Career-high nights not enough. Three takeaways from Wolfpack’s eighth straight loss
N.C. State held a players’ only meeting after its basketball loss to Cal on Wednesday; the goal to turn its season around.
The Wolfpack played with desperation on Saturday, but it couldn’t get it done.
In fact, its offense remains its biggest liability.
N.C. State fell to Stanford, 74-73, in Stanford, California, on Saturday night unable to close its West Coast trip and snap its losing streak — despite career-high nights from Trey Parker and Ismael Diouf.
Parker scored 19 points, while Diouf added nine. Dontrez Styles added 18 points and a team-high seven boards.
Parker took the go-ahead 3 with one second remaining, but it rimmed out and Stanford was not called for a foul. N.C. State (9-14, 2-10 ACC) has lost eight games in a row. It is 0-9 in all games outside of Raleigh and has now lost seven games by six points or fewer.
The Wolfpack started 0 for 7 from the field against the Cardinal. Diouf scored the first field goal roughly four minutes into the game. He added a second layup and accounted for four of N.C. State’s first five points.
Despite a couple of runs, the offense couldn’t get into a regular rhythm and allowed Stanford (16-8, 8-5) to remain within striking distance.
N.C. State shot 12 of 30 (40%) from the field and 4 of 10 (40%) from 3-point range before the break. The Cardinal was 11 of 24 (45.8%) and 2 of 5 (40%) from long range during that period.
The Pack’s offensive struggles continued in the second half. There was very little ball movement; most shot attempts coming off isolation plays. It finished 23-61 (37.7%) from the field and 8-22 (36.4%) from 3. Stanford finished the night shooting 50% overall.
N.C. State couldn’t create much from the free-throw line, either. The Wolfpack entered the game shooting 71.8% from the stripe, and it went 19 of 26 (73.1%) on Saturday. In another one-possession game, that made all the difference.
It played without Ben Middlebrooks for the majority of the game. He picked up two fouls halfway through the opening frame and picked up another two five minutes into the second. Middlebrooks ultimately fouled out with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. The senior started the year with 10 double-digit games. In the last five games, Middlebrooks scored 13 points (3-17 on field-goal attemps) and was called for 19 fouls.
Here are three takeaways from the Pack’s eighth consecutive loss.
Pack defense takes advantage of missing PGs
Stanford was without Duke transfer Jaylen Blakes and backup Benny Gealer in the ACC contest, which N.C. State used to its advantage in the first half.
The Wolfpack forced four turnovers in the opening three minutes and added a fifth nine minutes into the game; nearly halfway to the Cardinal’s average of 10.7
Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud and Chisom Okpara spent the majority of the first-half serving as the primary ball handlers, a role neither seemed comfortable with. That led to turnovers and missed shots; the duo struggled to finish their baskets and looked visibly tired after bringing the ball up the floor.
N.C. State turned that discomfort and physical exertion into points off turnovers and fast-break opportunities.
By halftime, the Wolfpack defense had forced nine first-half turnovers. It scored nine points off the Stanford mistakes and added five transition points.
Stanford made adjustments in the second half, moving Raynaud off the ball, which led to cleaner and more effective offense. The Cardinal committed only one turnover after the break.
Beyond guiding the offense, Blakes serves as one of Stanford’s primary contributors. The Duke transfer averages 14.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He scored 20 points, dished out seven assists and hit the game winner in the Cardinal’s upset over North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Gealer, meanwhile, adds 5.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per appearance.
Their absences were felt, particularly in the first half, and helped N.C. State be competitive.
Maxime Raynaud takes over in second half
Stanford’s 7-foot big man continued his impressive season on Saturday when N.C. State entered Maples Pavilion. Maxime Raynaud finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and one block.
Raynaud had a somewhat slow start in the first half. The forward scored four points, pulled down six rebounds and committed three turnovers. The senior turned things on after the break, and the Wolfpack defense struggled to stop him.
Raynaud is among the best players in the nation and is making a case for First Team All-ACC. He averages 20.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, leading the ACC and ranking in the national top 10 for both categories. His scoring positions him as the best Division-I scorer taller than 6-foot-8.
Of Raynaud’s rebounds, he averages 8.3 on the defensive end. According to KenPom, he holds an individual defensive rating of 30.8%.
Additionally, he leads the nation with 19 double-doubles. With the Cardinal being down two players, that helped the Wolfpack limit Raynaud in the first. But his experience and size led to another double-double performance.
Trey Parker: Confidence personified
N.C. State hasn’t had a go-to scorer this season the same way it has in previous seasons. That’s played a part in the team’s inability to score efficiently — no one can really put the team on his back.
Trey Parker, however, is growing into a capable and more consistent scoring threat. This was his second career-high performance in the span of two weeks.
Parker started his recent stretch with a 15-point performance at Duke, where he started 6 for 6 from the field. He added six and nine points against Clemson and Cal, respectively.
On Saturday, the rookie from Fayetteville, North Carolina, provided much-needed and timely shots. He scored 12 first-half points on 4-of-4 shooting from the perimeter.
He also pulled down an offensive rebound and scored the put-back with 17 seconds remaining to give N.C. State the 73-72 lead.
With the transfer portal and NIL, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other programs take interest in the young guard. He looks like a star-in-the-making and showed off against the Cardinal.
This story was originally published February 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Career-high nights not enough. Three takeaways from Wolfpack’s eighth straight loss."
