NC State Basketball: Biggest Takeaways from Wolfpack's Postseason so Far

The NC State basketball team stormed its way into the Sweet 16 following a victory over top-seeded Villanova on Saturday night. The Wolfpack are now headed to their second Sweet 16 appearance in just four years and are playing their best basketball at the perfect time.

However, this year's unlikely tournament run almost slammed to a halt before it even began.

The cardiac Pack had to squeak out a breathtaking win over LSU in the second round Thursday, in which forward BeeJay Anya sunk a baby hook in the final seconds to lift NC State past the Tigers.

The Wolfpack have already eclipsed expectations, so let's take a look at how they've gotten there. Here are the biggest takeaways from the NCAA tournament thus far.

NC State Frontcourt Steps Up

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All season long, the NC State frontcourt has struggled to log consistent offensive production. Between Kyle Washington, Anya, Lennard Freeman and Abdul-Malik Abu, the Wolfpack's big men combined for a season average of just over 20 points per game.

Here are their cumulative point totals against LSU and Villanova:

LSU: 30

Villanova: 26

That's a significant jump.

Both Freeman and Abu were especially fantastic against Nova, posting 11 and 13 points, respectively. That's exactly the kind of production that NC State needs from its bigs. It's no secret that its guards carry most of the offensive output, so the team hits another level when both positional groups are firing on all cylinders.

On top of that, Anya hit perhaps the most meaningful shot of the entire tournament against LSU, sinking a tough left-handed hook off a great spin move as the clock ticked down to 0.1 seconds left. The game-winning shot sealed a huge comeback victory for NC State, after being down 16 in the second half.

It's clear the frontcourt production has not only increased, but it's been incredibly timely.   

Clutch Down the Stretch

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Not only is NC State playing its best basketball right now, it is also playing its best basketball in the final stretches of games. 

In the game against LSU, the Pack held the Tigers without a field goal for the final 10:18 of the game. Obviously, it's uncharacteristic for a team to go that cold, but it's still a huge testament to NC State's defense. The Pack also converted when they needed to, most notably on Anya's game winner. 

In the game against Villanova, the Wolfpack went 4-of-6 from the field in the final five-and-a-half minutes of the game, including 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. 

NC State slowly built up a lead in that game early in the second half and was able to withstand a nice run from the Wildcats down the stretch. It seemed as though that the Pack came away with points on just about every critical possession. The level of execution was the best from the team all season. 

Star Players Rise to the Occasion

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Big-time players show up for big-time games, and that's exactly what the Wolfpack got from guards Anthony Barber and Trevor Lacey. We could mention Lacey's step-back three-pointer as time expired in the first half against Nova. Or his tough runner along the baseline in which he altered his shot to sink an unbelievable bucket. Or we could talk about Barber's coast-to-coast layup with 1:47 left in the game to give the Pack a seven-point lead, halting a final run from the Wildcats.

Either way, those two showed up at the most critical of times. Barber led the way for the Pack, finishing with 17 points against LSU and adding another 13 against Villanova. Lacey finished with 9 against the Tigers and scored 17 against Nova. With the game on the line, both guys proved to be arguably the best players on the court. 

How's this for clutch—Lacey went 2-of-2 from the field in the final minutes against Nova, while also making both of his free-throw attempts. Not to mention, the Pack don't win that game in regulation had Lacey not swished the step-back three-pointer right before halftime. 

Meaningful Bench Contributions

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Perhaps the best part about the Wolfpack's Sweet 16 run has been the emergence of journeyman guard and junior college transfer Desmond "Dez" Lee. Back in 2013, Lee averaged over 24 minutes per game and almost nine points per game for NC State. This season, Lee has barely seen the court, averaging just under eight minutes per game. He's basically been a non-factor in his final season of eligibility. That is, until the NCAA tournament. 

Lee gave the Wolfpack an absolutely huge lift in the game against Villanova, scoring seven points off the bench. Not only did he make shots, he made big ones, including a terrific three-point play to extend NC State's lead from five to eight with just over three minutes remaining. 

Lee has been a clear spark plug off the bench, bringing some serious energy and morale boost to this team in the postseason. His intensity is palpable, and his fearlessness is nothing short of admirable. 

In addition to Lee, freshman Caleb Martin came up big against Villanova, converting a four-point play in the first half. His suffocating defense also played a part in throwing off Nova's offensive flow. 

In State's first game against LSU, forward Kyle Washington was instrumental in leading the Pack's comeback, scoring nine points off the bench. Washington scored five straight points in back-to-back possessions, cutting LSU's lead from nine points to just four. His spark completely turned the game around for NC State as it eventually completed the comeback.