Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas
NC State Wolfpack (12-4) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-4)
Another exciting college basketball Saturday is upon us, so we are breaking down the Atlantic Coast Conference showdown between the NC State Wolfpack and Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.
The Hokies open as 5.5-point home favorites with a total of 142.5 points. They split a two-game set against the Wolfpack in 2021-22, and each team emerged victorious on the road.
After stopping their three-game winning streak with a 78-64 defeat at the Clemson Tigers on December 30, the NC State Wolfpack (12-4; 2-3 conf.) dismantled the No. 16 Duke Blue Devils 84-60 as 5-point home dogs this past Wednesday. They led wire-to-wire and by as many as 29 points while forcing a whopping 21 turnovers.
The Wolfpack made 47.1% of their field goals against Duke. They went 10-for-26 from downtown and posted 13 offensive rebounds while turning the ball over just six times. Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith notched 24 points and three steals, senior G Jarkel Joiner had 21 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, while senior forward DJ Burns accounted for 18 points and four blocks.
About last night.
?? NC State vs Duke Recap: pic.twitter.com/tWConLlaJE
— NC State Men's Bball (@PackMensBball) January 5, 2023
Keep your eyes on Smith and Joiner, who combine for 34.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. The Wolfpack love to play fast and register 70.9 possessions per 40 minutes (58th in the country). They score 110.5 points per 100 possessions (36th in the nation) and allow 95.5 in return (60th). The Wolfpack take good care of the ball and ranks tenth in the country in turnover percentage (14.8%) while making 35.3% of their 3-pointers. NC State is No. 37 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 43 in the KenPom rankings.