Pack Hosts Texas Wednesday Night for SEC-ACC Challenge

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NC State Game Notes | Texas Game Notes

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men's basketball team returns home Wednesday night to host Texas at the Lenovo Center as part of the SEC-ACC Challenge.

Tipoff against the Longhorns is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2. NC State fans can also listen to Matt Chazanow and Tony Haynes call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.

Pack Tracks
- NC State fell to BYU, 72-61, in Friday's third place game at the Rady Children's Invitational.
- The Pack - which started last week second in the ACC in field goal percentage shot at 50.1 percent on the season - shot a season-low 39.1 percent in the loss to the Cougars.
- NC State was led by Michael O'Connell and Jayden Taylor who each scored 16 points. The 16 points for O'Connell tied for the most he's scored in an NC State uniform. Taylor leads NC State in scoring this season at 14.3 points per game and has now tied or led the team in scoring in four of the Pack's seven games.
- Michael O'Connell did not have a turnover in either of NC State's games in San Diego and now leads the ACC, and ranks second in the NCAA, with a 7.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. The grad student had a 2.55 assist/turnover ratio last season which ranked third in the ACC. In seven games this season, O'Connell has just four turnovers and has committed only two turnovers in the last five games. This season, O'Connell is averaging one turnover for every 50.3 minutes he has played.
- Brandon Huntley-Hatfield led NC State with nine rebounds against BYU and has now led the Pack in rebounding in three straight games. He only had 18 rebounds total in the first four games of the season (4.5 per game), but now has 26 in the last three (8.7 per game).
- Despite scoring a season-low 14 points on Friday against BYU, the Pack's bench has been productive this season. NC State is averaging 25.3 bench points per game this season and the game against the Cougars marked the first time this season the Pack's bench did not outscore the opponent's bench.
- Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Ben Middlebrooks have formed quite a low-post duo for the Pack this season. The two tallest players on the roster this season combine to average 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season while they combine to shoot 54.1% (53-of-98) from the field.

Wednesday Storylines
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season (two seasons and counting), NC State is 32-7 (.821) in home games, including an 18-0 mark against non-conference opponents.
- NC State has a 55-2 (.965) record against non-conference opponents in regular season home games under head coach Kevin Keatts.
- NC State has been efficient on two-point field goals this season. The Pack has shot a combined 56.1 percent (157-of-280) on two-point field goals in NC State's first seven games of the season.
- Making life uncomfortable: NC State has forced six of its seven opponents it has faced this season into at least 14 turnovers. Overall, NC State opponents average 15.3 turnovers per game this season and the Pack has turned those turnovers into 126 points (18.0 per game). Texas will be NC State's toughest test yet though as the Longhorns rank fourth in the NCAA in turnovers, averaging just 8.9 per game this season.
- Get Dontrez Styles back on track: The first-year NC State player averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in the Pack's first five games of the season, but the Kinston, N.C., native had a tough time in San Diego. In two games against Purdue and BYU, Styles had just six points and three rebounds total as he shot 3-for-12 from the field, including 0-7 from three-point range. The Georgetown transfer averaged 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season for the Hoyas, while also making 49 three-pointers and shooting 36.8 percent from long range.
- The Pack ranks second in the NCAA in fast break points, averaging 22.1 fast break points per game this season, but last week in San Diego, NC State had just 13 fast break points total in the two games. The Pack has outscored its opponents by 100 points through seven games, 155-55, in fast break points, but had just a 13-11 advantage in fast break points in the games against Purdue and BYU. Texas enters Wednesday's game ranked 83rd in the NCAA in fast break points, averaging 13.4 per game.

NC State series with Texas
- Wednesday will be the fifth all-time meeting between NC State and Texas. Each program has won twice.
- This is the first time the two teams will meet on campus. The previous four meetings were played in East Rutherford, N.J. (2011), Dallas (2006 NCAA Tournament), Anchorage, Alaska (1986), and New York City (1978 NIT).
- Last Meeting (Nov. 21, 2011): Fueled by a 28-2 second half run, the Pack turned around an 18-point second half deficit to defeat Texas, 77-74, in the Legends Classic played in East Rutherford, N.J. Texas had a 65-47 lead when the Pack went on its run, eventually evening the game at 67 and then scoring eight more points to take a 75-67 lead with 2:58 remaining. C.J. Leslie led the Pack with 17 points while Scott Wood added 16 points.

Pack Hosts Texas Wednesday Night for SEC-ACC Challenge

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Players Mentioned

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

Ben Middlebrooks

Michael O'Connell

Dontrez Styles

Jayden Taylor