Preston Edmead and North Carolina State will look to stay perfect on the young season as they host Presbyterian in Raleigh, N.C., on Tuesday.
Early success for the Wolfpack is due, in part, to an impressive start from the point guard. A Hofstra transfer, Edmead leads the Wolfpack in scoring (15.0 points) and assists (6.5) per game and seems as if he will factor in any NC State success this season.
NC State (2-0) was picked to finish eighth in the ACC preseason poll and leaned heavily on Edmead in a 77-63 win over East Tennessee State on Friday. With the team trailing 18-10 just after the midpoint of the first half, Edmead was unfazed and went on to record 20 points and 10 assists in the win.
“He lives in the gym,” Wolfpack first-year coach Justin Gainey said of Edmead. “As a coach, you have confidence in him because you know he’s put in the work, and you know he’s about the right thing.”
Paul McNeil made five 3-pointers for 15 of his 16 points against ETSU, and Christian Hammond added 13 points off the bench. NC State is shooting 41.4% from 3-point range so far this season, making Gainey optimistic about his offense.
“My eyes go right to the defensive side,” he said. “I’m not worried about the offense.”
Meanwhile, Presbyterian (0-2) is seeking to live up to expectations.
Despite having never made the NCAA Tournament in two decades in Division I, the Blue Hose were picked second in the Big South in the preseason media poll. The team has just one winning season.
Presbyterian has a solid scoring punch with veteran returnees Triston Wilson and Jaylen Peterson averaging 18.5 and 17 points, respectively.
Wilson and Peterson combined for 34 points on Friday in a 91-77 loss to Georgia, with Wilson tallying 18. But defense troubled the Blue Hose, who have allowed opponents to shoot 50.8% on the young season.
“We’ve got to find a way to get stops more,” said coach Quinton Ferrell, in his seventh season. “It really starts on the perimeter. Right now, teams are attacking our guards.”
