UVA 67, NC State 62 (Updated 11:45am)

Better late than never, we figured readers wanted to comment on the game last night.

The Wolpack fall in Coach Lowe’s first ACC game against #25 Virginia but managed to impress in the process. . No doubt that the Wolfpack got tired as the game progressed, as Tom Suiter points out in this entry.

State could have. They almost did, but in the end they couldn’t beat Virginia in their ACC opener. Sixty-seven-62, Virginia. Fourteen lead changes in this game. State had the chance to steal an ACC win on the road: 62-62 with 1:25 left.

Now, the Wolfpack got Virginia to play the kind of game they wanted. Limited the Cavaliers in transition, but you know and I know and everybody knows that good teams will wear this thin State team down, and the Pack didn’t have the juice in the end. Depth is just not there, and with senior Engin Atsur a spectator with the bad hamstring, Coach Sidney Lowe was hamstrung even more in what he wanted to do. The Pack played just seven players with four of those going 38 or more minutes.

…But State simply doesn’t have enough bodies.

I am convinced that NC State would have won that game if Engin Atsur was healthy. Just look at the point totals of the starters and imagine Atsur’s presence in the boxscore:

Nieman 4
Costner 17
McCauley 12
Fells 11
Grant 15

Just five to seven minutes of rest for Gavin Grant and Courtney Fells can make a world of difference on both ends of the floor of the Pack. Atsur and Trevor Ferguson’s return will definitely help boost the team’s prospects the rest of the year.

The BEST part of the entire day came on the last shot of the day (by Brandon Costner) that the Pack actually missed. Ken Tysiac of the Charlotte Observer – who never expressed the following ‘observation’ when Herb Sendek was coaching at NC State – said it this way:

N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe does an excellent job getting the shot he wants when he calls timeout to set up a play. Predecessor Herb Sendek did a great job scouting opponents’ tendencies, but he seldom set up a good play during a timeout.

An email from a friend of mine expressed the feeling this way:

wide open looks coming out of a timeout at the end of the game

he should have passed it 5 more times, then shot it off the side of the backboard.

At least we didn’t get a technical for sending six players on the court

Section Six has some super comments about the game.

If the effort and poise are there, everything else is gravy. It seems like there is a pleasant surprise for us every time the Pack takes the court; in this case, it was the way we handled our first tough road environment. Virginia was one of the best home teams in conference play last season–in particular, the Cavs’ offense averaged 1.12 points/possession. Today they scored 67 points on 66 possessions: 1.01 points/possession.

For the fourth straight game, Gavin Grant used over 30% of the team’s possessions while on the court. His usage today (33.8%) was crazy-high. Here’s last season’s leaderboard in the usage category. What Gavin does with all those possessions naturally has a large influence on the team’s overall efficiency; he’s been bad the last couple of games and the team has as well. But I don’t want to be too hard on Gavin what with Atsur sidelined. With Engin, we’ve got five guys on the court who can score. Without Engin, we’ve got four scorers and a fifth guy who basically just takes up space. That fifth man is using very few possessions, a good bit less than Atsur had been using, so that leaves some workload to be redistributed among the other four guys on the court–and those extra possessions are going to Gavin, rightfully or wrongfully. Grant’s turnover rate is fine, and he continues to do a good job getting everyone else involved.

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06-07 Basketball General

48 Responses to UVA 67, NC State 62 (Updated 11:45am)

  1. Delete-Me 12/04/2006 at 10:23 AM #

    Ferguson can play 12/20.

  2. PortAuthority 12/04/2006 at 10:26 AM #

    We should be full strength before our next ACC opponent: BC at home on Jan 6th. Hopefully we can win some if not most of the next (non-conf) 8 games.

  3. Wolfman300 12/04/2006 at 10:26 AM #

    Thank-you for Ferguson update.

  4. wolfonthehill 12/04/2006 at 10:30 AM #

    The last play for Costner was truly beautiful. A high pick-and-roll with a second guy coming to screen whomever comes off the pick. I was so damn excited, I rewound TiVo and made the wife watch it. She wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic…

  5. beowolf 12/04/2006 at 10:52 AM #

    I re-watched it too. Well-designed. Beats the hell out of the Les Robinson final shot play of scramble all over the court and have Jeremy Hyatt throw it over his shoulder with his back to the basket. Or, for that matter, the Herb Sendek final shot play of scramble all over the court and have Ilian Evtimov throw it over his shoulder with his back to the basket, from three.

  6. legacyman 12/04/2006 at 10:54 AM #

    Many of the late rebounds were clanging way out to the perimeter and we actually had our guys in position under the basket…I know, I know, it is hard to believe that our big guys were in rebounding position. We will get our share of the rebounds as the season progresses. Two more bodies will relieve a bunch of that fatigue which our kids have to be experiencing.

  7. Mr O 12/04/2006 at 11:08 AM #

    UVa has a nice arena. However, I preferred UHall with less interest and more quality seats.

    We played well, but just couldn’t get any stops in the 2nd half. UVa either hit the first shot or got the 2nd and/or 3rd and hit that shot. Unfortunately this could be what happens to us all season long.

    There was a stretch in the first half where we had 5 or 6 possessions in a row where I was pulling my hair out. Bad shots, overly agressive passes, turnovers, etc….

    We have no margin for error and though I understand our players would like to run, I truly believe we will have a better chance to win playing smart, efficient basketball. Running in the ACC is tough to do because all defenses get back quickly. Additionally we do not have the overall team speed to push the ball up the court in the first place especially with Grant being the only guy on the court who can bring the ball up the court.

    The offense we run is quite interesting to watch. So far, we are producing a lot of easy baskets/looks. Teams will get used to it though and it will get increasingly more difficult to score deeper in ACC play.

    There was one set in particular where Costner and McCauley setup a double screen at the left elbow. Grant went around the screen, Costner dropped back behind the three point line, and McCauley cut down the lane for an easy pass/dunk. After seeing it be so successful, we didn’t run that set again the entire game. Also, I haven’t noticed that being used all season long.

    Our depth is killing us. Hurts us because we can’t be aggressive on D and on the glass. Hurts us because we have to save our enery over the course of the game. And it hurts us because we don’t have a lot of talent in the first place.

    We need Atsur back ASAP.

  8. DRW 12/04/2006 at 11:17 AM #

    Watching the game on Sunday, I thought I saw us playing a box and 1, with Fells shadowing Reynolds. Was I right? If so, that was awesome. Not to be a very dead horse, but Herb would have never done that. Jimmy V did that quite a bit when he was here. Guess Lowe learned some things from his mentor.

  9. GAWolf 12/04/2006 at 11:22 AM #

    Beowolf’s description of Herb’s last shot of the game play makes two very dangerous assumptions: 1) that the ball is actually inbounded and 2) that a shot is actually launched. After those two are accomplished, I think the description is pretty obvious.

    Who doesn’t love this team? Who doesn’t admire the effort from the players and staff? I love Sidney and staff’s energy and obvious instruction during timeouts. Who can’t see the benefit Towe and each assistant is to this program?

    I’ve been a Pack fan too long to completely throw caution to the wind and say this staff WILL take us to the promised land, but each game gives me more assurance that it’s not only possible but likely in due time. I’m giddy to be a Pack bball supporter again. In recent past being a Pack bball fan felt more like a chore leaning towards a job.

  10. PurplePeopleEaters 12/04/2006 at 11:34 AM #

    I was actually very impressed yesterday. A few things I noticed-

    Gavin Grant is stepping up for once. You can’t say enough about how much of this is being put on our shoulders. We are going to be a MUCH better team with Atsur back on the court. I’m pretty sure that this is only going to make Gavin a better team leader in the longrun.

    McCauley=Beast. When was the last time we saw an alley-oop in Raleigh? Grant was also able to find him there really well. Why was this guy sitting on the bench all of last year?

    Fells has a beautiful turn around jumper. We saw it twice in crunch time at the end of the game.

    Costner. My god… Can you say ACC rookie of the year. Our frontcourt is going to be AMAZING next year.

    Not exactly a moral victory but it shows our team that even without Atsur we can hang with most teams. Was UVA ranked 25th? I seem to remember seeing that somewhere during the game.

  11. EdoubleE 12/04/2006 at 12:18 PM #

    Ferguson should be able to step in and play as good or better than Nieman and be a scoring threat. When Atsur gets back and Fergie is eligible, things will get even better. No way the pack finishes last in the ACC.

  12. Texpack 12/04/2006 at 12:28 PM #

    Sidney said he would be eligible on 12/19 on his first radio show, so I guess that means the Alabama game.

  13. gopack968 12/04/2006 at 1:12 PM #

    Atsur back, Ferguson on board, a win over Alabama and the team will be sitting about as well as could be hoped for starting the full ACC season.

    Bottom line – it is just fun to watch again. Fans can also start to hope about the future. ’08 should be strong and in ’09 it is Final Four, Baby!

    (ok, perhaps a bit premature – but when could you even dream about that with Sendek?)

  14. ShootingGuard 12/04/2006 at 1:15 PM #

    There are a lot of good points on here, so I will try hard not to repeat any or state too much of the obvious…

    I think Lowe & Co have already put the recruiting questions to rest and are heading toward putting the coaching questions to rest as well…

    Everyone is rightfully highlighting the end game shot Lowe set up, using a double screen to get his best shooter on the day, Costner, a chance to tie things up on the road vs a top 25 team with a bench and a great college backcourt who recently destroyed Arizona. The comparisons above to some of our past “great” end game scenarios (the 10 or so embarrassing tries vs BC last year being a real “favorite”) are more than appropriate…

    But, I also like Lowe’s “start game” strategy where he immediately sent them out with plays designed to have Grant post up UVA’s smaller guards. Grant went 1-2 out of the box, but it was the right thing to do. So, from start to finish, some very nice coaching by Lowe—and some great effort by our IRON 4 + walk-on + 1.

    I think Lowe is proving his recruiting and coaching abilities with every week that passes, but he will need some GOOD luck as well to get us where we want to go. A new rebuilding coach always needs some good luck to really succeed. Pete Gillen had terrible luck when his first big pg recruit, Majestic Mapp, got injured—and Pete is gone. Dave Leito had some great luck inheriting Sean Singletary, and, if his luck holds out and SS helps him build that bridge to the next chapter in UVA bball, Leito will likely continue to do well. Lowe has had some bad luck already with Atsur’s injuries, so let’s hope that Lowe’s bad luck is early, not as severe as Pete Gillen’s, and we have a bunch of good luck ahead. As it is, with a much shorter bench, Lowe outcoached Leito yesterday, and there is nothing lucky about that—boding well for the future when the current guys are able to put all of this experience to good use when the reinforcements get here in the future…

  15. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/04/2006 at 1:25 PM #

    To find a positive in the Atsur injury we know Nieman is gaining some valuable experience that will be needed in some games later in the year. I was pleased with the game yesterday and 5-1 is not bad all things considered. I’m not one to rule out an outside shot at the NCAA’s this year but I see no reason at this point why we won’t continue post season play in the NIT. So far a great job by the coaching staff and players.

  16. vtpackfan 12/04/2006 at 1:26 PM #

    Check the stat sheet and I believe you’ll find one glaring one. 9 rebounds to Singletary. With Atsur in the lineup you no that there is no way that would happen. We had guys playing defense who were way out of their element. Grant on Singleton, Horner on their small forward (who plays more like a shooting guard). How they play smart, focused basketball is beyond me. Right now, with the likes of Butler, this team would scare the hell out of me if I were getting a team prepared to play them. They are playing baketball better then they should, and repeatedly. How as a coach do you tell your guys, “they aren’t that skilled but they do it any way.”

    Defensive rebounding was awful in the second half. But it, and Costner, kept us in until then. Sid gave no excuses. He will not look to change anything with rebounding in mind, IMO. We need better production out of Nieman and Horner out of the offensive sets to give Costner and McCauley a chance to spend more energy on D instead of O. It doesn’t matter since its so much a balancing act that you can actually just sit back and be thankful for the awesome effort.

  17. nycfan 12/04/2006 at 1:51 PM #

    Singletary is in the top 20 in the league in rebounding (5.5/game), so while the 9 boards are amazing for a PG, it is also the case that he is a strong rebounding guard.

    While I tend to agree that getting Atsur back can only help this team by improving ball-handling and spreading minutes around, if nothing else, just to play devil’s advocate, it is also true that I thought State turned it around against Michigan when Atsur went out … perhaps his more traditional play at PG slows things down a bit? Probably just coincidental.

    State is playing very well on the offensive end of the court right now, especially given the circumstances (new coach, different style, player attrition, etc.). And the effort on the court is fun to watch. Right now what the Pack is not doing particularly well is playing defense, especially on the perimeter. Not terrible mind you, but that aspect of the game is well behind the offense (and no doubt hampered by the need not to get in foul trouble combined with dead legs at the end of the games).

  18. choppack1 12/04/2006 at 3:58 PM #

    nycfan – A couple of thoughts here:
    1) Whether or not we were doing better w/ Grant running point or not is a little irrelevant. When Atsur comes back, there is no rule that says he has to run the point. He can play the 2G if necessary. The bottom line is that we need him for depth, and to complete our starting lineup. (With the way Costner and McCauley are playing, if you insert an effective Atsur in the line-up, you’ve got a very solid starting 5.) While it’s true that we did better against Michigan when we played Grant at the PG, this is really a basic question – are we a better team w/ or w/out Atsur. I’d say we’re a better team with.

    2) Not having Atsur impacts our perimeter D – Atsur is a heady and underrated defender. We also lose 5 fouls by losing Atsur. Don’t forget, this isn’t a case where we’re inserting someone into Atsur’s role or his spot in the rotation. Simply put, that body is gone.

    3) Ferguson will provide additional depth and fouls.

    All that said, I hope our guys don’t get carried on the fouling end. It’s been nice watching the absence of bone-headed fouls. I hope our guys don’t take additional depth as a license to foul. I hope we use it to play more intense D – which we really can’t do right now w/our personnell.

    Keep in mind, we’re having to play very guarded b’ball right now. We can’t run like we want, we can’t defend like we want, and at the end of the games, thanks to having 40 minute men, the opposition has the legs we don’t. These are things that I believe can change when Atsur returns and Ferg plays.

  19. nycfan 12/04/2006 at 4:25 PM #

    I agree with point 1, and this team might be better if Grant *generally* runs the offense with Atsur at the 2.

    What position will Ferguson play? Is he a guard or a guard/forward?

  20. choppack1 12/04/2006 at 4:38 PM #

    nyc – he’ll play a guard position, but he has also has the height to handle the 3 spot.

    I was thinking this morning about this team’s potential if Brack decided to practice and play a reserve role. I truly think if that’s the case, we’re an even tougher out. (I’m not counting on it mind you.)

  21. RabidWolf 12/04/2006 at 8:54 PM #

    Grant did a hell of a job not only scoring, but distributing the ball. I do not believe that ANYONE thought this kid was as versatile a player as he has been. It seemed like everyone buried the ‘Pack before tip off of the first game, but now those same people are being heard saying how impressed they are with the team and the way Sid has been running the team. The truth of the matter is, many fans of the ‘Pack had and still have faith in Sid. They had and still have faith in this team. When Engin gets back on the floor, and Furguson becomes eligible to play, this team will widen even more eyes than they have already!!! Then the talking haircuts will REALLY have nothing negative to say, and maybe the Sendek references might just stop. GO PACK!! Keep up the good work Sid!!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » Post UVa Random Basketball Thoughts - 12/04/2006

    […] StateFans Nation Your independent blog on the NC State athletics community. « UVA 67, NC State 62 (Updated 11:45am) […]

  2. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » Sidney Lowe’s very familiar philosophy - 12/04/2006

    […] The N&O struck a similar note to Wolfpack fans about the performance of Lowe’s severely undermanned and overlooked squad — that the team played surprisingly well enough to win, despite being so thin and missing injured senior point guard and the “glue” of the team, Engin Atsur: Without Atsur, a senior who has a pulled left hamstring, the Pack’s chances of winning seemed just as gloomy. And, in fact, the Wolfpack did not win, as the 25th-ranked Cavaliers scored the last five points for a 67-62 victory in the first ACC game played in John Paul Jones Arena.But the Pack did not walk away from its first loss of the season downcast. Disappointed, yes, but hardly downcast. […]

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