With Daniels Out, Will NC State Survive?

The North Carolina State Wolfpack announced that senior guard Devon Daniels suffered a torn anterior crucial ligament (ACL) in his left knee in the second half of last night’s victory over Wake Forest.

He will miss the remainder of the season.

Daniels leads the team in points (16.5), assists (3.1) and steals (1.7) and is third on the team in rebounding (5.1). His field goal percentage of 48.1 percent ranks ninth in the ACC and he is also tied for the team-lead with 19 three-pointers on the season.

“I’m gutted and heartbroken for Devon,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. “Devon joined our program shortly after I was named head coach and I quickly appreciated the tenacity and relentlessness he brought into the gym every day. Devon built himself into one of the premier players in the ACC and with that tireless work ethic, I have no doubt that he will attack his rehab and come back even stronger. I hope all NC State fans will join me in praying for Devon and a swift recovery.” 

The North Carolina State Wolfpack men’s basketball team has faced multiple hiatuses due to Covid-19 health and safety protocols. Despite these setbacks, the veteran leadership of senior guard Devon Daniels has allowed them to compete despite minimal on-court practice time. 

This leadership was on full display during the Wolfpack’s bout with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-7, 1-7 ACC) at the PNC Arena on January 27th.

Daniels torched the Demon Deacons’ defense for 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists before succumbing to a leg injury in the second half. Daniels led the way early, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range in the first half. The Wolfpack rode the hot hand of Daniels all the way to an 11 point halftime lead. This was Daniels’ fourth 20 point game of the season, and Daniels shot a season-high 70% from the field.

Daniels went down with an apparent lower-body injury to his left leg with about nine minutes remaining in the second half. The importance of this loss cannot be understated. Devon Daniels is the engine that drives this team offensively. He leads the Wolfpack in scoring, assists, and steals with a career-best 16.2 points per game in addition to three assists and two steals. This season, Daniels has led the Wolfpack in scoring four times, assists four times, steals three times, and rebounds three times. He has recorded two double-doubles and scored 10+ points a team-high 10 times this season. Daniels is ninth in the ACC in points per game and 10th in field goal percentage. He set a career-high against Charleston Southern this season with a blazing hot 29 point bludgeoning that left the Buccaneers searching for answers. 

Coach Keatts was initially optimistic about Daniels’ status going forward, refusing to explicitly state that the star player would miss any time. In response to a question about Daniels’ immediate availability, he said “we’re not even going to think about anyone missing time” at this point. Coach Keatts was unable to offer any official updates on Daniels’ condition. 

Daniels’ teammate and co-star D.J. Funderburk said the  Devon Daniels injury was not a distraction for the team, but rather a motivational tool that spurred them along to victory in the face of a late Wake Forest comeback attempt. He noted that Daniels’ injury “didn’t look good” and as a result made him and other Wolfpack teammates want to “get the win for him” in his absence. Funderburk is the second half of a dynamic Wolfpack scoring tandem, now forced to assume even more responsibility on the offensive end. Daniels and Funderburk combine for an average of 28.6 points per game. 

The Wolfpack have been delicately balancing along the .500 threshold for the entire season. Devon Daniels missing even a few games would seriously jeopardize the Wolfpack’s chances of punching a ticket to the NCAA tournament this year unless someone steps up to fill in his admittedly enormous role within their scheme. NC State is currently 70th in the Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings, a weighted ranking system developed by basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy and widely used to predict what teams are in contention for the 68 available NCAA tournament bids. Due to the nature of automatic qualifiers, the Wolfpack team is firmly on the outside looking in at the present moment, yet not without hope. Without Daniels, their star player, the Wolfpack are in danger of falling out of the big dance dialogue entirely.  

The Wolfpack (7-5, 3-4 ACC) return to action on Sunday, January 31st against Syracuse (9-5, 3-4 ACC) at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York.