NC State Basketball Perimeter Defense Faces Daunting Test
NC State basketball entered Friday night's home win over William & Mary having limited its first four opponents to a combined 22.2 percent shooting beyond the arc. And the volume-shooting Tribe's 7-for-31 clip mirrored that percentage.
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Now, a Wolfpack 3-point defense that ranks No. 3 in the country is set to square off against a Purdue 3-point arsenal that ranks No. 7 at 43.0 percent this season.
Kevin Keatts' eighth NC State squad, unranked despite its 5-0 record thus far, hasn't encountered a high-major attack yet.
"It's crazy because when you play mid-major teams, they really typically have more 3-point shooters than the high-major teams," Keatts explained on Wednesday while looking ahead to the Wolfpack's Rady Children's Invitational opener versus the No. 13-ranked Boilermakers (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in San Diego at 3 p.m. ET Thursday (FS1), a chance for NC State basketball to avenge its 2024 Final Four loss.
Ready for the rematch 🐺
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 28, 2024
3 PM ET on FS1 pic.twitter.com/Pfn4Ln5kqE
"That's not particularly the case with the Purdue situation because, at all times, they're gonna have four guys that can really shoot the basketball.
"But we have been good in that area, and we've focused on that. And the reason why we focused on it early is because the teams that we were playing really, really we're good 3-point shooting teams.
"And so, I think we've gotten better in that area."
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Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of NC State Wolfpack on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining NC State Wolfpack on SI in 2024, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.