In the second game of the “First Four” of the NCAA Tournament, the NC State Wolfpack defeated the Xavier Musketeers by a score of 74-59. Sophomore forward T.J. Warren, the ACC’s leading scorer, was as good as advertised scoring 25 points in addition to his 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Fellow sophomore Tyler Lewis had one of his best games of the year. He hit 3 of his 6 shots, scored seven points, grabbed a couple of key rebounds, and saved one critical loose ball from going out of bounds with about three minutes to play in the second half. Moreover, Lewis doubled his already remarkable 4:1 assist to turnover ratio against Xavier, dropping eight dimes against only one turnover. It should also be noted that junior guard Ralston Turner scored 17 points, well above his season average of 10.2 and hit some tightly contested jump shots that halted Xavier’s momentum.
For Xavier, they only had three players who were helpful on the offensive end of the court. If you subtract guard Semaj Christon, forward Isaiah Philmore, and center Matt Stainbrook from the equation the Musketeers shot 4 for 23 from the field and 1 for 12 from downtown. Also, Xavier was the anti-Tyler Lewis today. As a team they had seven assists and 13 turnovers.
If you are an NC State fan or just somebody who picked them to do well in your bracket, this game should have been very comforting to you. NC State had three main questions coming into tonight’s game. Could anyone take the load off of T.J. Warren’s shoulders? Could NC State’s two young point guards Tyler Lewis and the freshman Anthony “Cat” Barber handle the pressure of the NCAA Tournament? And would State spontaneously combust if something happened to Warren, like an injury, shooting slump, or foul trouble?
First, Ralston Turner proved that he wasn’t going to shy away from spotlight and defer to Warren. State did not have a reliable second option this year on offense but if Turner gets hot, State becomes a totally different team. Opponents can’t double Warren as much and shots will open up for Vandenberg, “Cat” Barber, and the rest of the pack.
Second, by no means do I want to praise Lewis too much, I mean, Lewis making the McDonald’s All-American game is still the best evidence humanity has that the Illuminati exists. But Great Odin’s Raven did Lewis look like a legitimate NCAA point guard today! And that’s a huge step up! Before today Lewis was the very definition of “replacement level”, so if NC State gets some positive play from Lewis it’s like found money. With solid point guard play there is no telling how far State can go.
Lastly, the most promising aspect of this game for State’s tourney hopes is the resolve they showed early in the first half when Warren picked up two quick (and stupid) fouls. While the offense did get stagnant, the defense dug deep and managed to not give up the lead that they had. It might not sound like much, but that could be big for NC State’s confidence going forward and empower players like Lewis, Vandenberg, and Turner to be more aggressive.
Up next for the ‘Pack is a meeting with fifth-seeded St. Louis. In their win over Xavier, T.J. Warren and Co. proved that they have the talent to pull of the upset. Unlike the surging Wolfpack, the Billikens have lost four of their last five and are playing their worst basketball of the season. NC State is one of the best bets for the renowned 12 over 5 upset.
For Xavier, they should be a better team next year provided that their best player, Semaj Christon returns to school. Semaj would be smart to stay as he is ranked only the 50th best prospect in next year’s draft class according to draftexpress.com. The only contributor that Xavier will lose to graduation is Isaiah Philmore who was their fourth leading scorer with 9.2 points per game. The future is bright for the Musketeers, as they have five commitments for next year highlighted by Trevon Bluiett, the 45th ranked recruit in America according to ESPN, and Edmond Sumner the 78th highest recruit in the country according to ESPN.
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