Raleigh, NC – The #RV/24th-ranked NC State men’s basketball team plays its final regular season home game Saturday when it hosts Clemson at noon inside a sold out PNC Arena.
The game will be televised on regional sports networks with Bally Sports South showing the game in North Carolina. A complete list of affiliates showing the game can be found here.
NC State fans can also listen to Gary Hahn and Tony Haynes call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.
Pack Tracks
– NC State ran its home win streak to 10 games, including eight straight home wins over ACC opponents, with a 90-74 win over Wake Forest Wednesday evening. The Pack shot 67.7 percent in the opening 20 minutes to take a 52-46 lead into the break. The Demon Deacons scored the first basket of the second half, but could never get any closer as NC State stretched the lead out to as many as 18 points in the second half.
– Jarkel Joiner and DJ Burns combined for 50 points as the duo shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the field. Joiner tied his season-high with 29 points, his second straight game scoring 29 points. The Oxford, Miss., native scored 18 of his 29 points in the first half. Burns scored 21 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the field.
– Graduate guard Jarkel Joiner – who was named Co-ACC Player of the Week on Monday – has upped his play in the Pack’s last four games. He started this stretch off with 26 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over Boston College on Feb. 11. On Feb. 14, he posted the first triple-double of this career and fifth in NC State history. The Oxford, Miss., native finished with 15 points, a career-high 11 assists and 10 rebounds. In the win over North Carolina last Sunday, he tied his season-high with 29 points. Over the last four games, Joiner is averaging 24.8 points on 52.0 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
– DJ Burns continued his strong play with his 21-point performance against the Demon Deacons. Over the last eight games, Burns is averaging 18.8 points and shooting 60.9 percent (67-of-110) from the field. Burns leads the ACC in field goal percentage in conference games, shooting 57.4 percent shooting.
Saturday Storylines
– Protecting its home court: NC State enters Saturday with a 15-1 home record. Since the inception of the ACC (1953-54 season), the Pack has only had seven seasons with one home loss or less. The last NC State team to only lose one home game was the 2012-13 team that went 16-1.
– The Pack has won eight consecutive ACC home games this season. It’s the longest ACC home win streak in the same season in program history. The 1972-73 and 1973-74 NC State teams both went undefeated in home ACC games but there were only six home games in the league schedule in those seasons. Most recently, the 2012-13 team went 8-1 in ACC home games. That NC State team won its first four ACC home games, dropped a one-point contest, 79-78, to 14th-ranked Miami on 2/2/13 and then won its remaining four home games. NC State’s 7-1 home record in ACC play this season is the best for NC State since head coach Kevin Keatts’ 2017-18 team went 7-2 in home ACC games.
– The Pack’s 22 wins are the most regular season wins for NC State since the 1987-88 team entered the ACC Tournament with a 23-6 record.
– NC State’s 12 ACC wins this season are tied for the most in a single season in program history. The Pack has previously won 12 ACC games four times. The 1972-73 and 1973-74 teams went 12-0 in ACC action while the 1954-55 and 1958-59 teams went 12-2 in ACC play. A win on Saturday would give NC State its most ACC wins ever in a single season and would clinch that the Pack finish at least six games over .500 in league play. The last time NC State finished six games over .500 in ACC action was when the 2003-04 team went 11-5.
– The Pack has scored 88 points in the paint in its last two outings (46 vs. North Carolina and 42 vs. Wake Forest). NC State is 20-2 this season when it scores 30 or more points in the paint and just 2-5 if it is held under 30 points in the paint. In the first meeting against the Tigers, Clemson doubled the Pack’s points in the paint, outscoring NC State, 36-18, in the paint. It’s the second-fewest paint points for NC State this season and the second largest margin the Pack has been outscored in the paint (Virginia held NC State to just 12 paint points, outscoring the Pack, 32-12, in the paint). NC State is 14-0 this season when it has more paint points than its opponent, but is 8-7 when its opponent scores more points in the paint.
– Jarkel Joiner has made 40 of his last 41 free throws. For the season, Joiner is shooting 84.3 percent from the foul line and has improved that mark to 90.5% (57-of-63) in ACC games. The Oxford, Miss., native has been even better this season in clutch moments. In the final four minutes of regulation or in overtime, Joiner is shooting 91.7% (44-of-48) from the foul line.
– NC State leads the ACC and ranks fourth in NCAA DI in fast break points, averaging 15.9 per game. The Pack had 46 fast break points in its last two wins over North Carolina and Wake Forest. In the earlier meeting this season against Clemson, NC State was limited to just three fast break points (second-fewest this season: 2 vs. Virginia). The Pack is 19-4 this season if it has double-digit fast break points, but just 3-3 if it has less than 10 fast break points.
– NC State continues to rank among the nation’s leaders in fewest turnovers per game. The Pack averages just 9.6 turnovers per game to rank fifth in NCAA DI. Twice this season NC State has had just two turnovers in a game. In the Pack’s last two games, North Carolina and Wake Forest each only had one steal. NC State is 21-2 this season when it has the same number or fewer turnovers than its opponent.
– The Pack ranks second in the ACC and 22nd in NCAA DI in blocked shots per game despite not having a single player rank in the top-15 in the ACC in blocks. Ernest Ross lead the team with 26 blocks, but DJ Burns (24), Casey Morsell (22) and Ebenezer Dowuona (21) are right behind him.
– In the Pack’s wins this season it averages almost double the amount of points off turnovers than in losses. In NC State’s 22 wins, it averages to turn opponent’s turnovers into 18.4 points. In its seven losses, it only averages 9.3 points off turnovers. NC State is 13-0 this season when it has at least 18 points off of opponent turnovers.
NC State – Clemson Series
– Saturday will be the 163rd all-time meeting between the two programs with NC State leading the series, 104-58.
– NC State is 51-15 all-time against the Tigers in Raleigh.
– Clemson has won four consecutive meetings in the series.
– Kevin Keatts has a 4-6 record against Clemson as head coach of NC State, but is 3-1 against the Tigers at PNC Arena.
– Last Meeting (12/30/22): NC State shot a season-low 30.9 percent in falling to Clemson, 78-64. Terquavion Smith led the Pack with 21 points, including 16 in the second half. Casey Morsell was the only other NC State player to finish in double figures with 13. He scored 10 of his 13 points in the opening half. Jack Clark led NC State with 11 rebounds, but was injured late in the game and missed the Pack’s next 10 games, not returning until Feb. 11 at Boston College. DJ Burns had five points, fouling out in just 19 minutes. The five points are the fewest by Burns against an ACC opponent this season.