‘I’m there to support him’: NC State coach, players react to Terquavion Smith’s injury

It wasn’t an unusual play — not for N.C. State guard Terquavion Smith — nor did it seem frightful.

Smith has a fearless basketball nature despite his slender frame, always looking to drive and attack the basket, willing to put his body in harm’s way.

Smith has crashed to the floor often in his two seasons with the Pack. He has always bounced back up.

This time, against North Carolina on Saturday, he did not bounce back up.

“I knew he hit the floor pretty hard,” Pack guard Jarkel Joiner said after UNC’s 80-69 win. “I thought he landed on his back and got the air knocked out of him. But …”

But this time, the sophomore guard hit the floor after being fouled by the Tar Heels’ Leaky Black and stayed down, in pain. This time, he would need medical attention for several minutes. A stretcher would be required for him to be gingerly carried out of the Smith Center and to UNC Medical Center for further evaluation for apparent elbow and neck injuries.

“I was near him when it happened and there were a lot of different aspects of his body that were affected,” said senior guard Casey Morsell, trying to find the right words.

“To be honest he takes a lot of those types of hits. It was surprising he didn’t get up from this one. But he’s strong, man. He’ll come back better than ever.”

Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts had no immediate update on Smith’s condition after the ACC game. Nor did he want to address any basketball implications — of how a long-term Smith injury might affect his team’s season, or how Smith put his NBA plans on hold to play a second year for the Pack.

Keatts’ response was the same as when center Dusan Mahorcic suffered a dislocated kneecap in the Dec. 6 game against Coppin State at Reynolds Coliseum.

“My prayers and thoughts right now are with Terquavion,” Keatts said. “It’s a very emotional situation for me right now.”

When Mahorcic was injured, Keatts quickly was on the court and by his side. It was the same Saturday as Keatts went to Smith under the basket, kneeling by his player.

“I’m there to support him,” Keatts said. “I’m not a medic, not a doctor. My job is to be there and let him know as a coach I’m standing right there with him, as I always will do.”

The Wolfpack players soon gathered on the court, much like a red cocoon forming around a teammate they call “Baby T,” a player with NBA-caliber talent they love to tease and love to be teased by away from the court.

“That’s my brother,” a somber Wolfpack center D.J. Burns said after the game, leaning on a wall outside the locker room.

“I thought we handled it as well as we could,” Keatts added. “I thought our guys did a great job coming together.”

The Pack soldiered on, dazed but determined. Said Morsell: “It motivated us.”

N.C. State (15-5, 5-4 ACC) came to the Smith Center carrying a four-game ACC winning streak that included road wins at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, believing it could push the Tar Heels and win the rivalry game.

UNC led 59-49 with 9:45 left in the second half when Smith, who had 12 points, was fouled by Black, who was assessed a Flagrant-2 foul after a video review by the referees and ejected from the game.

Joiner, who finished with 18 points, stepped in to hit the two foul shots and the Pack was within six points down the stretch but UNC maintained the lead.

The Pack finished 12-for-12 at the foul line. UNC was 36-of-39 as R.J. Davis went 14-for-14 in scoring a game-high 26 points and Caleb Love hit nine of 10 at the line.

“We made six more field goals,” Keatts said. “I’ve never been involved in a game where a team has taken 39 free throws. That means we have to get more aggressive, We took 12. We were 12 for 12. If we get more aggressive, possibly it may be a different game.”

The two teams will play again — Feb. 19 at PNC Arena. Given the uncertainty of Smith’s injury, it’s hard to say how the two teams will fare until then.

“We knew we weren’t going to lay down. We’re a competitive team,” Joiner said, speaking about Saturday’s game but also perhaps setting the tone for what’s to come.