Tough news for NC State: Sophomore guard Braxton Beverly has fractured a bone in his left hand, which will require surgery. The injury occurred during practice last Friday; surgery is set for Tuesday (Oct. 23). There’s no timetable for his return.
As a freshman, Beverly did some really nice things for the Wolfpack on offense. His range shooting was crucial; nearly 63 percent of his field goal attempts were three-pointers, and he hit at an effective clip: 60-of-156 (38.5 3P%). For the season, Beverly posted a true shooting rate of 54.2 percent.
According to Synergy Sports, Beverly was one of the top spot-up players in the conference. Beverly scored 1.1 points per possession on spot-ups (57.1 eFG%) — good for 11th best in the ACC amongst player with at least 100 possessions.
Beverly also offers some playmaking verve, too; in the 2017-18 season, he handed out 121 assists — 4.8 per 40 minutes.
NC State has plenty of depth at the point guard position, which helps soften some of the blow. Markell Johnson, who logged a lot of minutes with Beverly last season, is one of the premier pick-and-roll distributors in the nation; plus, Missouri transfer Blake Harris is eligible at the start of the season, too.
On the wing, NC State will need production from two transfer who are coming off redshirt seasons: Devon Daniels and CJ Bryce. Can those guys hit enough three-pointers to keep the offense spaced out?
Sam Hunt and Al Freeman have used up their eligibility; Omer Yurtseven is a Hoya now. Hunt and Freeman were spot-up demons last season, too, and Yurtseven emerged as a pick-and-pop beast — a true stretch-5. Those three combined to make 143 three-balls last season.
Beverly — whenever he does return — will be counted on to help replace some of that production. In the meantime, Daniels and Bryce must be ready, too.
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