NOTEBOOK: Pack Back In Action Today In PNC Arena

NC State returns to action this afternoon at 4pm against App State in PNC Arena.  Here are some pregame notes on the Wolfpack.

Pack Tracks

- Playing its first home game in 18 days, NC State dropped The Citadel, 83-63, Sunday evening. Senior guard Markell Johnson led the Pack’s attack, posting his first career triple-double with 11 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and 10 assists. It is the fourth triple-double in NC State history and Johnson becomes the third player in program history to record a triple-double (Julius Hodge and Dennis Smith, Jr. (2x)).

- Markell Johnson was named ACC Co-Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 23. It is the second ACC Player of the Week honor of Johnson’s career. The Cleveland, Ohio native posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists in a loss to #12 Auburn before returning home and registering a triple-double in the win over The Citadel.

- Markell Johnson started this season slowly after suffering an ankle injury a week prior to the start of the regular season. He missed the season-opener and then averaged 7.3 points on 22.9% shooting in the first three games he played this season. In the last eight games, Johnson has averaged 15.4 points per game and is shooting 50% from the field. He has scored in double figures in eight straight games which is the longest double-digit scoring streak of his career.

- Junior guard Devon Daniels led a balanced offensive attack in the win over The Citadel with 18 points. Also reaching double figures was D.J. Funderburk (14), C.J. Bryce (13), Jericole Hellems (13) and Markell Johnson (11).

Sunday Storylines

- NC State has won 37 of its last 38 non-conference games at PNC Arena. The Pack is 22-1 in non-conference home games at PNC Arena under head coach Kevin Keatts. NC State is currently on a 16-game winning streak in non-conference home games at PNC Arena.

- Appalachian State leads the Sun Belt and ranks 16th in the NCAA in scoring defense at 62 points per game. In 12 games, only three teams have scored over 70 points against the Mountaineers this season. NC State ranks 20th in the NCAA in scoring offense at 81.8 points per game. In 12 games this season, NC State has only been held under 70 points one time. (69-54 win over Wisconsin on Dec. 4)

- Only Georgia Tech (in the season-opener) has finished with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio this season. NC State enters Sunday having forced 11 consecutive opponents into committing more turnovers than assists. NC State opponents this season have a .71 assist-to-turnover ratio. (140-assists-to-192 turnovers)\

- In year three of Kevin Keatts, the Pack continues to turn up the pressure on opponents. Keatts’ first team averaged to force opponents into 14.8 turnovers per game.  Last year’s team forced opponents into 15.6 turnovers per game. Through 12 games this season, Keatts’ third team at NC State is forcing opponents into 16.0 turnovers per game.

- After registering only 10 steals in the first two games of the season (5.0 per game), the Pack has had at least seven steals in every game since and is averaging 9.3 steals per game over the last nine outings. The Pack currently ranks fourth in the ACC in steals at 8.6 per game. NC State has three players that rank in the top-5 of the ACC in steals per game (3rd - Markell Johnson 1.91; 5th - C.J. Bryce - 1.75; 5th - Devon Daniels 1.75). NC State is the only team in the ACC to have three players rank in the top-10 of the conference in steals per game.

- Efficient Offense for Funderburk: Junior forward D.J. Funderburk has shot 50 percent and better from the field in eight of the 10 games he’s played in this season. He has hit 13-of-16 field goals in the last three games and is shooting 65.6% on the season. Last season, the Cleveland, Ohio native shot 55.2 percent from the field.

NC State – Appalachian State Series

- NC State leads the all-time series with the Mountaineers, 12-1.

- Appalachian State won the first meeting in the 1939-40 season and NC State has won the next 12.

- In the last meeting, NC State defeated the Mountaineers, 97-64, on Dec. 15, 2016. Markell Johnson was the only current member of this year’s NC State team to play in that game. The then-freshman had two points and three assists in 13 minutes of action in the win.

- NC State has an all-time record of 21-1 against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.

Senior C.J. Bryce Taking Control

- NC State senior guard C.J. Bryce is making his final season count. The Charlotte native is currently leading the team in scoring (16.1 ppg.) and rebounding (6.8 rpg.) while ranking second on the team (and third in the ACC) in steals (21). He also ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage 52.9%.

- In his second season playing for the Pack, Bryce has seen improvement across the board in every statistical category.

- Bryce has a team-best three double-doubles this season, all of the 20+ point, 10+ rebound variety.

- Bryce has played for Kevin Keatts for his entire collegiate career. He signed with UNCW out of high school and played for Keatts for two seasons. After Keatts became head coach at NC State, Bryce announced his intention to transfer, ultimately selecting NC State and has been on all three of Keatts’ Wolfpack teams.