NC State opens ACC slate at Miami
Game Facts
No. 18 NC State (12-1) at Miami (Fla.) (8-4)
Game time: Thursday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m. — Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Television: ESPNU
Probable starters
NC State
PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Jr., 11.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.2 apg)
SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 195, R-Jr., 11.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.6 spg)
G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Soph., 8.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.5 apg)
F — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 15.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 spg)
C — 33 Wyatt Walker (6-9, 240, R-Jr., 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 bpg)
Miami (Fla.)
PG — 0 Chris Lykes (5-7, 157, Soph., 16.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg)
SG — 1 Dejan Vailjevic (6-3, 184, Jr., 12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg)
SF — 3 Anthony Lawrence (6-7, 207, Sr., 13.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.1 bpg)
PF — 21 Sam Waardenburg (6-10, 216, Soph., 5.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)
C — 15 Ebuka Izundu (6-10, 232, Sr., 12.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.1 bpg)
Notes
Miami (Fla.)
Location: Coral Gables, Fla.
Nickname: Hurricanes
2017-18 record: 22-10 overall, 11-7 ACC
2017 postseason: Lost 64-62 to Loyola (Chicago) in the first round of NCAA Tournament
Head coach: Jim Larranaga, 35th season overall (639-417) and eighth season at Miami (169-83)
Miami (Fla.) overview: The Hurricanes' season has taken to drastic turns, one on the court and the other off it.
Miami lost wings Bruce Brown and Lonnie Walker prematurely for the NBA Draft, but thought it had center Dewan Huell back for his junior season.
Huell, who has since become Dewan Hernandez, averaged 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 block per game last year. Instead, he’s been suspended this season and recently hired an attorney. Miami also lost reserve post player Deng Gak to a season-ending injury.
The Hurricanes' season hit a rough patch with four straight losses in late November to early December — against Seton Hall on a neutral court, Rutgers and Yale at home, and at Pennsylvania — but they closed the non-conference slate with wins over Houston Baptist, Florida Atlantic and Campbell.
Backcourt: Miami has turned diminutive sophomore point guard Chris Lykes loose this season. The former NC State recruiting target has improved from 9.6 points per game last year to 16.6 this season, and he’s shooting 34.4 percent on three-pointers.
Lykes has used Miami’s high-ball screen offense to reach double figures in every game but the Rutgers loss, and he has topped 20 points in four contests. He had a season-high 22 points in the season-opening 83-62 win vs. Lehigh on Nov. 9.
Wing Dejan Vasiljevic of Australia has always been one of the top three-point shooters in the ACC. He has improved from 41.1 percent from beyond the arc last year to 43.2 this season. Vasiljevic has tried 108 field-goal attempts with 81 coming from behind the line. He has made at least three three-pointers in eight contests.
Vasiljevic scored a season-high 20 points, plus pulled down five rebounds, in the 78-70 win over Bethune-Cookman Nov. 17, and he’s reached double figures in nine games this season.
Florida Gulf Coast graduate transfer Zach Johnson has been coming off the bench lately. The 6-2, 192-pounder averaged 16.1 points per game at FGCU last year and is chipping in 13.3 points a contest at Miami. Johnson is shooting 34.9 percent on three-pointers, and recently had 22 points and went 5 of 6 on three-pointers in the 73-62 win over Campbell last Saturday. He had a season-high 24 points in the 78-76 win over Fresno State on Nov. 23 and has scored double figures in eight games.
Freshman wing Anthony Mack transferred in from Wyoming, where he missed last year with a concussion issue. The 6-6, 214-pounder is averaging 2.8 points in 12.6 minutes per game, and is 6 of 18 on three-pointers.
Frontcourt: Miami was expected to go with a small ball lineup this season, but even with the absence of Hernandez, the Hurricanes have recently been playing with a “big” lineup.
Senior Anthony Lawrence provides impressive versatility with his ability to play both forward positions. When he slides down to small forward, the Hurricanes can play two post players together.
Lawrence is shooting 33.3 percent on three-pointers, which is down from last year’s 43.2. Despite that, he has improved his scoring from 8.8 points per game to 13.3 and has scored in double figures in eight contests. Lawrence opened the season with 19 points and went 4 of 7 on three-pointers against Lehigh. He has drained four three-pointers in three different games.
Senior center Ebuka Izundu has been an “NC State killer” over the years. He originally signed with Charlotte after attending Charlotte Victory Christian High. Following a coaching change, he ended up at Miami and has fully blossomed this season in the absence of Hernandez. The athletic Izunda averaged 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game last year, but has improved to 12.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes a contest.
Izunda has four double-doubles for points and rebounds, and had 22 points, 18 boards and four blocks in a 96-58 win over Stephen F. Austin Nov. 13. He also had 15 points and went 7 of 7 from the field in Miami’s 86-81 win at NC State last year, and he also had 16 points and six boards in a win at NCSU on Feb. 4, 2017. The dunk artist is shooting 69.3 percent from the field on the year.
Izunda had 15 points and went 7 of 7 from the field in Miami’s 86-81 win at NC State last year, and he also had 16 points and six boards in a win at NCSU on Feb. 4, 2017.
Power forward Sam Waardenburg from New Zealand is averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game. He had 14 points and went 2 of 3 on three-pointers in the 89-75 loss at Penn on Dec. 4. He’s reached double figures in three games this season.
Junior center Rodney Miller is redshirting this season, even with the absence of Hernandez and injury to Gak.
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