Notebook: D.J. Funderburk returns to court for Wolfpack
NC State redshirt junior center D.J. Funderburk knew he would be back for the Wolfpack’s third game of the season, the only mystery he said was when he could begin practicing again.
The Cleveland native suffered an offseason two-game suspension and wasn’t allowed to practice or be around the team until about shortly before the season opener Nov. 5. He watched the Georgia Tech overtime loss from the bench and all he could say about that frustrating moment was “no comment.”
Funderburk can now help his teammates win games again, and he responded with 11 points, seven rebounds, six offensive boards and two blocks in a 86-77 win over visiting Florida International in front of 14,024 fans Wednesday at PNC Arena.
“When you get it taken away from you, it’s a blessing and a privilege to be out there with your family,” Keatts said. “It was definitely a wakeup call and I appreciated it.
“What I did was childish and it is behind me. I was just counting down the days. I knew exactly what day I was going to play.”
Funderburk felt a little rusty in the first half, and he missed his first four free throws, but he was a factor down the stretch. His mid-range jumper gave NCSU a 80-72 lead with 1:41 left.
“I was just getting myself prepared conditioning and keeping myself ready on the court,” Funderburk said. “It took me a little while. By the second half, it kicked in a little bit more, had a little more energy.”
The Funderburk and Manny Bates duo combined for 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots at the center position, which would be elite stats in ACC action. Neither player might make All-ACC, but together those would be first-team all-league numbers.
NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts said he pondered not playing Funderburk. He knew for weeks he would activate him if Funderburk held up his end, but wasn’t sure about playing him. With backup fifth-year senior center Danny Dixon out with a foot injury, and redshirt sophomore power forward A.J. Taylor out for the second consecutive game with a knee issue, the Wolfpack only had eight players.
“Getting him back takes a little pressure off of Manny,” Keatts said. “Whether we want to realize it or not, Manny is a [redshirt] freshman.
“I brought him [Funderburk] because he did everything that I asked. If you want to be part of NC State basketball, you have to do all the right stuff, or I will hold you accountable for it. D.J. checked all the boxes that I asked.”
Funderburk is encouraged by the Wolfpack’s long-range potential. The players might not be on the same page yet, but it’s a long season. NC State had six players between 10-to-16 points.
“You notice in our games that nobody on our team is going to put up 30 points,” Funderburk said. “The points spread is kind of equal through everybody. Everybody can go get a bucket.”
NC State Hopes Win Over FIU Looks Good In March
NC State hopes the Florida International win will look good in March when postseason decisions get made. FIU looked like a team that could do well in Conference USA this season, thanks to six juniors and three seniors.
FIU entered the game ranked No. 190 in KenPom.com, after a close loss to Mississippi State and a blowout win over Ave Maria.
“We played a good team,” Keatts said. “I knew we would play a good team. I came into this game a little concerned. They reminded me a lot of my Wilmington teams.”
One of those seniors, wing Devon Andrews, had 21 points, seven rebounds and four three-pointers to lead the Panthers. He helped keep FIU competitive throughout the contest, though the Wolfpack did build a 12-point lead with 3:53 remaining.
“We weren’t worried at all and they were making some tough shots,” said NCSU fifth-year senior wing C.J. Bryce, who had a team-high 16 points. “We just paid attention to more details and played a little more help defense.
“We will just continue to try and beat everyone in our pathway. It was a great FIU team that we played tonight. It was a good test for us and we did a great job of passing.”
Pat Andree Delivers Much-Needed Spark
NCSU forced 22 turnovers, including 16 in the second half to help pull away. That helped doom FIU’s upset chances.
The Panthers were more than pesky throughout the contest and the Wolfpack need four first-half three-pointers from senior power forward Pat Andree to create a 37-37 tie at halftime.
"He is as good a shooter as I've seen, especially at his height [6-8]," Keatts said.
Andree wasn’t with the Wolfpack on Selection Sunday, but the Lehigh graduate transfer knows the importance of having non-conference opponents go on to do well in their respective leagues. Andree finished with 14 points and two boards, but his first-half play proved invaluable in keeping the Wolfpack afloat in rough waters. FIU led by as many as 10 points midway through the first half.
“We came out a little flat, but we are a veteran team, so we’ll learn from that,” Andree said. “FIU is no joke and a tough team. They have a lot of tough players.
“That is our whole schedule, to learn from last year. They are a good team and they’ll have some good wins.”
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