Charleston Southern at NC State 11/25/20 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

By: Anthonoy-deleo |

Last Updated: 11/24/2020 at 9:34 PM ET

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers are set to visit PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for a season-opening clash against the NC State Wolfpack. The Charleston Southern Buccaneers will be looking to improve from their 2019-2020 season as they finished with a 14-18 record and 7th place finish in the Big South. The Buccaneers will return their leading scorer from a season ago in Philandrous Fleming Jr. as he averaged 17.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Joining Fleming Jr. in the backcourt is senior guard Deontaye Buskey who should have a bigger impact this season after pitching in 10.5 PPG last year.

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers struggled to score the basketball during the 2019-2020 season as they ranked 244th in the country in team scoring as they averaged 68.8 PPG. The Buccaneers also struggled on the defensive side of the court last season as they ranked 250th in the country in points allowed as they allowed their opponents to score an average of 72 PPG.

The NC State Wolfpack will be looking to improve on their 2019-2020 season as they went 20-12 which warranted a 6th place finish in the ACC. The Wolfpack will need to replace one of their top scorers from a season ago with Markell Johnson as he averaged 12.8 PPG and 6.8 APG before graduating. The Wolfpack have a handful of key pieces returning to the starting lineup as DJ Funderburk (12.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG) and Devon Daniels (12.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG) will be looking to improve on their stat line. 

The NC State Wolfpack were solid at scoring the basketball during the 2019-2020 season as they ranked 85thin the country in team scoring as they averaged 74.6 PPG. The Wolfpack struggled on the defensive side of the court last season as they ranked 188th in points allowed as they allowed their opponents to score an average of 69.7 PPG.

The NC State Wolfpack were an intriguing team to watch in the ACC last season as they proved they belong on the big stage with the powerhouses, and although they need to replace Markell Johnson, they should be strong. The Charleston Southern Buccaneers really struggled last season as they went 14-18, and a huge reason for their failures was their effort on the defensive side of the court as well as the lack of scoring outside Philandrous Fleming Jr. The Wolfpack are excited to see another year of growth out of DJ Funderburk, but they will also get to develop Cam Hayes who was one of the top recruits in North Carolina this year. NC State will be able to score at will this season and I just think there is too many question marks for Charleston Southern on the road. Final Score Prediction, NC State Wolfpack win and cover ATS 81-61.

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