22-14; 9-11, tenth and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament champions
That sound you heard – which seemed a lot like the noise a cash register makes upon being opened – on Saturday night in Washington, DC, was in fact Kevin Keatts smiling. The NC State head coach and his team have taken a winding journey to accomplishing the feat, but they are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. And Keatts, apparently, might have just saved his job and earned quite a few extra bucks in the process.
There’s never a dull moment in Raleigh, and after an offseason of tremendous roster change, the Wolfpack kept things interesting right through their whole season. From a double-bird at the free throw line against Wake Forest to a 4-10 stretch to finish the regular season to winning five games in five days with their backs pressed squarely against the wall, NC State has kept the flame of chaos burning. Now that they’re ACC tournament champions, though, the Pack have a chance to add yet more exciting chapters to their tale.
The fact that more people will get to see DJ Burns play in the Big Dance is a win for all of college basketball. State’s biggest big man is one of the top playmaking pivots in America, a terrific and uniquely creative passer who can drive the Packs’ entire offense out of the paint. Dubbed the ‘Smooth Operator’ among other admiring monikers from his fans, the gregarious Burns is as clever as anyone on the block, whether scoring his own buckets or taking advantage of the defense to manufacture a look for one of his friends. Capable of facing up and drilling jumpers all around the paint or pulling defenders out of position and then slipping the rock behind them for a score, Burns is a genuine catalyst. He’s also a powerful low-post scorer when he so chooses. Burns utilizes lower-body strength that’s hard to argue with in order to establish great position and then dazzle with his footwork and repertoire of fakes.
Like Burns once was, most of the Pack’s perimeter weapons are transfers. They’ve come together, though, to form a deep group with diverse and complementary skills. DJ Horne is the team’s top scorer, a streaky but occasionally sizzling lead guard who has evolved from being largely a deep chucker to showing a full repertoire of shots. He’ll always be best when hunting his shot on the perimeter and ripping off barrages of three’s, and Horne made 93 of them this year – good for fourth in the ACC – at a sparkling 41.3% rate. Though he missed the first-round victory over Louisville, Horne scored 71 points across the Pack’s past four wins to claim the ACC’s automatic bid, and he is the type of scorer who can heat up and do a great deal of damage in a hurry. Michael O’Connell has been the team’s purest floor general, and gives State a classic look at the point for 24 reliable minutes per game. He was great in the ACC Tournament, averaging 13.2 points on 70.9% true shooting over the five wins in five days, and O’Connell shot a career-best 35.4% from distance for the season.
Scoring guards Jayden Taylor and Casey Morsell offer different hues in their approach off the ball, but combine to give Keatts great minutes. The more prolific outside shooter of the duo, Taylor has made a smooth transition from the duress of Butler’s rotation last winter to a similarly impactful membership in the Pack. He’s got a confident handle and will take his man off the bounce when things aren’t open outside, and Taylor hit multiple triples in 17 games despite the timeshare of prime minutes. Morsell is a physical, proven defender who takes on all the toughest covers State encounters on the perimeter. He attacks the rim with abandon, and transitioned towards more of a focus drive game this year; unfortunately, Morsell’s change on scoring approach has coincided with a precipitous decline in his production from the land of trey.
After not exactly taking off while at Missouri, former JuCo big man Mohamed Diarra has turned into a force on the boards. Operating as a counterpoint to Burns, Diarra’s length, mobility and zeal for snagging rebounds have added a great deal to State’s rotation. He can knock down a jumper, and occasionally Diarra gets in a groove and can score confidently from all over. Over State’s run in the ACC Tournament, Diarra posted 9.2 points, 12 boards, and 2.2 blocks per game. Mostly, though, he is the energetic mantis who allows Burns and the Pack’s guards to live their best life – and in doing so, Diarra has proven highly valuable. Ben Middlebrooks is a mobile post player with offensive upside, and he’s shown it off during the postseason. He scored in double figures against both Louisville and Virginia, and Middlebrooks is a third big who can play with either of the team’s starters.
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