0 - 0 After an impressive performance by State's three freshmen in their 79-60 victory over USC-Upstate on Saturday, Sidney Lowe's Wolfpack hit the floor again Thursday night against Youngstown State.
After a very slow start in the first half, the Pack (6-3) ran away with a 67-50 win, improving their record to 4-0 at home this season. For the second straight game, the three talented freshmen lead the way for the Pack.
In the first game against USC-Upstate, the freshmen combined for 50 of the team's 79 points (Ryan Harrow, 20, Lorenzo Brown, 17, C.J. Leslie, 13). Harrow led the team in steals, Brown led the team in assists, and Leslie led the team in rebounds.
The second game was a career day for Leslie, as he led the Pack on both ends of the floor. His 14 points and 19 rebounds led a slow starting NC State squad. Seven of his 19 rebounds were on the offensive end, and he brought the crowd of over 9,000 to their feet with two electrifying blocks. Harrow and Brown also pulled their weight, scoring 14 points and seven points, respectively.
NC State's rebounding has improved significantly since the first few games of the season. State out-rebounded USC-Upstate 31-29 and Youngstown State 49-32. All of this thanks to Leslie and sophomores Richard Howell, DeShawn Painter, and Jordan Vandenberg, who have all worked together to replace star senior forward Tracy Smith, who has missed the last six games with a knee injury.
The latest update on Smith is that he could have played in both games this week, but is waiting until Sunday's important match-up with Arizona so that he can be as close to 100 percent as possible. The Pack will need a great effort from the players and fans on Sunday, as they will be hosting three recruits on their official visits. IMG Academy teammates DeAndre Daniels (Four-star power forward) and Christian Garrett (shooting guard) will be in attendance, along with Nemanja Djurisic, the three-star power forward out of South Kent, CT.
Sunday will present the Pack with their most difficult non-conference game remaining on the schedule. A win would probably mean that the Pack will finish 11-3 in non-conference play, setting themselves up for what will need to be a solid conference record.
