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NC State - Memphis Series

The NC State men's basketball team (5-1) plays away from home for the first time this season when it takes on 16-ranked Memphis (5-1) on Thanksgiving Day at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Doug Sherman and Fran Fraschilla on the call. NC State fans can also listen toandcall the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.- NC State defeated Little Rock, 74-58, Saturday for its fifth-consecutive win. The Pack had a balanced scoring attack as eight different players hit multiple field goals and all eight scored at least six points.led the Pack in scoring for the fourth time in six games with 18 points, whilewas the only other NC State player in double figures finishing with 12 points.- The Pack has had a balanced scoring attack all season. Saturday's win over Little Rock marked the first time this season NC State only had two players score in double figures. For the season, NC State has seven players averaging at least 8.8 points per game and all eight players in the Pack's normal rotation have scored in double figures in at least two games this season.- Senior guardleads the team in scoring (17.7), rebounding (7.7) steals (2.0) and field goal percentage (60.9%). The Charlotte native is tied with Duke's Vernon Carey for the top field goal percentage in the ACC and ranks third in the conference in steals, seventh in scoring and 17th in rebounding.- Senior guardhas passed out 34 assists in five games this season. The Cleveland, Ohio native ranks second in the ACC at 6.8 assists per game. Johnson has 431 career assists and ranks seventh on NC State's career assists list.- In his first two seasons at NC State, head coachhas led NC State to six wins over top-25 ranked teams when his team is unranked. Keatts' teams at NC State are 2-1 against non-conference opponents ranked in the top-25. The Pack defeated No. 2 Arizona, 90-84, on 11/22/17 in the Battle 4 Atlantis and beat eventual Final Four participant - then seventh-ranked Auburn - 78-71, on 12/19/18. His only loss to a non-conference ranked opponent was last season at No. 22 Wisconsin, 79-75. NC State led for over 32 minutes in that game before falling late to the Badgers.- Thursday's matchup pits two teams who play a similar style. Memphis ranks 11th in NCAA Division l at forcing opponents into turnovers as the Tigers opponents have committed 20.5 turnovers per game this season. NC State led the ACC in forcing opponents into turnovers last season and this season is averaging to have its opponents commit 17.8 per game. Memphis has a +4.8 turnover margin on the season and NC State has a +5.3 turnover margin this season. In theera, NC State is 42-15 when it wins the turnover battle and just 8-10 when it commits more turnovers than its opponent. The Pack has won the turnover battle in all six games this season. NC State is +32 on the season in turnover margin.- Memphis and NC State are two of the highest scoring teams in the country. Memphis leads the American Athletic Conference and ranks 14th in the NCAA in scoring at 86.7 points per game while NC State leads the ACC in scoring and ranks 24th in the NCAA in scoring at 84.5 points per game. NC State has scored 80 or more points in 41 of the 75 gameshas coached the Pack (54.6% of games) and has a 33-8 record (80.4%) when it scores 80 or more points. However, the Pack is just 7-11 (38.9%) when its opponent scores 80 or more points.- Thursday's game is the fifth meeting all-time between the two programs. NC State leads the all-time series, 3-1.- NC State won the last meeting between the programs, 71-60, on Jan. 14, 1998.- This will be the second neutral site game of the series. NC State defeated Memphis, 98-83, on Dec. 29, 1973 in New Orleans as part of the Sugar Bowl Tournament. The Pack went on to finish the season 30-1 and win the National Championship.- NC State has an all-time record of 66-20 against current teams from the American Athletic Conference.