NC State basketball opponent scouting report: Coppin State

NC State basketball 7-2 after losing the ACC opener to Pittsburgh on Friday evening. Now the Wolfpack goes back to historic Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh for a non-conference contest against Coppin State at 7 p.m.

The game can be seen online ACC Network Extra.

Here is a rundown of what to expect from Coppin State.

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Coppin State overview

The Eagles arrive at NC State with a 4-6 record after doing a lot of traveling. The contest at Reynolds Coliseum will be Coppin State’s eighth road game among the 11 contests they have played.

Among the more noteworthy contests included an overtime loss at Georgetown and a 16-point setback at ranked Maryland.

Going into the season, the Eagles were picked to be middle of the pack in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The preseason poll projected Coppin State to finish fifth in the 8-team league. This after they made the championship game in the conference tournament a season ago as a 7-seed.

The coach leading Coppin State is likely a familiar name to many NC State basketball fans. Former Maryland star Juan Dixon, who helped the Terrapins win the 2002 NCAA Tournament when he was the ACC Player of the Year, has been coaching the Eagles since 2017. He has compiled a 46-114 record overall.

Rankings

NCAA’s NET rankings: Coppin State checks in at No. 214 (out of 362 teams). NC State basketball is No. 54.

ESPN’s BPI: The Eagles are No. 277. The Pack is No. 42.

KenPom.com: Coppin is No. 293. The Wolfpack is No. 55.

Three Coppin State players to watch against NC State basketball

Super senior guard Sam Sessoms: On his third different team, Sessoms has been a big revelation this year for Coppin State and improves their odds of surprising in the MEAC. He was an all-conference performer at Binghamton before transferring to Penn State for two seasons. Last season, Sessoms averaged 11.6 points per game as a part-time starter for the Nittany Lions.

Thus far this year, Sessoms is averaging 23.9 points per contest, making him one of the top scoring averages NC State has faced. He is also distributing 5.7 assists per contest and leads Coppin State with 23 made three-pointers. Sessoms is shooting an impressive 53.6 percent overall.

Redshirt sophomore guard Nendah Tarke: A first-team all-conference performer a year ago, Tarke is a good bet to draw the assignment on NC State star guard Terquavion Smith. Last season, Tarke set a school record with 94 steals while leading the NCAA with an average of 2.94 per game.

Thus far this year, Tarke (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) is averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 rebonds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals a contest.

Senior forward Justin Winston: The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Winston played two seasons at St. Bonaventure before spending last year at Robert Morris. He’s settled in as a full-time starter at Coppin State, averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 51.3 percent from the field.

Three things NC State basketball should expect from Coppin State

1. A mid-major with a competent backcourt: Coppin State may prove to be a surprise in the MEAC because of a strong guard duo of Sessoms and Tarke. Both can defend and score, and for NC State, which relies on its backcourt of super senior Jarkel Joiner and Smith, this represents a more challenging matchup than many may expect.

2. A team unintimidated: NC State fans that remember Dixon knows he was a fearless competitor who elevated Maryland to a point where they were on par with Duke during some of the glory days of the Mike Krzyzewski-era.

His Coppin State team has also been well-traveled. Being on the road is nothing new for the Eagles.

3. A shorter team that struggles to rebound: While Coppin State has a nice backcourt, especially at the MEAC level, the roster only has one player taller than 6-foot-8, and that is 6-foot-11 sophomore Luka Tekavcic, who is not a prominent player in the rotation.

This is a game where NC State could dominate on the boards. Opponents outrebound Coppin State by an average of 10.3 per contest.