NC State Finishes Their Non -Conference Slate With Jacksonville

Kevin Keatts first non - conference slate  as the head coach of NC State concludes Friday as  they  host Jacksonville  who is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

NC State defeated Robert Morris, 81-69, Tuesday night at PNC Arena. The Pack was paced by double-doubles from Torin Dorn, Lennard Freeman and Omer Yurtseven in the win. Abdul-Malik Abu also had his best game of the season as he added 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the win.
- Dorn (17 points/10 rebounds), L. Freeman (11 points/12 rebounds) and Yurtseven (12 points/10 rebounds) became the first NC State trio to all record double-doubles in the same game since Feb. 23, 2013 when Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell and TJ Warren all had double-doubles at UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Lennard Freeman and Omer Yurtseven have been efficient scorers for the Pack this season. The two combine to average 24.3 points per game. Freeman is shooting 73.7% from the field, while Yurtseven is shooting 65.2%. Freeman and Yurtseven would rank first and second in the ACC in field goal percentage, but both fall just short of the required average of five made field goals per game to qualify. (Freeman averages 4.7 made field goals per game and Yurtseven averages 4.8 made field goals per game.) Yurtseven. is shooting 81.1 percent (30-of-37) from the field over the last six games, while Freeman is shooting 75.7% (28-of-37) in the past six games. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

NC State-Jacksonville Series
-  Friday's meeting marks the 4th meeting all-time between the two programs.
-  The Pack defeated Jacksonville, 79-43, on 11/20/14. Prior to that meeting, the two programs hadn't met since the late 1960s.
-  NC State has an all-time record of 11-0 against teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Constant Defensive Pressure leading to Opponent Turnovers
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts came to Raleigh promising that his program would pressure the opponents full court and create turnovers. Through seven games his inaugural Wolfpack team is living up to his promise.
- The Pack has forced four of its 10 opponents this season into 20+-turnovers. The last NC State team to force opponents into 20 or more turnovers four times in a season was the 2009-10 team. The last seven NC State teams (2010-11 team through 2016-17 team) only twice forced opponents into 20 turnovers (2010-11 team forced East Carolina into 20 turnovers on 11/18/10 and 2016-17 team forced Virginia Tech into 20 turnovers on 1/4/17). In Keatts first four games at NC State, his teams forced opponents into 21 (VMI), 24 (Charleston Southern), 27 (Bryant) and 22 (Presbyterian) turnovers.
- The 27 turnovers NC State forced Bryant into on Nov. 14 are the most turnovers the Pack has forced an opponent to commit since Mount St. Mary's had 27 on Nov. 22, 2002.
- In the first four games this season, the Pack forced its opponents into more turnovers than made field goals.
- In 12 games, the Pack has forced 201 turnovers. The 16.8 turnovers forced per game ranks tied for 35th in NCAA Dl and are the second most forced turnovers by a team from the ACC.
- NC State recorded 14 steals in Tuesday's win over Bryant. It's the most steals in a game for NC State since the Pack had 16 steals in a win over Boston College on Jan. 19, 2012. It was a 192 game span between 14+-steal games for the Pack. NC State has 101 steals in 12 games this season, a mark that ranks third in the ACC and 31st overall in NCAA DI. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 
Winning the Turnover Battle
Not only have the Pack been forcing turnovers, but they have been protecting the basketball, too. NC State has had 10 or fewer turnovers in five of its 12 games this season.
- The Pack is +51 in turnover margin. Pack has forced 201 turnovers and only turned it over themselves 150 times. +51 turnover margin is tied for Virginia for the best in the ACC.
- Major turnaround from last year's team. Last season, NC State finished the season -67 in turnover margin, including -14 mark in non-conference games. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 
Healthy Freeman Becoming an Offensive Force
NC State senior Lennard Freeman had offseason leg surgery prior to the 2015-16 season and after playing through pain that season, elected to have offseason leg surgery again prior to the 2016-17 season and sat out the year to recover.  Now fully healthy, Freeman has started his senior season with an offensive outburst.
- A career 3.6 points per game average coming into the season, Freeman has reset his career-high three times this season and is averaging 12.5 points per game through nine games. He opened the year with 15 points against VMI, had 20 against Bryant and then had 23 in the Pack's win against Presbyterian. 
- Freeman is shooting a team-best 73.7 percent from the field this season. Freeman would lead the ACC in field goal percentage, but falls just short of the minimum number of field goal makes to rank among ACC leaders. To be listed you have to average 5 made field goals per game, Freeman has made 56 field goals in 12 games (average of 4.7 per game).
- The senior is connecting on 74.5 percent of his foul shots (38-of-51). The Washington D.C. native, entered this season a career 47.9 percent free throw shooter.
- In 103 career games coming into this season, Freeman had only scored in double figures six times, he's scored in double figures in 8 of 12 games this season. 
- Has already scored 150 points this season, the most points he has ever scored in a single season in his career.
- The game against Presbyterian on November 16 was the 107th career game in an NC State uniform for Freeman. It was the first time in those 107 games that Freeman led NC State in scoring. Freeman led the Pack in scoring for the second time in his career with 19 points in a 103-71 win over South Carolina State on Dec. 2.
- Freeman, who entered this season as a player best known for doing the gritty things that don't show up in the box score, has also set career-highs with three steals and three blocks this season, both set against Presbyterian. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 
Bench Production
-  NC State's bench is averaging to score 24.5 points per game this season. The Pack's bench has outscored the opponents bench, 294-214 this year.
-  NC State's bench has outscored the opponents bench in eight of 12 games this season. 
-  In the win over No. 2 Arizona at the Battle 4 Atlantis, NC State's bench outscored Arizona's, 39-6. Braxton Beverly had 20 points off-the-bench for the Pack in the win, while Omer Yurtseven had 11 points and a team-best nine rebounds.
-  In the game against Northern Iowa, NC State's bench outscored the Panther's, 30-2. Yurtseven led the team in points (17) and rebounds (13) in the game against UNI.
-  In the most recent outing against Penn State, NC State's bench outscored the Nittany Lions, 39-9. The Pack's bench consisting of Yurtseven, Sam Hunt and Lavar Batts, Jr., combined to shoot 12-for-15 from the field (80 percent), including 9-for-10 from three-point range. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 
Yurtseven Selected to Preseason Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List 
NC State sophomore center Omer Yurtseven has been selected as one of 20 student-athletes to the preseason watch list for this year's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Yurtseven was also on the preseason list that honors the nation's top center last season. A former five-star recruit, Yurtseven averaged 5.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 
Noting NC State's Returning and Lost
- Senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu is NC State's leading returning scorer (11.8 ppg.) and rebounder (7.0 rpg.). The Boston, Mass., native has led NC State in rebounding the last two seasons and is aiming to be the first NC State player to lead the Pack in rebounding in three consecutive seasons since Todd Fuller did it from 1993-96. Abu suffered a Grade 2 MCL Sprain in October and has only appeared in six games this season.
- Torin Dorn (18 starts) and Omer Yurtseven (14 starts) also return for the Pack. Dorn averaged 9.5 points & 4.6 rebounds per game last season, while Yurtseven added 5.9 points & 4.4 rebounds per game.
-  NC State must replace its top three scorers from last season in Dennis Smith, Jr. (18.1), Terry Henderson (13.8) and Maverick Rowan (12.0). The Pack also lost the school's all-time shot block leader in BeeJay Anya (243 career blocks). Smith, Jr., was named the ACC Freshman of the Year, the first Pack player to accomplish this feat since Hawkeye Whitney in 1977. Smith was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the ninth pick of the NBA Draft. Henderson, after having his appeal denied to return to NC State, went through training camp with the Charlotte Hornets and is now on the Greensboro Swarm roster in the NBA G-League. Rowan was the third overall selection of the NBA G-League draft by the Lakeland Magic.
-  NC State joins Florida State and Pittsburgh as the only ACC teams to lose its top three scorers from last season. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball
 

As for NC State's last game, they beat Robert Morris.

Three Wolfpack players recorded double-doubles as NC State defeated Robert Morris, 81-69, Tuesday night at PNC Arena. The Pack outscored the Colonials 45-30 in the second half and held RMU to 10-of-40 (.250) shooting from the field over the final 20 minutes to improve to 9-3 on the season. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Torin Dorn led the Pack, scoring a team-high 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds for NC State. The junior guard from Charlotte, N.C. now has three double-doubles in his last four games, averaging 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds over that stretch. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Wolfpack forward Lennard Freeman also added a double-double. The Washington, D.C. native totaled 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds to lead all players Tuesday night. It was the first double-double for Freeman in more than two years (12/5/15 vs. Bucknell). "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Omer Yurtseven rounded out NC State's double-doubles, dropping 12 points and pulling down 10 boards for the Pack. The sophomore center now has three double-doubles on the season. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Abdul-Malik Abu was the Pack's second-leading scorer, finishing with a season-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. The senior added seven rebounds and two blocks in his second start of the season. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

The Colonials were paced by four players scoring in double figures. Matty McConnell led Robert Morris with 17 points, while Dachon Burke added 12 for the Colonials. Ronnie Gombe scored 11 and grabbed a team-high six rebounds, while Leondre Washington also had 11 points for RMU. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Robert Morris led by as much as eight points in the first half, as the Colonials held a 32-24 advantage with 5:12 remaining in the opening period. NC State outscored RMU 12-7 over the final five minutes of the half and headed to the locker room trailing, 39-36. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

The Pack took control of the game midway through the second half. Trailing 52-48, NC State sparked a 9-0 run to take a 57-52 lead that it would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The Pack's run would extend 20-6 as NC State held Robert Morris to just six points over an eight minute stretch of the game to seal the win. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Tuesday's game was the first time this season that the Pack came back to win after trailing at halftime. It was a tale of two halves, as Robert Morris shot 13-of-26 (.500) from the field and 7-of-13 (.538) from deep over the first 20 minutes of action. In the second half, NC State's defense held RMU to 10-of-40 (.250) shooting from the field, while the Colonials went 3-of-18 (.167) from long range over the final twenty minutes. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/12/19/mens-basketball-three-double-doubles-lead-pack-to-victory-over-robert-morris.aspx?path=mbball

Unlike NC State who won their last game Jacksonville lost their last game to Northern Arizona.

 Jalyn Hinton scored a career-best 18 points and snagged seven rebounds for Jacksonville University (4-9) during a 24-8 run in the closing minutes of the game, but it wasn't quite enough for the Dolphins, who fell to Northern Arizona (3-10) on Wednesday, 83-72. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

"I thought our guys played with pretty good effort down the stretch," said Head Coach Tony Jasick. "It gave them a chance to make it a game late. The first ten minutes of the game we were 7-15 with five assists and one turnover, and the next ten minutes we had seven turnovers and no assists. We've got to play the game to our strengths the entire time. When we go away from what makes us successful, we give up runs. We're not equipped offensively to manufacture points when we give up runs." "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

Northern Arizona opened the second half with a 12-4 run, making four of its first five attempts. Hinton snapped that run with a demonstrative dunk on a feed by JD Notae, and then nailed two free throws on the next possession. The two teams traded punches for the next few minutes, with Jacksonville cutting the margin down to 18, 54-36 with 12:17 left, and Northern Arizona growing the lead to as much as 23, 59-36, with 10:41 remaining. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

A herculean effort by Hinton and the rest of the Dolphins swung momentum back in Jacksonville's favor late in the game. JU forced NAU into four turnovers and five missed shots over the next seven minutes, and cut the margin down to just nine points, 79-70, with just 1:31 left in the game. Northern Arizona stretched the lead back to 11 on a transition dunk, but the Dolphins again cut the lead to nine on a driving layup by Notae with one minute on the clock. Jacksonville forced a turnover on the next Lumberjack possession, but couldn't capitalize on two three-point attempts. The final from Jacksonville: Northern Arizona 83, Jacksonville 72. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

FIRST HALF

Runs were the theme of the first half, with Northern Arizona opening with a 10-0 run that Jacksonville responded to with a 9-0 run, fueled by three consecutive three-pointers by Tanner Rubio. With 15:37 left in the half, JU had pulled within one, 10-9. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

Jacksonville used another run, this time 10-5, to take a 19-15 lead with 11:37 left. That spurt was largely on the effort of Cody Helgeland, who hit a three-pointer, a driving layup, and one of two free throws. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

The Lumberjacks used a 15-0 run over the next eight minutes, and closed out the half 20-4. At the end of the first, Northern Arizona led 35-21. "according to http://www.judolphins.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171220xnm1av

Tip-off is set for 7:00pm from PNC Arena. The game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network. "according to http://www.gopack.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball