How serious is Devon Daniels’ injury? That’s a big question for the Wolfpack
N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said Wednesday night it might take 24 to 48 hours before he would know the severity of Devon Daniels’ injury.
Talk about a tense 24 to 48 hours for the Wolfpack.
The sight of Daniels down on the court at PNC Arena on Wednesday, grabbing his left leg, was a collective jolt to the system for the Wolfpack. The senior, who had scored 20 points against Wake Forest, who had been the best player on the floor, was looking for more, making a driving move into the lane against the Deacons’ Jalen Johnson.
Down Daniels went. The ball bounced out of bounds. The question now is where the Pack’s season will go should the injury be serious and N.C. State be without its leading scorer.
“We always worry about our brothers and when you have somebody go down, especially with a knee or whatever the case was, it’s scary,” Wolfpack forward Jericole Hellems said on the postgame media call. “You don’t want to see your brother down and we got a little worried, but we came back and finished the game like we’re supposed to.
“A win’s a win, at the end of the day, and we’re praying for our brother. Hopefully he gets a good recovery and a quick recovery, but at the end of the day it’s a blessing to get a win.”
That the Wolfpack won 72-67 was laudable. With the Pack (7-5, 3-4 ACC) distracted after the Daniels injury, the Demon Deacons (4-7, 1-7) made a run and made it interesting in the final few minutes as Daivien Williamson knocked down some 3-pointers and Wake, trailing by 18 in the second half, made it a two-possession game.
But the Pack regained its composure. Keatts said. Hellems, who had 17 points, made some big shots and plays. So did freshman guards Shakeel Moore and Cam Hayes.
“Jericole played great down the stretch,” Keatts said. “It’s going to be important that he continues to get better. He needs to see the ball go in the hole. He’s had some good games but he hasn’t had the great games he’s capable of.
“I’m proud of him for continuing to fight and get better. We’re going to need him regardless of the (Daniels) situation as we go down the stretch.”
Determined to end a four-game ACC losing streak, the Pack turned to its pressure defense, which was keen and relentless enough, and Wake’s shooting eye was not there.
“We’re not pressing as much because we just haven’t had the bodies,” Keatts said. “We haven’t been in great shape because of what we went through. For the first time in practice we were able to get after each other for the last couple of days.”
Pack pressures Deacons
And got after the Deacons. There was fullcourt pressure at the start and two quick turnovers out of the trapping defense. Wake Forest, which hasn’t handled pressure well, would have 21 turnovers in the game that the Wolfpack could convert into 24 points.
Wake Forest, under first-year coach Steve Forbes, has had an offense top heavy with 3-point attempts. The Deacons had made 28 in the two games before Wednesday -- a close loss at North Carolina, a 76-75 win Saturday over Pitt -- but were limited to eight 3’s by the Wolfpack, which switched off well out of its man to man.
Ismael Massoud, who drained eight 3’s against Pitt in scoring 31 points, had 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting from the field and missed six of his eight 3’s. Isaiah Mucius, who knocked in seven 3’s at UNC, scored four points Wednesday.
The Wolfpack had 17 turnovers that Wake Forest turned into 17 points. There was some sloppy, careless plays by the Pack that led to them. But as Keatts said, mistakes are easier to clean up after a win.
The Pack’s D.J. Funderburk was shaken to see Daniels leave the court with nine minutes left in the second half. He watched as Daniels was unable to put weight on his left leg, sensed the seriousness of it. And then played on.
“As far as for me and the rest of my team, I felt like it gave us a little bit of extra motivation to win the game for him,” Funderburk said.
Win it for him the Pack did. Now, the wait.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 12:23 AM with the headline "How serious is Devon Daniels’ injury? That’s a big question for the Wolfpack."
