NC State returns to non-conference action with its Heritage Game against Maryland-Eastern Shore at Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday.

NC State will also unveil its statue of the legendary David Thompson earlier in the day out of Reynolds Coliseum.

The Wolfpack are off to a 5-2 start and Maryland-Eastern Shore is 2-5, and lost to East Carolina 63-52 on Monday.

Maryland-Eastern Shore junior guard Chase Davis and and junior post player Troy Hupstead have expanded on their roles from last year.

The duo have been joined by junior wing Tyler Mack, sophomore forward Devon Ellis and returning sophomore point guard Dionte Johnson.

The Hawks went 18-13 overall and 9-5 in the MEAC last year.

Rankings

Maryland-Eastern Shore is No. 336 in the NET rankings, and NC State is No. 53.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Hawks ranked No. 344 overall, and the Wolfpack are No. 57.

KenPom.com has Maryland-Eastern Shore at No. 345, and NCSU checks in at No. 68 this season.

RealtimeRPI.com has Maryland-Eastern Shore was ranked No. 218 in the country, and NC State is No. 35.

Shooting

Maryland-Eastern Shore is averaging 65.9 points per game, and are shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 31.9 percent on three-pointers and 76.6 percent on free throws.

Davis is the main long-range shooter of note, going 17 of 46 from the arc for 37.0 percent. He’s also a 84.6 free-throw shooter.

Rebounding

Maryland-Eastern Shore is averaging 33.3 rebounds per game, and the margin is minus-6.0 against opponents.

Hupstead is averaging a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game, but doesn’t get much help.

Defense

The Hawks are allowing 78.1 points per game, and opponents are shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 33.8 percent on three-pointers.

The Hawks have two players with five blocks — sophomores Israel Yaw and Kelechi Okworogwo — but Davis has a team-high nine steals.

Depth

The Hawks played 13 players against East Carolina on Monday. Junior wing Elijah Wilson, sophomore post players Victory Naboya and Israel Yaw, and sophomore guards Damani Claxton and Toby Nnadozie, all played over 10 minutes.

Wilson is averaging 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, and Yaw is adding 4.4 points and 2.6 boards a contest.

Maryland-Eastern Shore junior Troy Hupstead anchors the Hawks frontcourt at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds.

Hupstead is averaging 11.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game this season. He is shooting 46.4 percent from the field, but just 52.2 percent at the free-throw line. Hupstead had 15 points, 11 rebounds and he shot 3 of 4 on three-pointers in the 75-55 loss at Notre Dame on Nov. 22.

Hupstead exploded for 22 points and 15 rebounds in the 83-80 overtime win over Pennsylvania on Nov. 18. He has three double-double this season.

Hupstead struggled Monday against ECU with one point, two rebounds and three fouls in 11 minutes played.

The former Mount Vernon (N.Y.) High product went to Panola Junior College in Carthage, Texas, in 2021-22. He averaged 11.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game that season.

NC State

PG — 0 DJ Horne (6-1, 175, R-Sr., 12.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.6 spg)

SG — 1 Jayden Taylor (6-4, 195, Jr., 14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg)

G — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, R-Sr., 14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)

PF — 23 Mohamed Diarra (6-10, 215, Jr., 5.0 rpg, 7.1 rpg, 0.1 apg)

C — 30 D.J. Burns (6-9, 275, R-Sr., 13.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg)

Maryland-Eastern Shore

PG — 2 Dionte Johnson (6-0, 190, Soph., 5.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg)

SG — 1 Chace Davis (6-3, 180, Jr., 11.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.3 spg)

SF — 4 Tyler Mack (6-5, 185, Jr., 3.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.4 apg)

PF — 11 Devon Ellis (6-6, 215, Soph., 10.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.3 apg)

C — 24 Troy Hupstead (6-7, 230, Jr., 11.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)

3 Players on the roster who have attempted at least 10 three-point attempts this season — Chace Davis (17 of 46), Elijah Wilson (5 of 23) and Tyler Mack (8 of 27).

12.3 Turnovers per game for the Hawks.

36 Wins in three-plus years for coach Jason Crafton. He's gone 36–61 overall and 19-25 in the MEAC since 2019-20 season. His second year was canceled due to COVID.

The 6-3, 180-pound Chase Davis has jumped from 7.5 points per game last year to 11.1 in the early going this season.

Davis shot 37.5 percent from beyond the arc last year, and that has held steady at 37 percent through seven games. However, he shot an uncharacteristic 52.0 percent from the free-throw line, and jumped back to 84.6 percent, which is what he nearly shot in 2021-22.

Davis had a season-high 16 points and went 4 of 7 on three-pointers in the 83-80 win over Pennsylvania. He also went 4 of 9 from beyond the arc for 13 points against East Carolina.

Davis scored in double figures in 12 games last year, and he scored 15 points in two different games. He had 22 points and went 6 of 8 in a 79-66 win at North Carolina Central his freshman year Feb. 21, 2022.

The former Accokeek (Md.) St. Andrew’s Episcopal School standout played traveling team basketball with Team Durant in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

NC State junior wing Jayden Taylor is averaging 14.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The Butler transfer is shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 48.1 percent on three-pointers. Taylor had 18 points and seven boards in the 84-78 overtime win over Boston College last Saturday.

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