The 2021-22 NC State men’s basketball season is over and if you ask most fans they’ll all have the same response.
Thank God.
In a season that was hit by injuries and heartbreak from opening night until almost the final buzzer, this season was nothing that anyone could imagine. Here’s a quick review.
The Beginning:
While no one had NC State in ACC’s the top five, no one had them finishing last either. Center Manny Bates was lost for the season a minute into the season against Bucknell with a shoulder injury. The Wolfpack got off to a 3-0 start before falling to Oklahoma State. They ran off four straight, including an epic four-overtime thrilling win over Nebraska in the ACC/Big 10 challenge, before the wheels started to fall off. The biggest bright spot of the beginning was the emergence of Dereon Seabron as a bonafide scorer, including 39 in the win over the Huskers.
The Middle:
After dropping their ACC opener to Louisville, the Wolfpack would go on to lose eight out of their next 11, including an overtime loss to then top-ranked Purdue which had a bigger effect on the Wolfpack mentally than any injury could. A slight glimpse of hope came with a dominating 77-63 win over UVA on Jan.22.
The End:
After the win against the Cavilers, NC State would collect just one more win this season on the road at Georgia Tech on Feb.15. The ending of the season gave the Wolfpack their first 20 loss season in program history. The bright spot during the dark closing was the scoring from All-ACC Rookie team member Terquavion Smith, who led the Wolfpack in eight of NC State’s final games.
What’s Next:
What we know so far is that Coach Kevin Keatts will be back for the beginning of the 2022-23 season. If he finishes that season will be up to how well the Wolfpack start and how many pieces return. It’s unknown if Bates will return and Seabron has said he will discuss his future with his family at a later date. Smith will also be a name to watch, but should definitely return as a preseason All-ACC mention. It will be interesting to see if Robert Dillingham reclassifies to come to Raleigh a year earlier than planned, and with every season comes the transfer portal with players coming and going. Time will tell, but to say these next few months are huge for the program is an understatement.
