1/14/2020 basketball Edit

NC State finding life difficult without star wing C.J. Bryce

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

NC State basketball has gone 2-2 without fifth-year senior wing C.J. Bryce, with life decidedly different in his absence.

Bryce suffered a concussion during a shoot-around prior to playing Appalachian State on Dec. 29. NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts said Bryce has returned to practice and will be a game-time decision Wednesday against Miami.

Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Click here to get your 30-day free trial!

NC State fifth-year senior wing C.J. Bryce will be a game-time decision Wednesday. (Ken Martin/TheWolfpacker.com)

NC State has missed more than just the 16.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game he has provided this season. Bryce’s leadership skills, ability to play multiple positions and knack for scoring in the clutch have all been missed. NC State’s rotation has shrunken to as few as seven players some games depending on the health of fifth-year senior center Danny Dixon, who has battled injury issues off and on this season.

“C.J. Bryce has practiced [Monday] and looked pretty good,” Keatts said. “He will be a game-time decision. He is trending the right way. I'm hoping that our doctors will see what they like and that he feels like tomorrow, probably after shoot-around, if he feels good enough to go.

“It's completely up to him and our doctors and whether he's going to play or not.”

NC State is down to senior point guard Markell Johnson, junior combo guard Braxton Beverly and redshirt junior wing Devon Daniels on the perimeter. Johnson has played at least 36 minutes in each of the past four contests in the absence of Bryce.

The problems have also been compounded, like when Beverly got into foul trouble against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Another rising development is that it’s hard for Keatts to use the bench as “motivation” because he doesn’t have anyone to put into the game.

“Our depth is the biggest thing,” Keatts said. “You know, if you look at my time here we've had probably over 80-some games, and it's probably been two or three games only that I haven’t been able to play eight or nine people.”

With a lack of depth, Keatts has been like a contractor trying to remodel a home. Sometimes certain “improvements” go off the list due to lack of funds. In Keatts’ case, it has meant not playing fullcourt pressure defense.

“The way we like to play, the way we like to press [and] the way we like to run, I think the biggest thing that has hurt us, is we don't have another sub at the guard spot,” Keatts said.

The absence this season of redshirt sophomore forward A.J. Taylor (knee injury) and freshman wing Dereon Seabron (academics), combined with backup point guard Blake Harris transferring to North Carolina A&T before the season started means NC State can’t press as often as preferable even with Bryce.

However, Keatts thinks they’d be able to pick and choose certain spots when Bryce is back in the lineup.

One thing Keatts has learned from his players over the years — they enjoy getting extra minutes even if it means playing tired.

“Players love it,” Keatts said. “You have to talk to the guys when you are going to cut their minutes. None of our guys want to come out of the game anyway.”