3 things to know about Tennessee State at NC State

N.C. State has had its hands full in nonconference play, winning three of its four home games by four points or less. Tennessee State (7-1) could be a handful for the Wolfpack (6-2).

1. Stop the ‘Ms’

Senior guard Tahjere McCall shares the Tigers’ scoring lead (13.1 points per game) with senior forward Wayne Martin, who also leads the team in rebounding (10.0 per game). McCall had 16 points in TSU’s 74-63 upset win at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 19.

2. Jump-starting Abu

Junior forward Abdul-Malik Abu started the season on fire, with 77 points and 44 rebounds in the first five games, but has cooled off since. N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said after the 77-73 win over Boston, the Wolfpack needed to get Abu going again. Abu had five points and six rebounds in 26 minutes against the Terriers.

3. Return of Rowan?

Sophomore wing Maverick Rowan is expected to play for the first time since the season opener. Rowan has missed seven games with a concussion. His 3-point shooting should help the Wolfpack space the floor.

Joe Giglio

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 1:48 PM with the headline "3 things to know about Tennessee State at NC State."