Why NC State basketball’s 6-1 start to 2022-23 season feels different than last year

Judging by N.C. State’s celebration after beating Butler in the Battle 4 Atlantis, it’s hard to imagine what the Wolfpack might do after bigger wins this season.

NCSU coach Kevin Keatts, water bottles in hand, ran around dousing his players. His players doused him. It was a pretty wild scene Friday in the Bahamas, everyone laughing it up and and having fun.

And that was after winning the fifth-place game at Paradise Island.

But it was a meaningful three days for the Wolfpack. It started with a competitive, 80-74 loss to Kansas, the defending NCAA champion, in the first game, followed by convincing wins over Dayton on Thursday and Butler in the late game Friday.

“We can make an argument that we played hard for three nights and that’s hard to do,” Keatts said Friday. “We played extremely hard. I love what our guys are building. It’s a great tournament because it prepares you for conference play.”

For the Pack (6-1), ACC play starts Friday with a game against Pittsburgh at PNC Arena. That comes after a non-conference matchup Tuesday with William & Mary (3-4), which was beaten by Pitt 80-64 in its last game.

Keatts has used the first seven games to get a good handle on his restructured team. The Pack has new faces in new places after taking advantage of the NCAA transfer portal, adding a little of everything: experience, talent, size and players with some spunk.

“I love our team.” Keatts said. “I think we hit it really good with the transfer portal, not so much that we got good players but we got good people.”

The backcourt of Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith appears top-notch, combining speed and scoring. Senior guard Casey Morsell is a nice complement for those two and off to a strong start this season, and Jack Clark offers steady play at forward.

A year ago, after the early season-ending injury to center Manny Bates, the Pack was left with little in the post. But Dusan Mahorcic and D.J. Burns Jr., have given Keatts size and combativeness in the paint.

Mahorcic is an extra-effort banger at 6-10 and 235 pounds, and the 6-9 Burns a big body (275 pounds) with soft hands and a nice shooting touch that helped make him the Big South Conference player of the year at Winthrop last season.

Bates transferred after last season to Butler, and had 8 points and 9 rebounds in Friday’s game against the Pack. But Mahorcic, Burns and Ernest Ross, a 6-9 sophomore who was overmatched at times last season, have given Keatts some depth in the middle.

“We can have balanced scoring,” Keatts said. “We have bigs who can score the ball.”

The Pack played well in the Bahamas despite weak shooting nights from Smith, the ever-so-slender sophomore with the ever-so-quick release. Smith was 13-of-42 from the field in the three games, going 6-for-19 on 3-pointers.

Smith had eight turnovers in the Dayton game but did have a team-best six assists. He contributed five assists and five rebounds in the 76-61 win over Butler along with some active, aggressive defense that also marked the Pack’s play in the three games at Paradise Island Atlantis Resort.

Joiner, the graduate transfer from Ole Miss, ignited for 27 points in the 76-64 win over Dayton and the point guard is the Pack’s top scorer at 18.1 points a game. Smith is averaging 16.6 and Morsell 13.7, knocking down 19 of 38 shots from the 3-point distance and scoring 21 points against Kansas..

Clark is averaging 10.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game and Mahorcic 9.1 points and team-high 7.0 rebounds. Burns, who had 14 points against Butler, is getting 7.6 points a game.

The Wolfpack forced 45 turnovers in the three games in the Bahamas, converting them into 59 points. The Jayhawks had 13 turnovers but offset their mistakes by going 10-21 on 3-pointers as freshman Gradey Dick hit six in scoring 25 points, the difference in the close game.

“Obviously we were hyped to play Kansas, played well and came up short,” Mahorcic said Friday. “We should grow from this tournament and we know how to play with each other better.”

Kansas coach Bill Self said the Wolfpack, which started last season 6-1 and finished 11-21, has the look of an NCAA Tournament team.

Keatts’ thoughts?

“I appreciate Bill saying that and I hope it comes out true,” he said. “We’ll just continue to work and get the guys locked in for the next game. Everybody’s dangerous.”

NC State vs William & Mary basketball

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m

Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh.

TV: ACC Network Extra.