NOTEBOOK + PREVIEW: NC State vs. North Carolina
NC State returns to action today at 2:00 pm against North Carolina. Here are some pregame notes on the Wolfpack and a preview of the Tar Heels.
NC STATE NOTEBOOK
Pack Tracks
NC State fell to Boston College, 69-61, Wednesday night inside PNC Arena. The Pack turned it over 17 times, its most against an ACC opponent this season, which led to a 23-9 points off turnovers advantage for the Eagles.
Freshman guard Terquavion Smith led NC State with 21 points against Boston College. It's the fifth time in the last seven games that Smith has led the Pack in scoring. During the game, Smith hit four three-pointers to pass Maverick Rowan for the most three-pointers by a freshman in program history. Smith has 83 three-pointers this season and leads the ACC with an average of 2.96 three-pointers per game.
Smith was named ACC Freshman of the Week on Monday, his third FOW honor this season. The Greenville, N.C. native is the second-highest scoring freshman in the ACC at 15.6 points per game. He is the highest-scoring freshman in ACC-only games, averaging 17.2 points per game. His scoring average is the second-best in program history for a freshman.
Redshirt sophomore guard Dereon Seabron posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Georgia Tech. It was the 11th double-double of the season for the Norfolk, Va., native. Seabron has now led NC State in scoring 12 times this season, in rebounding 22 times, assists 17 times and steals eight times.
He leads the Pack in all four statistical categories. Seabron is one of only just five DI players and three Power-five players (Wisconsin's Johnny Davis and USC's Isaiah Mobley) to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Saturday Storylines
Saturday is Senior Day for the Pack. NC State will honor seniors Thomas Allen and Jericole Hellems in pregame ceremonies. Hellems has played four seasons for the Pack and will be playing in his 121st career game in an NC State uniform on Saturday.
The Saint Louis, Mo., native signed with NC State in November of 2017, eight months after Kevin Keatts had been hired as head coach. Hellems currently ranks in a tie for 42nd on NC State's all-time scoring list with 1,181 career points. He has also grabbed 445 rebounds, passed out 138 assists, had 90 steals and blocked 38 shots in his time in Raleigh.
Allen is in his third-year with the program after transferring from Nebraska. The Raleigh native sat out his first season at NC State because of NCAA transfer rules and unfortunately has now had both of his last two seasons cut short because of injury. Allen has appeared in 43 games in an NC State uniform and made 21 starts, scoring 226 points for the Pack.
- Win the turnover battle: NC State ranks second in the ACC this season in turnover margin at +2.54. The Tar Heels rank 14th in the ACC with an average turnover margin of -1.86. In the Kevin Keatts era, NC State is 74-38 (66.1%) when it has the same or fewer turnovers than its opponent and just 16-26 when it has more turnovers than its opponent.
- Biggest stat indicator for an NC State win? Opponent field goal percentage. In its 17 losses this season, NC State's opponents are shooting a combined 50.0 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range. NC State is 1-11 this season if its opponent shoots over 50 percent from the field. In the Pack's wins, opponents are shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three-point range.
- After shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range in the win over Georgia Tech last Tuesday, Terquavion Smith is now 20-of-33 (60.6%) in the Pack's four ACC wins this season.
NC State - North Carolina Series
Saturday is the 242nd meeting between the two programs. North Carolina leads the all-time series, 162-79.
- Kevin Keatts is 2-7 against North Carolina as head coach of NC State, including a 1-3 record against the Tar Heels inside PNC Arena.
- NC State is 6-1 all-time against North Carolina when the game is held on NC State's Senior Day.
- Earlier Meeting this season: North Carolina defeated NC State, 100-80, on Saturday, Jan. 29 at the Dean Smith Center. The 100 points UNC scored are the most NC State has allowed this season.
The Tar Heels also 15 three-pointers in the win which are the most the Pack has allowed in a game this season.
Despite the loss, freshman guard Terquavion Smith led NC State with 34 points. The 34 points are the second-most in a single game in program history and tied for the 11th-most by a freshman in ACC history.
Chart Climbing
Career Scoring: Jericole Hellems will move into 42nd place on NC State's career scoring list with his first point on Saturday. He's currently tied with Engin Atsür (2004-07; 1,181 points).
- Career Free Throw Percentage: Jericole Hellems is in 13th place on the Pack's career free throw percentage at 79.5 percent. He has made 24 consecutive free throws and now ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage at 84.7 percent. Hellems last missed a free throw at the beginning of the second half in the Pack's game against Florida State on Jan. 1.
- Single Season Three-Pointers: Terquavion Smith hit four three-pointers in Wednesday's game and now has 83 three-pointers on the season which is the most by a freshman in school history. He is currently eighth on the program's single-season chart and can pass Rodney Monroe (7th; 84 3s in 1989-90 & 6th; 85 3s in 1988-89) to move up sixth with three three-pointers on Saturday.
- Single Season Points by a Freshman: Terquavion Smith has scored 441 points this season. He needs 18 points to pass J.J. Hickson (458 in in 2007-08) for third-most by a freshman in program history.
- Single Season Blocks: Ebenezer Dowuona blocked five shots in Wednesday's game and now has 52 on the season. He currently ranks 12th on the Pack's single-season block list. He trails C.J. Leslie (54 in 2011-12) by two blocks for 11th and needs four blocks to move into a tie for ninth with Todd Fuller (56 in 1995-96) and Pano Fasoulas (56 in 1985-86).
NORTH CAROLINA PREVIEW
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
| # | Position | Name | Height | Weight | Stats |
| 02 | G | Caleb Love | 6'4 | 195 | 15.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg |
| 04 | G | RJ Davis | 6'0 | 175 | 13.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg |
| 01 | F | Leaky Black | 6'8 | 200 | 5.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg |
| 45 | F | Brady Manek | 6’9 | 230 | 13.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg |
| 05 | C | Armando Bacot | 6’10 | 240 | 15.9 ppg, 12.3 rpg |
KEY RESERVES
| # | Position | Name | Height | Weight | Stats |
| 24 | G | Kerwin Walton | 6’5 | 210 | 3.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg |
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Center Armando Bacot: It always starts with defending Bacot for Carolina. If you can’t slow him down, it could be a long night.
NC State must find a way to keep him off the glass.
Guard Caleb Love: A former five-star recruit, Love has stepped up in his second year in the program.
Love is averaging 15.3 points per game and leads the team with 106 assists. He’s also really worked on his jumpshot, as he’s now shooting 40% from three-point range after struggling from deep as a freshman.
Look for NC State to start Casey Morsell out on Love.
X-FACTOR
Forward Brady Manek: At 6-foot-9, Manek can score on the block but has also knocked down 40 three-pointers and is shooting 38% from three-point range.
Manek will be defended by Jericole Hellems, and that matchup will be critical to the outcome.