Pack Starts Three Game Homestand with Visit from Miami

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NC State Game Notes | Miami Game Notes

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men's basketball opens a three-game homestand Tuesday evening when it hosts Miami.

The game at PNC Arena will tipoff at 9 p.m. and televised on ESPN2. The

Pack Notes
- NC State fell to Syracuse, 77-65, Saturday night inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
- The Pack had an 18-15 lead with 8:21 remaining in the first half, but did not make a field goal the rest of the opening 20 minutes which allowed Syracuse to end the half on a 23-4 run to take a 38-22 lead into halftime.
- DJ Horne led NC State in scoring for the third time in the last five games. The Raleigh native scored 15 points, making three three-pointers against the Orange. Horne has now made three three-pointers in three consecutive games. He has made three of more three-pointers in nine of 20 games this season. Horne's 54 three-pointers are the fourth-most by an ACC player this season and his 41.5 percent three-point field goal percentage is the fifth-best mark in the conference.
- Casey Morsell added 14 points and has now scored in double figures in five of his last six games. After going through a six game stretch from 12/12 - 1/6 where he scored in single digits five times and averaged just 8.0 points per game, Morsell is averaging 13.2 points per game in his last six outings.
- NC State's bench scored 24 points on Saturday at Syracuse. In the last five games, NC State's bench has contributed 127 points and pulled down 85 rebounds. The Pack's bench has shot a combined 50-of-102 (49.0%) from the field in the last five outings. NC State's bench is averaging 21.0 points per game this season. It's the highest average for the Pack since the 2018-19 team averaged 29.0 bench points per game.
- Mohamed Diarra has led NC State in rebounding in four of the last five games. The Montreuil, France native has grabbed 45 rebounds in the last five games. He ranks eighth in ACC-only contests in rebounding with an average of 8.2 rebounds per game. When Diarra plays at least 15 minutes a game this season he is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game. (88 rebounds in eight games playing over 15 minutes).

Tuesday Storylines
- NC State is 24-4 at home since the beginning of the 2022-23 season. The Pack is 10-4 in ACC home games and 14-0 against non-conference teams.
- Casey Morsell Excelling at Foul Line: The grad guard in his fifth collegiate season has had 63 free throw attempts this season. That's already seven more free throws this season than his previous most in a whole season (56 in 30 games in the 2021-22 season). The Ft. Washington, Md., native is shooting 82.5 percent from the foul line this season (12th in the ACC), his average rises to 91.9 percent (34-of-37) in ACC-only contests (3rd in the ACC). Morsell enters Tuesday's game vs. Miami having made 30 of his last 31 free throw attempts. Morsell actually rebounded his only missed free throw of his last 31 attempts, chasing down the rebound and then driving to the basket where he was fouled to earn two more free throws.
- Pack Needs Better Starts: In NC State's last two games, the Pack has shot just 22.6 percent (12-of-53) from the field in the opening 20 minutes. NC State is averaging just 18.5 points in the first half in the last two outings which has forced the Pack to head to the second half of its last two games facing double-digit deficits. Overall, NC State has trailed at the half in four consecutive games and five of its last six.
- Keep Up with the Canes Offense: Miami enters Tuesday's game leading the ACC in field goal percentage (.489) and three-point field goal percentage (.387) while ranking second in the conference in scoring (81.4) and three-pointers made per game (9.3). NC State is 11-0 this season when it shoots the same or a higher field goal percentage than its opponent, but just 2-7 when its opponent shoots a higher field goal percentage. NC State is 12-3 this season when it shoots at least 40 percent from the field.
- Turn Miami Over: While the Canes are the sharpest shooters in the conference, Miami does average 12.7 turnovers per game this season which is the second highest turnover average in the ACC. The Pack averages to force its opponent into 14 turnovers per game which ranks third in the ACC. NC State only forced Syracuse into nine turnovers on Saturday, just the third time in 20 games this season that NC State didn't force double digit turnovers by the opponent. In last season's win over the Hurricanes, NC State forced Miami into 17 turnovers while the Pack only turned it over four times.
- NC State ranks third in conference contests averaging 7.9 steals per game. The Pack only had four steals against Syracuse on Saturday, tied for the second-fewest in a game this season for NC State and snapping the Pack's streak of three consecutive games with double-digit steals. Prior to the game against the Orange, NC State was leading the ACC in steals in conference-only contests.
- Despite scoring 19 fast break points on Saturday, the Pack allowed Syracuse to score 21 fast break points. NC State is 12-3 this season when it has more fast break points than its opponent, but is now just 1-4 when its opponent has more fast break points.
- Graduate guard DJ Horne clicking from long range. The Arizona State transfer ranks fourth in the ACC in three-point field goals per game (2.71) and fifth in three-point percentage (41.5%). The Raleigh, N.C., native got off to a slow start this season from three-point range, through seven games he was only shooting 32.5 percent from downtown (13-of-40). In the last 13 games, Horne is shooting 45.6% from three-point range (41-of-90). Horne can heat up quickly, he has made multiple three-pointers in 15 of 20 games this season. In the 15 games where Horne has made at least two three-pointers, he is shooting 48.6% (51-of-105) from long range.

NC State Series with Miami
- Saturday will be the 30th all-time meeting between the two programs. NC State leads the series, 15-14.
- Kevin Keatts has a 4-4 record against the Hurricanes as head coach of the Pack.
- Last Meeting (Jan. 14, 2023): NC State defeated 16th-ranked Miami, 83-81, in overtime inside PNC Arena. Ernest Ross had the best game of his collegiate career as he posted career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (9) and finished the game 8-of-10 from the field. Miami led 81-78 in OT when Ross scored the final five points of the game. The Pack finished the game plus-13 in that category as NC State forced 17 Miami turnovers, but had just four of its own. NC State had a 23-7 advantage in points off turnovers, a 16-3 advantage in second chance points and a 52-36 in points in the paint.

Pack Starts Three Game Homestand with Visit from Miami

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Players Mentioned

Mohamed Diarra

DJ Horne

Casey Morsell

Ernest Ross