NC State Basketball: 3 keys to victory for the Wolfpack against Pittsburgh

NC State Basketball: 3 keys to victory for the Wolfpack vs. Pittsburgh

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 15: Markell Johnson #11 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack walks across the court in the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 15, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Markell Johnson #11 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack talks with head coach Kevin Keatts against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

3. Get Markell Johnson and Devon Daniels back on track

Markell Johnson had a spirited performance off the bench for the NC State Wolfpack in a big road victory over the Miami Hurricanes last Thursday with 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc but he came up short in the starting rotation against North Carolina on Tuesday night. He scored 11 points but shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the loss.

He’s one guard that the Wolfpack can’t afford to have a down game or they’ll suffer in the win-loss column. He’ll be one guy to keep an eye on early to get his shot going on offense.

Sophomore guard Devon Daniels hit the first roadblock of his young career as he scored just one point on Tuesday night against the Tar Heels. Daniels went 0-for-4 shooting from the field and remained in foul trouble throughout the game against the Tar Heels as he remained a relative non-factor.

In a game against Pittsburgh, Daniels’ contributions will be key to victory. He is averaging 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game for the Wolfpack this season. In wins, he’s averaging 10.8 points on 46 percent shooting from the floor.

NC State will need to do their best to work him out of his rut. It was the first game all season he was held without a field goal so look for him to come out firing early against the Panthers.

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