NC State doesn’t accept moral victories. It can still be proud of its effort against UNC
Marcus Hill might be the happiest player on the N.C. State roster. It doesn’t matter if he has a good game or a bad game, nor does it matter if the team wins or loses. He’s almost always smiling and willingly gives thoughtful answers during media availabilities. His happy-go-lucky nature, however, is deceiving. The Bowling Green transfer is one of the toughest competitors for the Pack.
Saturday afternoon, he was representative of the team and what the Wolfpack is at its core: A group of fighters.
N.C. State fell to North Carolina, 63-61, at Lenovo Center after trailing by as many as nine points early in the second half. The Tar Heels had an eight-point advantage with five minutes remaining, yet the game came down to two possessions: One on offense and another on defense.
“We’re not gonna lay down,” head coach Kevin Keatts said. “If we lose a game by a lot of points, it’s because the team made shots. But you’re never going to look at our heart and say, we ain’t ready to play. I don’t coach that way, and I don’t recruit guys (who are) that way.”
Keatts emphasized there are no moral victories in his program. In fact, this one hurt. It left a bitter feeling.
At the same time, it can acknowledge the resilience and effort from the jump.
Hill scored 20 points in the loss, shooting 10 of 19 from the field, and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds. Six were on the offensive end as he fought for second chances after missed shots. The transfer scored N.C. State’s first 10 points.
When UNC’s Ven-Allen Lubin missed a free throw, Hill was flying through larger bodies to grab the board. Hill even played one-handed for one offensive and one defensive possession after his contact came out. He held his contact through play; the officials missed his signal for a timeout.
Later in the game, Hill made a free throw to take a 36-35 lead in the second half. He tied the game with 1:29 remaining.
“He’s buying in,” Keatts said. “He’s starting to understand what we’re looking for. He’s playing with a little toughness, and when you play with toughness and you play with grit, the ball certainly scores for you. That’s what he’s doing for us.”
Hill was the primary example of toughness for the Wolfpack against the Tar Heels, but he wasn’t the only guy making big plays.
Jayden Taylor found himself on the floor, tangled up with Carolina players, as he dove for multiple loose balls.
Dennis Parker Jr., after missing the entire 2024 postseason and several weeks of preseason practice, has become a defensive asset for the Pack.
The 6-6 sophomore blocked three shots, all coming in the first half. He blocked one shot right into Ben Middlebrooks’ hands for a rebound. Parker Jr.’s efforts led N.C. State and tied with UNC’s 6-foot-10 Jalen Washington for the game high. He also forced a turnover. Hill said people “sleep on” Parker Jr.
Then, Middlebrooks looked like a man possessed. The senior struggled to find his shot through contact — though he didn’t mind the lack of foul calls — but led all players with a career-high 14 rebounds, seven on each end. Additionally, the center’s defense forced Carolina guard RJ Davis out of bounds with 13:22 left to play and contributed a pair of blocks.
Ismael Diouf even got in on the action, stripping the Tar Heels of the ball on one possession.
“This team is full of fight,” said Dontrez Styles, former Georgetown and UNC transfer. “We go out there each and every day and practice, we fight and so it translates to the game. So you gotta clean up some little things. We’ll be fine.”
Overall, the defensive effort kept the Wolfpack in the game. N.C. State entered the game allowing 71.5 points per game in ACC play, while Carolina was scoring roughly 73.5 points per conference outing.
UNC’s 63 points was far below its ACC average and (and 84 points on the season). The Tar Heels only scored 26 first-half points, a season low.
N.C. State forced 12 Carolina turnovers, or one on 20% of its possessions. UNC entered the game averaging 11.4 turnovers per game, with only 15.2% of its possessions ending in a miscue.
“I feel like every game we’re getting closer, especially as a team,” Hill said. “You see our defense getting better. We’re moving the ball better. Feels like everybody’s starting to get their confidence.”
Keatts said his biggest qualm with the defense, if he’s having to be nit-picky, were the 16 points Carolina scored in transition. He felt like some of those were easy plays for the Tar Heels that shouldn’t have happened.
Otherwise, the overall energy and effort were the bright spot in yet another disappointing loss. This isn’t a moral victory, but the Pack can build on the good. Two things can be true.
“I think for most of that game we were trailing, we were a little bit behind, so just see the fight; all of our guys had to not give up on it, to keep going,” Middlebrooks said. “To be able to have that chance to go and win a game in the last minute — I didn’t go our way today, but just to have that opportunity and to see that moment — is going to help us later on in the season.”
