2/24/2020 basketball Edit

NC State aims to bring toughness for rematch at UNC

Writer

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts sent his team a clear message on what is expected in the rematch Tuesday at North Carolina.

Keatts repeated saying toughness and rebounding, especially in keeping North Carolina off the offensive boards, is needed. North Carolina post players Garrison Brooks, a junior, and freshman Armando Bacot combined for 36 points and 22 rebounds in the Tar Heels 75-65 win Jan. 27 at PNC Arena. UNC won the battle of the boards 42-31, including grabbing 14 offensive rebounds.

NC State redshirt junior post player D.J. Funderburk had 18 points and nine rebounds in the first matchup against North Carolina on Jan. 27. (Ken Martin/TheWolfpacker.com)

“I thought they won the toughness battle in the paint,” Keatts said. “I thought the North Carolina game here was one of our worst games that we played.”

NC State did do a much better job in the second half in slowing down Brooks and Bacot, limiting them in the second half.

“We got our butts kicked on the offensive glass,” Keatts said. “We have to do a way better job than what we did here. You look at Brooks and Bacot, they had 11 offensive rebounds between the two of them.”

North Carolina is 10-17 overall and in last place in the ACC at 3-13, but Keatts knows from past experience that the Tar Heels will be fired up to play the Wolfpack.

“You look at last six games that they played, they’ve lost four games by two points or less,” Keatts said. “They are a really good basketball team.

“It’s still Carolina and they have [two] McDonald’s All-American’s.”

NC State redshirt junior power forward D.J. Funderburk knows what to expect in the rematch. He had 18 points and eight boards in the first game, but he needed more help inside.

“Rebounding, toughness and effort,” Funderburk said. “For the most part, I thought our effort was there for the UNC game, but as far Garrison Brooks and Armando, they out-toughed us on the glass. They just wanted it more that day.”

The North Carolina game was the first game back for redshirt freshman center Manny Bates, who had missed two contests due to a concussion, and fifth-year senior wing C.J. Bryce went scoreless. NCSU also didn’t have senior forward Pat Andree due a high ankle sprain, and Keatts is now “hopeful” he’ll play at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

“We are hopeful that he’ll playing tomorrow night,” Keatts said. “He is doing better, but he has not been in live action. I will try and get him into some live action today [at practice], and shoot-around tomorrow.”

The other major difference between the first meeting and second meeting — North Carolina freshman point guard Cole Anthony. The future NBA first-round pick leads UNC in scoring at 19.4 points per game, plus has chipped in 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists a contest. Learning shot selection has been the main chore for Anthony since returning from injury, which has him shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 31.8 percent on three-pointers. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 43 minutes played during the 98-96 overtime loss vs. Duke on Feb. 8.

“He is a really good basketball player,” Keatts said. “He’s one of the better point guards in the country and one of the better players in the country. He completely changes them. They become more offensive minded with him in the game.”