NC State has a pair of games this week at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
NC State (2-0 overall) takes on struggling Central Connecticut State (0-2 overall) at 8 p.m. Tuesday on FloSports.com, and then play 2-1 Oklahoma State at 8 p.m. Wednesday on CBS Sports Network.
Below is the scouting report on Central Connecticut State, who was picked last, 10th place, in the Northeast Conference preseason coaches poll, and last in the league by Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook.
Overview
Scheduling Colgate was a shrewd move for NC State on Saturday, but Central Connecticut State will likely be a drag on the postseason resume in March. The Blue Devils went 5-16 overall and 5-13 in the Northeast Conference last year, firing coach Donyell Marshall in the process. New coach Pat Sellars played at CCSU and is a veteran former assistant coach.
UConn drilled Central Connecticut State 99-48 in the season opener Nov. 9, and then the Blue Devils lost 75-57 to Brown on Sunday.
Rankings
Central Connecticut State finished No. 310 in the NET rankings last year.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Blue Devils currently ranked No. 317 overall, and NC State is No. 57.
KenPom.com has Central Connecticut State at No. 349, and NCSU checks in at No. 57
RealtimeRPI.com has NC State ranked No. 62 in the country, and CCSU is No. 244.
Shooting
Guard Tre Mitchell shot 36.8 percent from three-point land last year en route to 9.4 points per game, and starting point guard Nigel Scantlebury shot 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Central Connecticut State is shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 40.0 percent on three-pointers through two games.
Rebounding
Stephane Ayangma is the top returning rebounder with 4.6 boards per game last year, along with 6.3 points. Senior 6-6 forward Andre Snoddy is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game, plus Ayangma is chipping in 5.0 boards a contest this season.
CCSU is averaging 27.5 rebounds per game this season, while opponents are averaging 33.0 boards a contest.
Defense
UConn and Brown have shot a combined 55.7 percent from the field and 52.8 percent on three-pointers this season. UConn shot a blistering 61.3 percent on field goals and 8 of 13 for 61.5 percent on three-pointers. Brown was an impressive 11 of 23 on three-pointers in its 75-57 victory.
Depth
Freshman Joe Ostrowsky was named the NEC rookie of the week after averaging 8.5 points per game and shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 60 percent on three-pointers. He had a team-high 12 points in the opener at UConn.
Leading scorer Ayangma, who is a 6-6 and 215-pounds senior forward, had 14 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes against Brown. He also chipped in eight points and five rebounds against UConn in 23 minutes.
Former Raleigh Word of God wing Zach Newkirk, the younger brother of former Pittsburgh/Indiana guard Josh Newkirk, also comes in off the bench for 10.0 minutes a contest. Guard Trenton McLaughlin also averages 17.5 minutes per game.
Star Watch
Junior point guard Nigel Scantlebury played his first two years at Niagara (N.Y.) Community College before transferring to Central Connecticut State. He played in junior college for Bill Beilein, the nephew of former Michigan coach John Beilein. Scantlebury had over 600 points and 200 assists during his two years at Niagara C.C.
Scantlebury made the move to CCSU and he started eight out of 21 games last year. The 6-0, 170-pounder from Rochester, N.Y. averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last year. He shot 41.3 percent from the field and 34.9 percent on three-pointers. He scored at least 10 points in eight games, and dished out five or more assists in 10 contests.
Scantlebury has gone a combined 8 of 20 from the field and 3 of 5 on three-pointers for 19 points, plus five assists in two games this season.
Likely Starters
NC State
PG — 3 Cam Hayes (6-3, 180, Soph., 9.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg)
SG — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, Jr., 17.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 1.0 spg)
SF — 1 Dereon Seabron (6-7, 180, R-Soph., 19.5 jpg, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg)
PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 200, Sr., 13.0 ppt, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.5 spg)
C — Ebenezer Dowuona (6-11, 225, Soph., 3.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 1.0 bpg)
Central Connecticut State
PG — 1 Nigel Scantlebury (6-0, 170, Jr., 9.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
SG — 3 Ian Krishman (6-2, 180, Jr., 8.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.0 spg)
G — 11 Tre Mitchell (6-3, 190, Jr., 5.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
PF — 21 Andre Snoddy (6-6, 210, Fr., 2.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.5 apg)
C — 12 Arian Dehnavi (6-10, 215, Soph., 4.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.0 apg)
Numbers Of Note
8: Schools Patrick Sellers was an assistant coach at before getting hired as the head coach at Central Connecticut State this past offseason — Central Connecticut, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hofstra, Creighton, DePaul, Fairleigh Dickinson and Fairfield.
10: Newcomers for this season — eight freshman, one sophomore and one graduate transfer.
40.9: Free-throw percentage after two games. CCSU went 2 of 10 at the line at Brown, and 7 of 12 against UConn.
Game Within The Game: CCSU’s Stephane Ayangma vs. NC State’s Jericole Hellems
The 6-6, 215-pound Ayangma has steadily gotten better in his three years at Central Connecticut State. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year in 17.8 minutes. He has risen to 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds a contest through two games this season.
Ayangma finished last year strong over his last five games. The Cameroon native scored 20 points in the season finale against Wagner in a 83-77 win Feb. 26, 2021. He averaged 14.0 points and eight rebounds per game during that five-game stretch.
Hellems is looking for a bounce back game after scoring four points against Colgate on Saturday. He had 22 points and hit three three-pointers in the season-opening win over Bucknell. Hellems averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last year.
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