NC State vs Pittsburgh Tactical Breakdown: 3 Ways the Wolfpack Can Beat the Panthers
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CHARLOTTE — NC State has its opponent for the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday. The 15-seed Pitt Panthers found a way to upset the 10-seed Stanford in Tuesday's opening round, winning the game with a last-second tip-in, 64-63. Instead of an immediate rematch with the Cardinal, the Wolfpack must face a team it outlasted on the road back in January.
From a talent standpoint, the Pack holds a sizable advantage over Pittsburgh, but some problems persist for Will Wade's team in this particular matchup. NC State still needs to find a way to get a win and can't afford to look ahead of the Panthers, even after already beating them once. How can the Wolfpack get it done in its first game at the ACC Tournament?
Improve on the glass
In the Jan. 24 matchup, NC State stood no chance in the rebounding battle. Pitt outrebounded the Pack 52 to 31, with 26 of those boards coming on the offensive end. It was one of the worst rebounding performances for the Wolfpack of the entire season, but the Panthers still couldn't capitalize. However, playing a game like that could be very dangerous for NC State.
The rebounding didn't improve much for the Wolfpack the rest of the season, but finding a way to keep players like Roman Siulepa and Cameron Corhen off the glass is the key if NC State wants to beat Pitt. Those two combined for 15 of Pitt's 23 offensive rebounds in the prior matchup. Strong work from Ven-Allen Lubin and the guards rebounding down should help in stopping those two.
Get the 3-point shot falling again
The 3-point shooting identity of the Wolfpack defined much of the team's success throughout ACC play, but it also led to some of its worst failures. Strong shooting in the second half of the regular season game against Pitt helped NC State walk away from the Steel City with a win. Conference foes ended the year shooting 34.7% from beyond the arc against the Panthers.
The Pack made just seven threes in the win, with sophomore guard Paul McNeil knocking down five of them. At that point, key pieces on the bench like Matt Able and Terrance Arceneaux weren't shooting the ball as well as recently and didn't have the offensive confidence they showed later in the year. Darrion Williams also failed to make a 3-pointer in that matchup, so he'll be hunting shots once again.
Win the turnover battle
Pitt struggled mightily to handle the ball throughout the season, while NC State was one of the stronger turnover-margin teams in the ACC. The Wolfpack forced 14 turnovers in the first matchup, making up for several lost possessions caused by issues keeping the Panthers off the offensive glass.
NC State adjusted its defense over the final few weeks of the season, so it will have different looks to throw at Jeff Capel's team in this go-around. The Pack tallied 10 steals in that win and scored 22 points off turnovers, while the Panthers turned NC State's eight giveaways into just three points.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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