How NC State’s role players helped the Pack past Louisville in ACC tournament

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When NC State emerged back on the floor just minutes ahead of its ACC Tournament first-round game against Louisville, graduate guard DJ Horne was nowhere to be seen. 

He went through the Wolfpack’s initial warmups, but as a game-time decision with a hip flexor injury, Horne joined the team seconds before the pregame introductions began. He wasn’t in uniform, either. Instead, he was dressed in his white shooting shirt with red sweatpants, a pair of Adidas Yeezy shoes and donning a diamond-encrusted chain with his initials on it.

Obviously, NC State’s leading scorer was not going to play in the team’s postseason opener, which left a void in the Pack’s lineup. Horne, a third-team All-ACC selection, was averaging 16.8 points a night and suddenly, NC State had to find a way to replace his scoring and his steadiness somewhere else on the court. 

And even though the Wolfpack was already down two other guards that did not travel to Washington, D.C. — sophomore LJ Thomas (away from the team) and freshman Dennis Parker Jr. (illness) — NC State went deep on its depth chart. The Pack turned to juniors Breon Pass and Kam Woods to play the rotational guard minutes, while junior Jayden Taylor started in Horne’s spot. 

The result? A 94-85 win for the Wolfpack at Capital One Arena on Tuesday afternoon — and it was powered by the two role players, who served as calming forces. 

“It hurts when you have one of your best players on the bench not suited up for the night, but we also have great players like Breon and Kam,” graduate guard Michael O’Connell said afterwards. “They can come on the court and there’s no drop in level to get the job done. They can score, facilitate, play defense and rebound.”

Though their stats don’t jump off the page, Pass and Woods provided an extra boost off the bench that the Wolfpack had not seen in a while. Pass appeared in 21 games in the regular season with a high of 14 minutes, while Woods played in 10 contests with a most of 18 minutes on the floor — which came in his season debut on Dec. 16. 

Pass entered the game against the Cardinals just over five minutes into the contest, and he was able to serve as a player that kept the ball hot, while also finding his spots to shoot. It didn’t take long for him to pull the trigger from the outside as he hit a pair of threes that helped the Pack cut a 12-point deficit into an 8-point hole early in the first half. 

The Reidsville, N.C., native did not take a shot the rest of the way, but he was integral in sparking the Wolfpack’s comeback effort. 

Pass, who likely did not know if or when he would get into a regular-season game, soaked in the moment of playing nearly 22 minutes, a career most, against Louisville in a win-or-go-home game. 

“It feels amazing,” Pass said at his locker postgame. “I don’t like sitting on the bench, but just to be out there, just to be hooping again, having fun, that’s all I was worried about.”

Pass added an assist and finished the game with a +2 box plus-minus for the game. 

While Pass canned a pair of triples in the win, Woods was able to serve as a floor general when he entered the game. Woods logged 2 points on 1-of-2 shooting from the floor in the nearly 12 minutes of action he saw on the floor. 

It was the most playing time for Woods, who averaged 17.3 points last season at North Carolina A&T, since he logged 17 minutes in the Pack’s 83-66 win over a then-winless Detroit Mercy squad on Dec. 23. 

The Bessemer, Ala., native wore a wide smile afterward. 

“It felt good to be back out there,” Woods said. “Coach said he was going to need people so I was just ready.”

The two role players staying ready for when their number was called stood out to nearly everyone else in the Pack’s locker room. 

Though Pass and Woods have not played consistent minutes this season, their teammates have not seen them sulk. Instead, it has been the opposite for those two. 

“They’re mature,” graduate guard Casey Morsell said. “They didn’t play much, but they used that time to help us get better in practice. Try to sharpen the knife in that area. When their name was called, they came in ready to produce. They shot big-time shots. That’s what we need from those guys.”

O’Connell, who scored a season-best 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, agreed. 

“They’re still bought in,” O’Connell said of Pass and Woods. “It’s tough when you’re not playing. But they show up every day and want to go their hardest. They do it every day. They compete every day, and it shows that they are talented enough to play.”

Pass and Woods proved they belong with the Pack all season in the Dail Basketball Center, but they were able to show the rest of the world they’re capable of playing meaningful minutes, too. 

For Pass, it is not a matter of “embracing a role” on the team, rather he was just patient for his opportunity to get on the floor on a routine basis. 

“I’d just say I stay prepared,” Pass said. “I never stopped working. I am always there for my teammates. Everyone’s time will come at one time and my time was today. Hopefully, I can build on this.”

The Wolfpack will need Pass and Woods to continue to grow, and the Louisville win may be a good building block. NC State is not sure whether Horne will be able to play against Syracuse in the team’s second-round game Wednesday night since he’ll be another game-time decision. 

If Horne can’t go again, it will likely be another big night of minutes for Pass and Woods. Those two helped spark a comeback and they were ready to do so. NC State has an ACC title on its mind — which will require four more wins — and Morsell said Pass and Woods will have to be key contributors to make it there. 

“Those guys had a good amount of time to get ready to play,” Morsell said. “They were ready to contribute right away. It’s going to take everyone. It’s not going to take just starters, it’s going to take pretty much everyone to do what we want to do.”

Those two players obviously wear a chip on their shoulder from not breaking into the rotation each night, and Woods believed that was a good motivator. He didn’t quit, and neither did Pass, which justified the title he gave the duo: full of fight. 

“I’d say we’ve got a lot of fight,” Woods said. “[We] have no quit in us. A lot of people are doubting us right now, so we’re just trying to prove them wrong.”