After following different paths, Marcus Hill and Breon Pass pace NC State to win over USC Upstate

Even though he hadn’t played much through his first three seasons at NC State, averaging less than eight minutes a game over that stretch, senior guard Breon Pass was a key practice player for the Pack. He was also pivotal in setting the tone off the court, strengthening the Wolfpack’s culture in the process. 

The former four-star recruit out of Reidsville (N.C.) High School welcomed each player that arrived on campus after him with open arms. And this season, as he prepared for a bigger role within NC State’s game plan on a nightly basis, Pass built a bond with Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill. 

Hill arrived on campus as the presumptive starting shooting guard, leapfrogging Pass on the Pack’s depth chart. That didn’t discourage Pass, who could have opted to transfer. Instead, they grew to be like “brothers,” as Hill described it. 

In their first regular season game as NC State teammates, the duo fed off each other to propel the Wolfpack to a 97-66 win over USC Upstate on Monday night at Lenovo Center, as they each scored a team-best 14 points. 

“We just like to see each other win,” Pass said of he and Hill. “That’s what we’re all about.”

Both players did just that against the Spartans. 

Pass surpassed his previous career high of 7 points with 9 in the first half alone, while Hill took some time to get rolling as a slashing guard that lives at the rim. But once the former Mid-America Conference standout shook a defender with a spin move for an easy layup, it seemed to unlock something in Hill’s game. 

Hill scored 8 of the Wolfpack’s first 10 points in the second half to help put the Spartans away, avoiding a comeback effort like Division II Lees-McRae was able to pull in the exhibition last Wednesday. 

For Hill, all it took was just seeing one bucket go down in the second half — that spin move being a key element of it — to pour in as an efficient shooter. 

“That’s all I needed to see,” said Hill, who leaned on that spin as a junior college All-American two seasons ago. “The coaches were telling me it’s OK, the shots are going to fall. It fell tonight, so it worked in my favor.”

Hill was able to log a 7-for-10 shooting night with three rebounds and two assists in just 21 minutes on the floor during his NC State debut. 

While Hill was uber efficient, he wasn’t alone. Pass, who grew close to the transfer in a hurry, reached the same total of points on a 5-for-8 shooting performance that included a pair of three-pointers. He finished the night with two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes as Hill’s primary reserve. 

Pass waited for this moment for the past three seasons. He knew this was a big year for himself, and that NC State coach Kevin Keatts was going to lean on him. And Pass’ blood, sweat and tears from going against the likes of Terquavion Smith and DJ Horne in practice paid dividends immediately. 

“I just feel like all the work that I put in over the years finally paid off,” Pass said. “It’s just up from here now. Just stacking days and being consistent.”

Both Hill and Pass ooze confidence. They reached a moment that they’ve been working towards their whole career despite having separate paths. Hill went the JUCO route before transferring to a mid-major and landing at NC State, while Pass stuck out his time with the Wolfpack and he was rewarded. 

For Keatts, who has watched both players grow over the preseason, this was a special moment. He saw Hill, a natural bucket getter find his rhythm, while the eighth-year coach watched Pass reach his potential that he recruited him to Raleigh for. 

And that made the Wolfapck’s season-opening win even sweeter for Keatts, whose ace recruiter on the roster was not a go-to rotation player until now. 

“Breon has been very patient,” Keatts said. “He’s probably been our best ambassador for our program. … When you think about NC State basketball, that guy represents it the right way.”