NC State gave its fans a taste of what this season will look like with a 89-79 win over Mount Olive in exhibition action Wednesday at PNC Arena.
NCSU had five players in double figures and led the game for 37:03, with usually its largest lead at 22 points. NC State never felt threatened, usually leading in the mid-to-upper teens most of the way.
NC State will have enough to learn from, particularly in the second half, to get ready for The Citadel on Nov. 6. The biggest take-away might be that the Wolfpack shot 5 of 24 from beyond the three-point arc.
The players believe there is a lot to take away from the exhibition.
“It’s a great time to lock in,” said NCSU senior wing Casey Morsell, who had a team-high 14 points. “We were playing at a high level all along this preseason. We just came out flat with our energy and focus. We viewed it that we were looking past them, and part of that is on me.”
Mount Olive outscored NC State 55-45 after halftime, due in part to shooting a blistering 8 of 14 from three-point range. The much smaller Mount Olive squad also out-rebounded NC State 23-14 in the second half, which helped them tie 42-all for the game.
“We had a lot of new guys on the team and a lot of guys first time playing at PNC,” said senior D.J. Horne, who 12 points. “I think it was those first game jitters going on. We had a lot of good film to watch and learn from. We definitely need to clean up before the first game on the sixth.
“We will be able to look in the mirror and realize we have to clean up some things.”
NC State did do a better job of cutting down on turnovers after halftime. NCSU coach Kevin Keatts was a little annoyed by the 10 turnovers committed in the first half (15 for the game).
“We probably had at least 10 different combinations,” Keatts said. “I wanted to play big at times, just to see how Mo [Diarra] and Ben [Middlebrooks] would play at the four.
“I don’t think we took care of the basketball. I’m sure someone will ask me about that part of it. We don’t typically turn it over that way.”
Another positive was shooting 24 of 27 from the free-throw line, with both Casey Morsell and Breon Pass going 5 of 6 and freshman Dennis Parker making all four.
Pass led the squad with a plus-17 for plus/minus, with Parker right behind at plus-14. Parker was making his PNC Arena debut, and had eight points, seven rebounds and a block in 20 minutes played.
“I got all the nervousness out early,” Parker said. “I was just going out there to play basketball to the best of my ability.”
The game against The Citadel culminates a lot of different achievements for Parker. He started dreaming of being a college basketball player at age 9, and then felt it was a likely destination when he blossomed in the seventh grade with RVA Running Rebels. The 18-year-old remembers watching star point guard Anthony Barber of Newport News, Va., plays for NC State. The Richmond, Va., native became a standout at John Marshall High and with Team Loaded VA on the adidas circuit.
“I remember when I started playing basketball, I was not playing and off the bench,” Parker said. “I was deep in the bench. Coach wouldn’t play me sometimes. That made me hungry to want more.”
Parker is the lone freshman of the various NC State newcomers. The trade-off is that he has a lot of veterans helping him out.
“I’m looking forward to having a great year with these guys,” Parker said.
Parker will be an interesting puzzle piece for NC State. He’s an alternative if the Wolfpack don’t feature a bigger lineup with two out of D.J. Burns, Middlebrooks or Diarra on the floor. Diarra proved effective Wednesday with 10 points and seven boards in 19 minutes played
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