NC State Dominates NC Central in Season Opener

The ACC Preseason Player of the Year showed up early for NC State. In the first five minutes of the game, Williams scored 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers drilled, dished out a pair of assists and hauled in two offensive rebounds. After a quieter start in the exhibition win over South Carolina, Williams came to play right out of the gate.

The star forward showed off his playmaking ability when he threaded the needle with a bounce pass right through the NC Central defense and found a cutting Ven-Allen Lubin, who slammed it down for a pair.

Williams stuffed the stat sheet in just 24 minutes. The Texas Tech transfer finished the night with 19 points, eight assists and four rebounds. He looked the part of the player Wade and his staff expected him to be. There's certainly a chance Williams pushes for a triple-double at some point during the season.

Defensive Improvements

Before the opener, Wade expressed some concern about his team's defensive effort throughout the preseason. He revealed some frustration during his Friday press conference, saying the team's effort level in practice slipped after a secret scrimmage win. He got their attention after the close call against South Carolina.

The Pack showed its ferocious pressure against NC Central, often picking up full and pressuring the Eagle guards all the way up the floor. Central finished the game shooting 44%, particularly struggling from beyond the arc. The Eagles shot well below that mark throughout much of the game and made just one three in the first half.

Wade also pointed out his familiarity with guard Jae Slack, who he dealt with at McNeese State when Slack played for Northwestern State. Clearly, Slack was a point of emphasis in the defensive game plan, as the guard went scoreless in the game and played just seven minutes for the Eagles.

Sharing the Wealth

Against South Carolina, the Wolfpack finished with just eight assists. Wade expressed some concerns about the stagnant offense at points of that game and wanted to see better flow on that side of the floor from the Wolfpack.

There were no such issues against NC Central. The Pack finished with 27 assists on 37 made field goals, consistently dicing up the unique Eagles zone looks with quality passing. Seven members of the Pack finished with double-digit scoring totals, including freshman guard Matt Able in his debut.

Able burst onto the scene in the second half, including one stretch in which he scored five points in 20 seconds. The freshman finished with 14 points in his debut.

Seven members of the Wolfpack finished in double figures. Florida State transfer Jerry Deng scored 12 off the bench. Tre Holloman continued to show his improved shooting ability and scored 15. 3-point specialist Paul McNeil added 16 points of his own. The Wolfpack tied a program record with 57 points from beyond the arc.

Looking Forward

The Wolfpack's 114 points were the most points scored by an NC State team since 2017, when it dropped 116 on Jacksonville. Wade started his Wolfpack career in style and with little regard for the opposition. NC State kept its proverbial foot on the gas for most of the 40 minutes.

Now, NC State will get ready to face Alabama-Birmingham in a late-night affair on Friday. The Blazers and Wolfpack will tip off at 9 P.M. EST.

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