NC State’s Devon Daniels is out for the season. What does that mean for the Wolfpack?
The news couldn’t have been any worse Thursday for N.C. State’s Devon Daniels or the Wolfpack.
The school announced that the senior guard, the Pack’s leading scorer, had suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the season.
“I’’m gutted and heartbroken for Devon,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said in a statement. “Devon joined our program shortly after I was named head coach and I quickly appreciated the tenacity and relentlessness he brought into the gym every day. Devon built himself into one of the premier players in the ACC and with that tireless work ethic, I have no doubt that he will attack his rehab and come back even stronger. I hope all NC State fans will join me in praying for Devon and a swift recovery.”
Daniels injured his knee with 9:03 in the second half on a drive to the basket, collapsing to the court and grabbing his leg. The Pack, which led Wake Forest 53-39, went on to win the ACC game 72-67 at PNC Arena.
Moments after pushing his point total to 20, Daniels had to be helped to the locker room. Daniels was not able to put any weight on his leg as he left the court and was seen after the game on crutches.
Keatts said after the game that it was a “shock” to see Daniels go down but liked the way his team regained its composure after he went out and finished out the game.
Daniels, a versatile player at 6-5, leads the Pack in scoring (16.5) and minutes played per game (33.2). He also leads the Wolfpack in steals (20) and assists (37), and is tied with Thomas Allen for most made 3-pointers (19).
With Daniels out, the Pack (7-5, 3-4 ACC) must rely even more on its experienced players -- D.J. Funderburk, Braxton Beverly, Jericole Hellems and Allen -- to do more, and Keatts likely will distribute more minutes to freshmen Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore and ask them to take on bigger roles.
The Wolfpack goes to Syracuse on Sunday for its next ACC game, then plays three of its next four games at home in PNC Arena. Reaching the NCAA tournament might be a big ask without its best player, but the Pack still has games to play and can still play its way in.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 5:00 PM.
