11/25/2019 basketball Edit

NC State knows playing Memphis is hard regardless of who suits up

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

The last three years, the NC State men’s basketball team has always had that one non-conference game that sticks out a little bit.

In 2017, NCSU shocked then No. 2-ranked Arizona 90-84, who featured future No. 1 NBA draft pick Deandre Ayton and pro guard Allonzo Trier in the Battle 4 Atlantis game. Then-rookie Braxton Beverly came off the bench for 20 points and Allerik Freeman had 24 that night.

The Auburn contest was the big spotlight game of the 2018 non-conference slate. The Wolfpack upset the then No. 7-ranked Tigers 78-71 in Raleigh. Then junior guard Markell Johnson hit five three-pointers en route to 27 points in the big win.

Check out these two great deals (and choose one!) now available. (Holiday ad)

Memphis coach Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and the Tigers take on NC State at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (USA Today Sports)

NC State opening up against Georgia Tech in the season opener definitely added a different twist in 2019-20, but the Wolfpack were without redshirt junior center D.J. Funderburk (suspended) and Johnson (injured). Getting a chance to play a freshman-dominated Memphis squad at 4 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2 has been an anticipated matchup.

“It is a great opportunity to see how much we’ve grown,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said. “We’ve got some guys that played in these type of games.

“We are playing with eight scholarship guys and those guys are playing the bulk of the minutes. If you add [senior center] Danny Dixon to it, it’s nine guys who can play. I am happy to have D.J. and Markell back.”

There even was some intrigue due to whether Memphis freshman center James Wiseman would play. The listed 7-foot-1 240-pounder averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the first three Memphis contests, but the former Rivals.com No. 1-ranked prospect was hit with a 12-game suspension by the NCAA and required to make a $11,500 donation to a charity of his choice.

Wiseman was given that amount of money to help with moving expenses from Nashville to Memphis by his former prep coach at Memphis East High. The problem was that coach happened to be former NBA superstar Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, who was considered a Tigers’ booster at the time, and then two years later Hardaway became the head coach of his alma mater.

“I was like everyone else and heard the news that he was going to play when he was ineligible to play, but played,” Keatts said. “Now he’s not playing.”

Hardaway and Memphis went 22-13 overall last year, and then brought in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country, with Wiseman as the crown jewel.

“I don’t have a Penny story,” said Keatts on not spending much time with Hardaway in the past. “I think he has done a really good job with his team. A perfect compliment for a coach is how hard his teams compete.

“It’s almost like looking in a mirror at times.”

However, another freshman has been emerging in Wiseman’s absence and will have the full attention of the Wolfpack’s defense — power forward Precious Achiuwa. The 6-9, 225-pounder was ranked No. 17 overall in the country in the class of 2019 by Rivals.com and picked Memphis over Kansas, North Carolina, UConn and others.

Achiuwa has averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game over the last three Memphis’ contests without Wiseman. He erupted for 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 87-86 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.

“I think Precious is really good,” Keatts said. “I see them going to him more. He’s playing great and playing physical. He’s getting to the free-throw line almost double digits a game.”

Achiuwa’s size could create a matchup problem against NC State’s defense. The aforementioned Funderburk could prove pivotal against him at both ends of the court.

“He reminds of a Kenny Faried or Montrezl Harrell with how hard he competes,” Keatts said.

Former Louisville center Lance Thomas and ex-Durham (N.C.) Bull City Prep post player Isaiah Maurice lend depth in the post for the Tigers.

The opportunity to play on a national stage in Brooklyn doesn’t come all that often, but fifth-year senior wing C.J. Bryce doesn’t want to get caught up in the hype too much.

“I feel like the team that we have right now, everyone is getting back into the groove,” Bryce said. “To be able to go against this caliber a team like Memphis, a very good team with really good talent —for us to be able to against them, will be great for us.”