Wolfpack Tipoff: Game 6, Little Rock
NC State (4-1, 0-1 ACC) vs. Little Rock (3-2)
PNC Arena (19,772)
1 p.m., ACC Network Extra (PxP: Dean Linke; Analyst: Ernie Myers)
Streaming: ACC Network Extra; Live stats: GoPack.com
Series history: State leads 1-0
Last meeting: State won 80-66 (2 OT) in the Sweet 16 of the 1986 NCAA tournament
Most recent game: State beat Alcorn State 87-64; Little Rock lost to Memphis 68-58
BetOnline line: State minus 14 1/2 | Over/Under 143 1/2
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I’m playing eight guys right now and all eight guys could be starters. So the three guys that are coming off the bench, they’ve been tremendous. Our bench is scoring just as much as the guys starting the game. Our team is good. I’ve got eight guys that I figure that I can start at any point. I give Pat, Devon and D.J. a lot of credit because not once have they pouted about coming off the bench. They just come in and do their job. With eight guys that we are playing everybody knows that they are going to play, so nobody complains." Coach Kevin Keatts
“I think as a team, we are overall getting better mentally and coming together. I think we had less turnovers tonight. I’m not sure on that, but (we’re) trying to get an all-around better team and working together.” Sophomore forward Jericole Hellems on the progress his team made against Alcorn State on Tuesday
PROJECTED STARTERS
| NC STATE | Stats | LITTLE ROCK | Stats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Markell Johnson | 6-1 Senior | 9.5 ppg 7.8 apg | Markquis Norwell | 5-7 Sophomore | 20.2 ppg 5.2 apg |
Braxton Beverly | 6-0 Junior | 10.6 ppg 2.6 apg | Ben Coupet Jr. | 6-7 Redshirt Junior | 13.6 ppg 7.0 rpg |
C.J. Bryce | 6-5 Redshirt Senior | 17.6 ppg 8.0 rpg | Kamari Johnson | 6-7 Sophomore | 6.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg |
Jericole Hellems | 6-7 Sophomore | 10.2 ppg 3.8 rpg | Jovan Stulic | 6-5 Freshman | 1.0 ppg 1.7 rpg |
Manny Bates | 6-10 Redshirt Freshman | 7.2 ppg 3.8 bpg | Ruot Monyyong | 6-10 Junior | 11.6 ppg 8.0 rpg |
NOTABLE
Devon Daniels is the only State player to score in double figures in all five games this season. The junior guard is averaging 15.2 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field. After shooting 9-of-26 (34.6 percent) in the first two games of the season, Daniels has shot 22-of-36 (61.1 percent) in the last three games and is averaging 16.7 points per game over that span. Daniels’ 23 points against Alcorn State are the most for an NC State player off-the-bench since Allerik Freeman scored 29 points in the win at North Carolina on Jan. 27, 2018 ...
The Wolfpack has won 34 of its last 35 non-conference games at PNC Arena. State is 19-1 in non-conference home games at PNC Arena under head coach Kevin Keatts. ...
State's bench has scored a combined 115 points in the last three games (38.3 bench points per game). The Wolfpack scored a season-high 42 points off-the-bench on Tuesday against Alcorn State. The Wolfpack scored 34 points off the bench in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 16 and had 39 points on Nov. 13 against Florida International. State’s bench is averaging 31.6 points per game this season and has outscored the opponent’s bench by 59 points, 158-99. ...
Little Rock guard Markquis Norwell
Justin Ford/USAToday sports
Through five games, Little Rock's Markquis Norwell leads the Sun Belt Conference in scoring (20.2 ppg), steals (3.6 spg) and minutes played (39.8) while ranking second in the league in assists (5.2) and fourth in free throw percentage (91.3 percent). ...
The Trojans, coached by former Arkansas and New York Knicks star Darrell Walker
Head coach 's defensive mindset as a player has carried over to his Little Rock team have a team goal to hold their opponents to under 65 points per game. They have done that twice this year while allowing 66 to Missouri State and 68 to Memphis, holding the Tigers to 23 points under their season average.
