Busting Brackets
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NC State Basketball: 3 keys to getting revenge against Miami Hurricanes

By Austin Glasscox

Dec 10, 2022; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack (24) attempts to shoot the ball over North Carolina State Wolfpack forward D.J. Burns Jr. (30) during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2022; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack (24) attempts to shoot the ball over North Carolina State Wolfpack forward D.J. Burns Jr. (30) during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Greg Gantt #23 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
Greg Gantt #23 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) /

Greg Gantt vs Jordan Miller

When Greg Gantt moved into the starting lineup due to the injury to Jack Clark no one really knew what to expect from him. Gantt has dealt with a slew of injuries during his time in Raleigh and has not been someone the Wolfpack could rely on for big minutes, or so they thought.

Gantt has logged 30, and 37 minutes respectively in his two starts since the Clark injury. He only played a combined 61 minutes this season leading up to the past two games.

Nothing that Gantt will do is going to show up in the stat sheet, after all, he is only averaging 1.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. But what he has brought to the Wolfpack since entering the starting lineup has been exactly what this team needed. He has brought an intensity on the defensive end of the court and an overall passion and energy to the court that I believe they have missed to a degree since Dusan Mahorcic went out with his knee injury.

In the last two games, Gantt has held Kyle Filipowski to only 14 points on just 4-10 shooting, and he followed up that performance by teaming up with D.J. Burns to hold  Justyn Mutts to 9 points and Grant Basile to 4 points in their win over Virginia Tech last Saturday in Blacksburg.

The Wolfpack will not be asking Gantt for any scoring production, and will probably not run a single offensive set on Saturday where it’s designed for him to get the ball. However, what they will ask him to do is slow down Miami’s Jordan Miller, and if he is able to do that there is a good chance the Bell Tower will be lit and they will be celebrating in Raleigh.

Jordan Miller is the second-leading scorer for the Hurricanes with 15 points per game. In the first matchup against the Wolfpack, Miller lead the Hurricanes with 25 points on 8-15 scoring and was able to get Jack Clark in foul trouble early helping him find his stroke from the free throw line where he went 7-8. Gantt is going to have to do a tremendous job of defending without fouling against Miller on Saturday, and if he is able to provide some turnovers for this Wolfpack defense like he has the past couple of games it could help get the guards out on the fast break and give them easy baskets.

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