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NC State ready for Michigan State's unique defense in NCAA Tournament Round of 32

image_6483441 (3)by:Noah Fleischman•03/23/25•

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Wes Moore
Mar 22, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore calls a play during the second half at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images

When the NCAA Tournament bracket was released, there was a chance NC State was going to have to face a pair of defensive-minded teams in the opening weekend. Vermont boasted the No. 3 scoring defense entering the week, while Michigan State had the 13th-most total steals in the nation.

And the Wolfpack will have faced both teams by the time Monday afternoon rolls around. 

NC State struggled with Vermont early, which allowed the Catamounts to hang around for the first three periods, but a dominant fourth-quarter allowed the Wolfpack to cruise to a 20-point victory. 

While the Pack was able to rely on its offense clicking into gear late in the game against the America East champions, it’s well aware it can’t do that against the Spartans on Monday afternoon (12 p.m., ESPN). 

“We can’t come out lackadaisical,” senior guard Madison Hayes said. “We have to make sure we come out and give the first punch. They did [yesterday]. And we just got to make sure we come out ready to play. Every team in this tournament is going to be a good team, no matter what conference they come from.”

Michigan State, which beat Ivy League winner Harvard 64-50 in the first round, leans on a unique style of defense to frazzle its opponents. The Spartans press most of the game, but instead of deploying a man-look like Duke did in the ACC Tournament Championship, they run and jump to trap the ball and cause chaos on the floor. 

Wrecking havoc is the goal, and Michigan State is able to generate 12.4 steals a game through the press. 

Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick has a simple analogy to describe her team’s defense: “When in doubt, be aggressive.”

“Sometimes it comes back to bite us, but I think it’s a mentality and it’s the way we play and it’s the way we practice,” Fralick said. “It’s built together. I think you can only be disruptive as a unit. A player can only do so much, but five people moving together in disruption can create chaos.”

The Spartans forced 20 turnovers against the Crimson, including 11 steals. Jocelyn Tate led Michigan State with four steals, while six other players logged at least one in the victory. 

Michigan State junior guard Theryn Hallock believed that’s what the Spartans will have to lean on against the Pack. 

“I don’t think, like Harvard, they’re ready for our defense because our defense applies a lot of pressure,” Hallock said. “They have great guards, but I think, if we get under them and stay poised in our stance, then we’ll be good.”

While Michigan State is confident in its defense, NC State seems to have learned from its two battles against Duke from earlier this season. The Blue Devils’ half-court defense is nearly a spitting image to what the Spartans run, which Pack coach Wes Moore wanted his team to be able to draw from. 

Duke appeared to wear NC State down in the ACC Championship, which allowed the Blue Devils to pull away late in the game. The Wolfpack seems more prepared for the style of defense it will see this time around. 

“They got after us. They pressured us, forced a lot of turnovers,” sophomore guard Zoe Brooks said of the experience against Duke. “I think that that definitely helped us become stronger.”

It will be put to the test against Michigan State, which has set a single-season program record with 384 total steals. The Spartans have six players with at least 30 steals this season, while Hallock leads the way with 74. 

Michigan State’s active hands are bound to cause issues for NC State. Moore hoped his elite guards, led by seniors Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, would be able to navigate around the choppy waters that the Spartans would throw at them. 

“They do a great job of applying pressure,” Moore said. “We’re going to have to be really smart with our decision-making and taking care of the ball.”

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