‘Pass-first guy’: Michael O’Connell is unsung hero in NC State’s win over Wake Forest
Michael O’Connell, standing at the 3-point line, threw a lob cross court to Paul McNeil. The freshman stood on the ACC logo at the other end and jammed in a one-handed dunk to effectively seal N.C. State’s win over Wake Forest on Saturday.
McNeil, who earned his first career start, led the team with a career-high 24 points. He was accompanied in the 20-point range with Dontrez Styles’ 22-point, 10-rebound double-double. Their stats pop off the page, but they couldn’t have found offensive success without O’Connell.
O’Connell is in his second season with the Wolfpack and hasn’t shot the ball well for most of the season. O’Connell entered the game averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 assists per game. He scored double figures just three times this season and finished with nine or more points six times.
On Saturday, though, O’Connell deserves a lot of credit in the win for setting his teammates up for success. The Stanford transfer finished with nine points and a career-high 13 assists. This was just the second time he’s hit double figures in assists.
The graduate student was one assist from tying Markell Johnson (Jan. 21, 2018 vs. Miami) for the most assists by a player in a game in the Kevin Keatts era. Chris Corchiani holds the program record with 20 assists against Maryland on Feb. 27, 1991.
O’Connell’s big night made a significant difference in the efficiency of N.C. State’s offense and gave the Wake Forest defense trouble the entire game.
Demon Deacons head coach Steve Forbes said his squad struggled on ball-screen defense and was often late getting to the shooter. The Wolfpack scored a season-high 13 3s, including four apiece from Styles and McNeil.
“I thought (they had) pretty easy catch-and-shoot 3s,” Forbes said. “They made a couple dribble 3s, but most of them were just throw back behind the ball screen. And O’Connell, we couldn’t get him under control off the ball screen. He had 13 assists, because our point of attack was not good defensively.”
N.C. State finished with a season-high 23 assists, topping its previous season high of 22 against USC Upstate in the season opener.
McNeil and Styles said it was great to see their captain have such a great day. Styles described O’Connell as someone who provides the same leadership, effort and positive attitude, even when things are difficult.
McNeil said it meant a lot for O’Connell to dish him the ball and trust the freshman to make big shots, especially at the end. McNeil said words can’t describe the elation he felt receiving the pass from his veteran teammate.
And, even though he had the big scoring night, McNeil is grateful for everything O’Connell does for him. There’s plenty of mutual respect and appreciation.
“He’s a great leader. He told me to stay confident, stay composed,” McNeil said. “For me to help him out, that was a big blessing. We helped each other out. We got the win. We fed off each other’s energy. That was the biggest thing we could do for each other. I’m proud of Mike.”
Keatts jokingly said he wanted to find a point somewhere that could be awarded to O’Connell for a double-double.
“He’s not a scorer. He’s a pass-first guy,” Keatts said. “He needs some guys around him to be successful. I thought tonight, he did a great job of finding everybody.”
O’Connell, who doesn’t like talking about himself, said the coaching staff gave the team a good game plan and his teammates did the rest.
“I was just trying to do the best I could to make the reads on the ball screen,” O’Connell said. “Guys were open and guys were making shots. That definitely helps when guys knock down shots and make their open looks.”
Saturday, while impressive, only emphasizes the kind of player O’Connell is. He’s known for “the shot” against Virginia last season in the ACC Tournament, but that’s not what the Wolfpack brought him in for. It brought him in to facilitate the offense. He’s best at directing his teammates where they need to be, what plays they need to run and who they need to guard.
He can be seen in every game gathering the team and telling them to settle in. O’Connell regularly tells his teammates before opponent free throws who is responsible for boxing out certain players and who should crash the glass.
N.C. State is still in the bottom three of the ACC and fighting to earn a spot in the conference tournament. Keatts said last year that O’Connell’s vocal leadership was a key facet in the team’s Final Four run. It’s going to be necessary as the regular season winds to a close and postseason opportunities remain on the line.
For now, the team is thankful for its steady, stalwart point guard. He’s made a conscious effort to keep the team together, and the guys are happy he finally had the kind of game he’s worked long hours for.
“He’s a great point guard,” Styles said. “I know he hasn’t had a season that he wanted and expected, but he’s an everyday guy. You’ll never be able to tell that he’s upset or frustrated with himself. And I’m proud of him for coming out here and just being the point guard that we all know he can be.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM.
