Sean Miller Breaks Down NC State's Biggest Strength Headed Into First Four

The Texas Longhorns awaited their fate on Selection Sunday after not having the best end to the regular season, dropping their last two games, and then had an ugly loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament, marking the Longhorns' fifth loss in their last six ballgames.

However, the Longhorns were able to do just enough throughout the regular season, as head coach Sean Miller and his squad will be headed into the madness after Selection Sunday, earning a spot in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.

For the second season in a row, Texas finds itself headed to Dayton, Ohio, for the First Four. This year, the Longhorns will face NC State in a battle for the No. 11 seed in the West region. After learning the Longhorns' matchup, Miller talked about their upcoming opponent.

Sean Miller Compliments NC State Offensively

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller talks with his team as Auburn Tigers take on Texas Longhorns. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the dust settled and the Longhorns found out that their season would, in fact, continue for at least another game, Miller spoke about the matchup against NC State in a media availability where he highlighted one of the Wolfpack's biggest strengths.

"Really, really explosive on offense," Miller said. "That's what really sticks out for me."

The Wolfpack will head into the matchup against the Longhorns after putting together a 20-13 overall record and a 10-8 conference record in the ACC. Throughout their 33 games of the season, NC State has averaged 83.7 points per game, which ranks No. 28 in the nation, which is not too far off from the Longhorns, who rank at No. 26 in points per game with 83.8.

NC State's 83.7 points per game come with the Wolfpack shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 76.8 percent from the free-throw line, and strong efforts from beyond the arc, shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range, which ranks No. 11 in the country.

The Wolfpack heads into the matchup with four of its players averaging double-digit points, led by guards Quadir Copeland and Paul McNeil Jr., and forward Ven-Allen Lubin, with the trio all averaging 13.9 points per game. The fourth double-digit scorer comes in the way of forward Darrion Williams, who's not too far behind the trio as he averages 13.8 points per game.

Miller added to his point about NC State's toughness on the offensive side of the floor.

"Very connected team offensively," Miller said. "They're familiar with us. We're familiar with them because we've played. I don't think that's any advantage to us or them. It's going to be a heck of a game."

The familiarity that Miller talks about comes with the two teams having already seen each other earlier this season, all the way back in November, as the Longhorns and the Wolfpack faced off in the Maui Invitational, with Texas coming out on top in a high-scoring 102-97 affair.

In that game, NC State would shoot 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc, with a big game from Copeland, who scored a team-high 28 points in the losing effort while shooting 71 percent from the field and 66 percent from three-point range.

The Longhorns will look to beat the Wolfpack for the second time this season and punch their ticket to the West region and continue their efforts in the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff for the First Four matchup is set for 8:10 PM on March 17.