NC State’s men’s basketball is looking super impressive!

Brian Geisinger, League Pass Lair, Pack Pride, Devil's Den, this thousand other thing, I don't know, credits on his resume.

I need you to send me a full way of introducing you as often as we talk so I don't sound like a fool. Other than that, I could just say my friend Brian Geisinger knows more about basketball than anybody I know. Why are the Wolfpack good? Should they be ranked? Yeah, I mean they should be ranked I think at this point. They've had enough of big wins I would say recently. I think they've done enough to put together a resume of a top 25 team.

I mean you basically said it like they're right there. These rankings are, you know, it's arbitrary that it's top 25. If it was the AP top 30, they'd be in there or whatever. And going off some of these other ranking models, if you're looking at net or you're looking at Ken Palm, if you're looking at Bartorvik, like they're in the, you know, 20 to 35 range.

So that seems about right. What matters most really though, well beyond the AP ranking, which doesn't really matter all that much, is that this team is pretty good. And they're pretty good on both sides of the basketball. I think we had a vision of this team being good offensively and we were uncertain of where the defense would land. And the defense has ended up being basically a top 45, top 50 defense this season, which is huge.

That's a big credit to the staff and that's a big credit to a lot of guys stepping up and I think playing defense at a level above where they were projected individually and collectively heading into the season. And a huge part of that has been this team's ability to defensive rebound. Miami is a great defensive, or Miami is a very good offensive rebounding team and state held them to what, four offensive rebounds?

Yes. A 16% offensive rebound rate. NC State's one of the better defensive rebounding teams in the ACC, which is a huge surprise. And the fact that they've been able to do that with Jack Clark and Dusan Morchick out, like they had two big games protecting the glass against Virginia Tech, who's not a great offensive rebounding team, but Miami who is.

And I think those things helped swing the balance. Like Miami shot the ball better than them this weekend, but state didn't turn it over and they took care of the defensive glass and that's been huge for them on that side. So beyond who... AP top 29, top 62, like who cares? Most of these voters really aren't watching enough games to even give a knowledgeable vote.

And I mean that with all the shade intended possible. But state is a good team and we'll just see if they can get some of these injured guys back and really sort of round out the rotation a little bit. See, this is what impressed me about the win. One, I have great respect for Miami.

I've said this for weeks now. I think Miami is the best team in the league. Even though I know Virginia's higher in all the power rankings, I think Miami ultimately is the best team in the league. But I also don't think anybody in the league is that good that the team that's fifth or sixth or even seventh could end up going to Greensboro and winning the ACC tournament.

I believe that with all of my heart. But I think the fact that state won that game, they didn't get efficient scoring performances out of Jarkel Joiner and Terquavian Smith, who I believe is the best backcourt in the league. The fact that they didn't get that, but got contributions from Ernest Ross, which my head's still spinning from that. And DJ Burns continues to be good. And they're running their offense or they run it high, like a high post offense through DJ Burns.

Now what's going on? Yeah. Well, I mean, it is important to remember you mentioned Jarkel and Terquavian. Like those two guys, though, they did not have, you know, the super, super efficient, explosive scoring performances, their ability to draw two to the ball and pick and roll. We've talked about this a lot this season.

They are creating in Miami. They went out, they loaded up on Terquavian in the pick and roll. They either hard doubled or they showed and showed high and showed hard. And his ability to throw it to just get the ball out of his hands or Jarkel to get the ball out of his hands, get it to DJ Burns on the short roll. So DJ Burns sets the screen. And instead of diving all the way to the rim, he sort of like slow rolls to the free throw line to like the nail area.

Then he catches the ball in space there, faces up. And if he's single covered, you can go score or you can kick out for three, which he did to LJ Thomas, or you can look to Ernest Ross or Greg Gantt who are cutting around on the baseline. And it is a really effective way for state to manufacturer offense right now, even though they're playing these lineups that have two non shooters on the court at all times, like you theoretically should be able to trap them.

But if Burns is going to continue to make good decisions like that, like basketball in pockets of space, then it's really, really tough. And for guys like Gantt and Ross, like, you know, I'm not sure who on the staff has sort of like pitched them this role and got them to buy in. But whoever they did or, you know, the collective effort of it has been fantastic because those guys are emptying the bucket for state on defense. They're setting flare screens offensively. They're cutting. If you don't want to guard those guys, they're going to keep, they're going to punish you because they're going to keep moving.

And I do think in some match ups, it's going to be tough for them to overcome that. I kind of thought that might happen against Miami actually. But Ross made so many plays. He had what eight field goals in this eight field goals in this game.

I looked this up afterwards. Three of those were assisted by DJ Burns. Four of those were off offensive rebounds, and one of them was assisted by Casey Morsell. And that is just him crashing the glass being around the rim. And he actually kind of gives state a different dimension with his length and athleticism.

Like that's something they don't have anywhere else on the roster. And then yes, they can basically do the same thing with Burns when they throw it to him in the post. And if it's single coverage, he's going to go score. If a double comes, he's going to hit the cutter. If you load up on him, they're Gant or Ross are going to set a flare screen and he's going to look, skip it to Morsell or LJ Thomas or Tukwavion Smith in the weak side wing or weak side corner. Like it's really basketball can be kind of simple sometimes. And I just think Burns, his ability to command extra attention and make good decision with the basketball is huge for them. And it's essentially the same thing as like, you know, Jarkel and Tukwavion game two on the ball and pick and roll. Like that's the advantage you're creating.

Now, what can you do to play out of it? Look, I think state's good. They played a difficult schedule too. There are three losses in the league are Pitt, Clemson, and Miami.

I mean, I'm looking at the stats, the top of the league in the, in the standings. All right, let me get to, let me get to Duke. They went to Clemson and lost. Frankly, I'm not surprised at the loss. I thought Clemson would win. I thought Clemson, I thought best case scenario for Duke honestly was to go there, compete like hell.

And ultimately your flaws are your flaws. You can't score, you can't play offense. They have no half court offense because they have nobody other than Derek Whitehead who hasn't played well the last couple of games that can get their own shot. Everything else has to come off of maybe set plays. And I don't know that they're really doing a lot of that at this point, but I thought they competed and that to me was enough out of that game.

Yeah. I mean, I didn't, I mean, Clemson was favored, right. You know, heading into that game. So I don't think it's like in Clemson's good. And, and, you know, Clemson has a good system and in a guy like PJ hall, that is like, he actually is one of the better offensive players, like regardless of system that he has been for two years now in the ACC, like he's, he's a tough guy to match up with and he's shooting threes better than he has years past.

So it gives him another added dimension. I mean, I think, you know, I think the, the Tyrese Proctor, I think Proctor played very well in the pit game, especially in the second half. And there were some flashes for him at Clemson, like that's a big deal, but it is tough for them to sustain, you know, look when, when Drake Whitehead, he was what one of six, I think at Clemson in that game, a couple of turnovers. And, or I don't think he had any turnovers in that game, but Proctor had a few turnovers. And after a nice start in that game with that Proctor sort of like had some of his, some of those finishing issues sort of flared up for him in the second half. And yeah, when, when that happens, like when those guys are unable to create shots for themselves, create for others, then they're so dependent on playing through the post, right.

With with Filipowski and with Ryan Young. I think when, when Duke fans are frustrated and they're wondering, why is Duke playing Ryan Young so much? Why are they playing the two big guys so much? Why do they do so much high low? Why do they play through the post so much? It's because like, it is tough for them to create advantage and, and put two on the basketball by just running pick and roll. So the way they're trying to create an advantage and create movement is to, is to play through the post and to play through Filipowski. It's just tough when you have a team like Clemson that's going to like, like they did against NC State a few weeks prior, like they're, they're conservative. They're going to gap up and they're going to make it tough for you to just go like one-on-one right at them. And I think we saw that, you know, with Filipowski, I mean, he was trying his best to just mash them inside. And, you know, Clemson's got, you know, they're disciplined and they got a lot of, you know, big bodies to throw at you in terms of the front court. So they're not going to make it, make it easy.

And they probably got a couple of, you know, favorable whistles in terms of block charge calls, whatever that game, but are you suggesting that referees called charges where a block would have been the better call? Are you suggesting that Brian? See people think I'm crazy.

People think I'm over, I'm exaggerating. I'm not. I believe that 90% of the time that when referees call charge, 90% of the time, it's a wrong call.

I think most of those are probably blocks, but the others should just be left alone. No call. 10% of the time they get the charge right. I think it is. It's a gross part of college basketball. Yeah. I mean, I think I, I feel like I've said this for a few years now too.

I mean, I think we, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I do think we agree on this. Like, I think I really wish we would see more no calls on this because one layer of the, well, like they're just blowing the whistle far too often on these calls. So they've incentivized it right.

That they're, they're going to blow a whistle somehow. And if that is slanted in the advantage of the defense to get a charge, well then it, then you are, you are, you know, you know, conditioning defenders, you know, incentivizing defenders to do this as much as possible. And so, yeah, I really wish that the refs would eat, you know, eat the whistle a little bit on this, but it's one of many things that college officials don't do great.

I know the job is tough, but this is one thing where it's like, it does feel like a little bit of reform could go, could go, could go a long, long way. As far as Duke goes going forward, like, I mean, I'd like to see them turn Derek Lively into more of a pressure point on the rim. I do like the fact that Tyrese Proctor has shown some stuff the last few games. The three point shot goes in a little bit more. I think, I mean, given how well he shot free throws this year in his stroke, like what it looks like, I don't think he's a 25% three point shooter. So it would be nice to see him shoot a little bit better out of that.

And I will say this just very, very, very quickly. Like I do think Duke, like I chart this stuff. Duke's running a lot of sets, but they're running sets almost every time down the court, to be clear. It's just like, they get to the second or third progression on that and no advantage has been created. And then it's like, okay, we'll just throw it to Filipowski at the elbow or throw it to the post and play out of it.

All right. Real, real quick. They came out of a timeout or a baseline out of bounce play Duke did against Pitt and Proctor got a corner three and knocked it down. And I thought that was, I thought that showed some maturity because it was clear that they ran a play to get him the three and he made it. So it would be really helpful if Duke could find a couple of shooters, maybe four of them, because I think the only way their offense is going to be proficient at all this year is to find four guys who can knock down 35% of their threes.

Yeah. I mean, like, first off that play, that's one that John Shire kept in the playbook from Mike Krzyzewski's era. That's where they, the inbounder throws it to the four of the five and immediately runs to the corner, comes up with a handoff or catch and shoot three. Like Trey Jones used to do that a couple of years ago in Durham. Curry, probably John Shire when he played there.

Those guys used to do that as well too. But I mean, I, you know, I don't think we're going to see it, but like they, with a guy like Jayden Shoot, they do have a shooter on the bench. I know he wouldn't solve much of their sort of like dribble drive concerns, but and it doesn't seem like they feel a whole lot of confidence or need to go to him in what is a pretty crowded wing rotation ready. But they do have a guy that is graded out in terms of us like pre Duke career as like a plus plus shooter.

So maybe, maybe he's like a break glass in case of emergency thing here, but it doesn't, it doesn't seem like that's going to be the case. All right. Let me, let me get two minutes here on the Tar Heels. They did what they had to do against Louisville. I'm a little surprised that Armando Baycott played because his ankle is, I mean, he left the game in what on crutches in the middle of the week.

So, but good for him. He had a double double. What kind of growth do you see from the Tar Heels?

Well, yeah, he must've just seen Luke Combs in the crowd and was like, all right, I got to, I got to, I got to bite down and play through it. Also stop me if I'm wrong. Is this not the second year in a row that Armando Baycott has had some like miraculous recovery from an ankle injury that this happened during the, like I saw a Hubert Davis quote after the game this weekend that I was like, I, I, this could have been timestamp March, 2022. But you know, it was in the final four. Yeah, exactly.

Exactly. Look when they're, I mean, they're not at full strength right now. And maybe they won't be for the rest of the season, but for them to get to play through another sort of like bad Caleb Love shooting game, I think he had a goose ache from deep. But RJ Davis was great. I think you saw them get contributions from Puff Johnson scoring wise for maybe the first or second time this season, DeMarco Dunn had a nice game. And it is nice that like this, I mean, obviously you would rather have Baycott and Nance fully healthy, but the fact that those guys missing some time recently seems to have opened the door for Jalen Washington. And now all of a sudden UNC has got another guy, you know, like a, they've got another four or five that can step away and shoot jumpers and can, can screen and dive and finish around the paint. Ultimately, I just think Hubert Davis is a really good offensive coach.

Like, I mean, I think he's a good coach in general, but I think he is a creative and crafty organizer of offense. But also gold. I think you, me, Victoria, two of the salespeople there, I think we might be able to put up a good number on Louisville too. So that's why I said, I'm not sure it means anything, but just don't lose. Don't lose.

I don't think Carolina played particularly well, but they won by 21. That's where Louisville is at this point at big guys underscore bird. You have one other thing. Yeah. One more thing, Louisville, not in the AP top 25, just in case you were wondering, are they in the top 325, man?

Barely. If so also receiving votes, the Louisville Cardinal and the AP top 325 at B guys underscore bird on Twitter, Brian Geisinger. Thank you, man. I'll talk to you later. You guys be good. You got it.