some surprise performances this season, going with the strong one-two punch of redshirt junior center Manny Bates and senior forward Jericole Hellems. Smith, Seabron and Allen are all completely different from each other. Allen is an undersized 6-1 shooting guard with a pretty jumper, but has battled injuries over the last two years. Seabron is an athletic, versatile 6-7, who has the potential to be a defensive stopper. Smith is athletic, long and streaky. He could hit five three-pointers against Elizabeth City State, or shoot 3 of 12 from the field, but maybe more likely something in-between.
NC State’s first big test is facing Oklahoma State on Nov. 17 in Uncasville, Conn., and having some players be surprises will be welcomed against the Cowboys.
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