Ben Middlebrooks scoring explosion in Presbyterian win a result of preseason challenge from Kevin Keatts

Shortly after NC State’s exhibition win over Lees-McRae last Wednesday, Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts had 1-on-1 meetings with each player before moving into the regular season. His talk with senior forward Ben Middlebrooks was based around playing with more energy. 

Middlebrooks, who was key in the Pack’s NCAA Tournament run to the Final Four last season with a 21-point outburst in the first round win over Texas Tech, didn’t bring that same swagger, in Keatts’ eyes. The eighth-year coach wanted to change that going into the regular season. 

Sure enough, the next day at practice, Middlebrooks resembled Dennis Rodman as he looked to grab every rebound that came his way. The pep talk from Keatts, who wanted to pull more from Middlebrooks as one of the Wolfpack’s primary frontcourt players, seemed to work. 

Middlebrooks logged a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in NC State’s season opener before turning in a 16-point, three-steal performance in the Wolfpack’s 81-72 win over Presbyterian on Friday night at Lenovo Center. 

The former Clemson transfer didn’t record a shot attempt in the first half, and as NC State led by just seven at the break, Middlebrooks channeled the fire that Keatts lit under him in the preseason. He turned that into a 6-for-7 shooting performance — his lone miss was a breakaway dunk that went off the back of the rim — in the final 20 minutes. Middlebrooks also added a three-pointer, just his second-career make from beyond the arc on 20 attempts at the collegiate level. 

“He’s definitely tried to push me to be a big energy guy, a spark plug on the team with the steals and blocks,” Middlebrooks said postgame. “Really, just to bring the team up when we’re having those rough patches or down moments in the game. I’ve really tried to focus on that and make that my identity.”

It’s nothing new for Middlebrooks, who has always played with a sense of fire on the floor. When he was at Clemson, Middlebrooks was viewed as a player that could go at anyone on the floor. Now, in his second season at NC State, he has taken that to a new level. 

Middlebrooks isn’t afraid to talk as he gets going, appearing to grow more confident the more his defense can impact the game, transitioning into his offense. His one block in the game was followed by a few choice words to a Blue Hose guard, firing up the rest of the Pack around him to bring the energy levels up to a higher level than seen before in the game. 

Keatts, who knew Middlebrooks was capable of asserting himself on the offensive end, was encouraged to see it occur in back-to-back games to begin a new campaign. 

“He’s an energy guy,” Keatts said of Middlebrooks. “When he doesn’t play with energy, I think he’s just OK sometimes. But when he plays with energy, he’s really good. … I love what he did for us in the second half.”

While Middlebrooks stole the show in the final 20 minutes, Louisville transfer forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield paced NC State’s frontcourt in the first half. He scored 6 points with four rebounds in just 12 minutes before he finished with 11 points and six boards in the victory. 

For Huntley-Hatfield, who earned his first start with the Pack against the Blue Hose, Middlebrooks has worked for this moment battling the 6-foot-10 standout on the Dail Basketball Center practice court each day. 

“He’s amazing at practice every single day,” Huntley-Hatfield said. “He puts in work every single day, real purposeful work every single day, and we’re all extremely proud of him.”

Georgetown transfer wing Dontrez Styles, meanwhile, believed that Huntley-Hatfield and Middlebrooks could become the best duo in the ACC by the end of the season. They’ve each scored in double figures through the first two games in the process. 

“They’re probably going to be the best frontcourt in the league,” said Styles, who logged 9 points and seven rebounds. “They’re two great players and it makes it easier for me.”

While it was Middlebrooks’ night, setting a regular season career best point output, he knows it is really early in the Wolfpack’s 31-game season. He isn’t content with a solid performance against the Blue Hose. 

Instead, Middlebrooks is eager to keep stacking days as the Pack’s season continues against Coastal Carolina on Wednesday night in Raleigh.

“I’m feeling very good, for sure,” Middlebrooks said. “I’ve had some very good games in the last two, but we’re moving forward and I’m going to try to keep it going and do it in the next one.”