NOTEBOOK: Pack, Eagles Battle Tonight
NC State returns to action tonight in a huge ACC game against Boston College. Here are some pregame notes on the Wolfpack.
Pack Tracks
NC State won on the road for the second consecutive game Saturday as it held off Wake Forest, 90-84. Allerik Freeman led the Pack with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Omer Yurtseven also reached the 20-point mark, finishing with 21. Torin Dorn chipped in 14, while Markell Johnson had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
* After seven ACC games, the Pack had a 3-4 record and was staring at a stretch of games that had them playing five of the next seven away from home. NC State won four of the five road games (wins at Pittsburgh, UNC-Chapel Hill, Syracuse and Wake Forest) and split its two home contests to stand 8-6 with four games left in ACC play.
It’s the Pack’s best record through 14 ACC games since the 2012-13 team was 8-6 in conference play. (2012-13 team finished 11-7 in the ACC).
* NC State has shot 50 percent or better in three consecutive games. It is the first time the Pack has shot 50 percent or better in three consecutive ACC games since the 2011-12 season when the Pack accomplished this feat from 2/25/12 - 3/4/12.
* In last six games, sophomore guard Markell Johnson is averaging 13.0 points, 9.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 52% from the field, including 47.6% (10-of-21) from three-point range.
Eight Games Against Top-17 RPI Teams
Through games of Feb. 18, NC State has played eight games against teams currently ranked in the top-17 in the RPI. That is the most in the country. The Pack is 4-4 in those game.
* The NCAA revealed the current Top-16 Seeds in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 11. NC State has 4 wins over Top-16 teams (Duke - 7, Clemson - 9, UNC-CH - 12, Arizona - 15). The Pack is tied with UNC-CH for the most wins over teams in the selection committee’s Top-16.
Yurtseven Finding Comfort Level in Sophomore Season
NC State sophomore center Omer Yurtseven came to college last season as a consensus five-star player, but the Istanbul, Turkey native had an up-and-down season as a freshman. Now, as a sophomore a confident Yurtseven is becoming the No. 1 priority on opposing team’s scouting reports.
* On the season, ranks second on the team in scoring (13.8) and leads in rebounding (6.8), field goal percentage (59.1%) and blocks (49). In 14 ACC games, leading the team in scoring (15.5), rebounding (6.8), blocks (29) and field goal percentage (55.0%).
* In six ACC home games, Yurtseven is averaging 19.2 points on 59.2% shooting (50-of-84), including 46.7% (7-of-15) from three-point range. Also averaging 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.
* Yurtseven had a career-high 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-6 from three-point range in win over #19 Clemson on 1/11.
* With 49 blocks this season, Yurtseven now ranks in a tie for 10th with Kevin Thompson (1990-91) in the NC State record book for most blocks in a single-season.
* Named Co-ACC Player of the Week on Jan. 22 after averaging 25 points on 65.7 percent shooting in a win over Wake Forest (Jan. 18) and a loss to No. 25 Miami (Jan. 21)
* One of 20 student-athletes to the preseason watch list for this year’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
Another Sophomore making impact for the Pack
Omer Yurtseven’s fellow sophomore teammate Markell Johnson has also seen his impact on this year’s Pack team increase as well.
* Johnson leads the Pack in assists (156 / 7.8 per game) and steals (37 / 1.85 per game) this season. He’s currently on pace to finish with the highest assist per game average at NC State since Chris Corchiani averaged 9.6 assists per game in the 1990-91 season. His steals per game average would be the best mark at NC State since Clifford Crawford average 2.13 (66 in 31 games) in the 2002-03 season.
* Johnson has not played in the required 75% of games to rank in ACC stats yet (he missed 7 games for a violation of the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct), but his current stats would lead the ACC in assists and steals if he were eligible. His 2.81 assist-to-turnover ratio in ACC play would rank second in the league.
* Has had three or more steals in seven of 20 games and seven or more assists in 13 of 20 games.
* Johnson had a career-high 20 points in the win at No. 10 UNC-Chapel Hill on 1/27. He added 11 assists for his second career double-double. He scored or assisted on 15 straight NC State points from the 2:58 mark of regulation through the 2:25 mark of overtime. He clinched the win with two free throws with :04 seconds remaining in overtime.
* Johnson has had double-digit assists in five straight games from 1/21 to 2/7. He’s the first player in NC State history to have five straight games of double-digit assists.
Winning the Turnover Battle
The Pack is +79 in turnover margin. Pack has forced 415 turnovers and only turned it over themselves 336 times. +79 turnover margin is the second-best in the ACC. Major turnaround from last year. Last season, NC State finished the season -67 in turnover margin.
70 is the Magic Number
When the Pack scores 70 or more points this season, NC State is 18-4. When the Pack scores 69 or fewer points, NC State is 0-5.
Winning the Rebounding Battle
NC State enters Tuesday’s contests vs Boston College having outrebounded eight of its 14 ACC opponents this season.
* Last season, the Pack was outrebounded in ACC play in 10 of 18 games.
* The Pack ranks third in the ACC, averaging 12.78 offensive rebounds per game (345 in 27 games).
Constant Defensive Pressure leading to Opponent Turnovers
The Pack has forced 15 of 27 opponents this season into 15+-turnovers. Four times, the Pack has forced opponents into 20 or more turnovers in a single game. The last NC State team to force opponents into 20 or more turnovers four times in a season was the 2009-10 team.
The last seven NC State teams (2010-11 team through 2016-17 team) only twice forced opponents into 20 turnovers. In Keatts first four games at NC State, his teams forced opponents into 21 (VMI), 24 (Charleston Southern), 27 (Bryant) and 22 (Presbyterian) turnovers.
* The 27 turnovers NC State forced Bryant into on Nov. 14 are the most turnovers the Pack has forced an opponent to commit since Mount St. Mary’s had 27 on Nov. 22, 2002.
* In 27 games, the Pack has forced 415 turnovers. The 15.4 turnovers forced per game ranks 36th in NCAA Dl and are the most forced turnovers by a team from the ACC.
* The Pack has a +2.93 turnover margin this season which ranks second in the ACC.
* In ACC play, the Pack is 7-1 when it has less turnovers than its opponents and 1-5 when it has more turnovers than its opponents.
Pack Already Have Most Steals Since 2012-13 Team
With 209 steals in 27 games, the Pack has already surpassed last season’s total steals total of 162, as well as the 2015-16 (149), 2014-15 (138) and 2013-14 (173) NC State teams. The Pack is currently on pace to finish in the top-10 in season steals in program history.
* NC State leads the ACC and 40th overall in NCAA DI with 209 steals.
* NC State recorded 14 steals in the win over Bryant on Nov. 14. It’s the most steals in a game for NC State since the Pack had 16 steals in a win over Boston College on Jan. 19, 2012. It was a 192 game span between 14+-steal games for the Pack.