Pack Gets Pivotal, Ugly Win

06-07 Basketball General67

It wasn’t a thing of beauty (aside from the storybook night for Senior walk-on Justin Clark), but it was crucial. NC State will not suffer the indignity of being seeded 12th in the ACC tournament. Sidney Lowe will not start his college coaching career with a losing record, unless post-season is involved. NC State 73, Wake Forest 66.

5 ACC wins in what is, by the numbers, clearly the best conference in the land, is a solid accomplishment, given our roster limitations. Congratulations to the coaches and players. And thank you, Engin Atsur.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

06-07 Basketball General

67 Responses to Pack Gets Pivotal, Ugly Win

  1. GoldenChain 03/01/2007 at 9:47 AM #

    BTW, on the radio last night they said Albritton was a senior but with another year of eligibility but has chosen to move on instead of sticking around to use that last year.

  2. Dan 03/01/2007 at 9:52 AM #

    The best thing about last night, outside of feel good stories, was Ben McCauley reappearing.

    The truth is that based on rebounding and 2nd chance points, that would not have been good enough to beat Maryland.

    Wake had 22 offensive rebounds and 24 second chance points.
    State had 5 offensive rebounds and 8 2nd chance points.

    The most ridiculous stat to me: Wake Forest had 71 field goal attempts. 71. Folks, its only a 40 minute game, and we got 49 shots off too.

    Its not like this team can’t do it either. The 1st half at UNC was the best rebounding I’ve seen in long, long time. Yeah, it vanished in the 2nd half of that game, but if the Pack wants to win at Maryland it is going to have to do it on the glass. Ebekwe and Gist are way too good.

  3. choppack1 03/01/2007 at 9:59 AM #

    That was a wierd second half game last night. It’s like no one wanted to change the status of the game – we didn’t want put Wake away and Wake didn’t want to get it too close.

    Wake finally caught a little fire when they hit a couple of 3s at the end, but all in all, the lifeless kind of affair you’d expect for teams battling it out for the cellar.

    A couple of other thoughts –
    1) Look out – Brandon is starting to use his right hand more effectively. If develops it more effectively, he’ll be unstoppable. Last night, when we needed it, he took over.

    2) Fells is looking more comfortable at the point now – of course, we were playing Wake.

    3) The lifeless remark applies more to the fans – and I was guilty too. I now know what it feels like to be at a WNBA or MSL game. We need to do something. I guess we’ll see what happens when we’re fielding a better team, but sometimes the atmosphere in the RBC is downright depressing.

  4. Dan 03/01/2007 at 10:00 AM #

    Mike Jarvis wrote a really good piece today for Yahoo! Sports regarding how to watch a basketball game, especially in regards to rebounding. Its actually some of the same points made in most coaching books. Its a great read.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=ArpBtAq9RUUP_ad0s2z4EpvevbYF?slug=mj-viewersguide022607&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

    “One of the things you will notice when watching the whole game is that rebounding can make or break a team. So when you fill out your NCAA tournament brackets in March, keep that in mind and make sure your teams can rebound. ”

    Thanks Mike. We Wolfpack fans know that one all to well.

  5. highonlowe 03/01/2007 at 10:03 AM #

    The kids are tired, don’t put them through the extra work just so they lose an NIT opening game.
    ??? I hope you’re kidding with this comment.
    Anyone with this kind of loser’s mentality should not be on this blog.

  6. tractor57 03/01/2007 at 10:06 AM #

    I’m not so sure about an NIT bid but regardless bid or no this team has exceeded my expectations. Tough year (as we all expected), some highs and some lows. Excellent base to start from for the coaching staff.

  7. redfred2 03/01/2007 at 10:06 AM #

    Noah & O,

    Same here. When I walked out of the RBC after the Wolford game, I was thinking we just we just didn’t have a halfway workable lineup and I felt even worse than I felt back before the season started. It was a first win with a very sparse Wolfpack crowd on hand to witness it. There was was really no introduction of a first year coach in his first real game, and it left me thinking that Sidney Lowe had been hung out to dry and didn’t stand a chance. That first game left me with the feeling that NCSU and it’s fans just weren’t really interested in basketball anymore.

    That night, and the 3 1/2 drive home, was my lowest point of the season. Even with it’s potholes, this season has had a underlying tone of optimism all the way through. I am amazed at how that has been accomplished, especially when I think back on walking out of an empty RBC after that very first night.

  8. Gene 03/01/2007 at 10:11 AM #

    BTW, on the radio last night they said Albritton was a senior but with another year of eligibility but has chosen to move on instead of sticking around to use that last year.

    Albritton is graduating in three years, so tonight will be his last night with NCSU in Raleigh, so he’s been considered a senior, though he is only in his third year of college.

    I’d feel a lot better about the NIT bid if we could win at least one game in the tournament.

    I hope it doesn’t come down to that. We have three wins against top 25 teams. I hope that’s enough to get us over the top. If the ACC tournament wasn’t in Florida, I’d be more optimistic about winning the Thursday game, but playing in that state has jinxed us in two games this year.

    Maybe everyone’s thinking about going to Disney World, instead of playing basketball, but our games in Florida have been horrible.

  9. NCSUownzJoo 03/01/2007 at 10:16 AM #

    Albritton is a Jr. with one year of eligibility left and he has chosen not to be with the team next year, probably because he won’t see any playing time… ever.

  10. Mr O 03/01/2007 at 10:35 AM #

    Good observations Choppack. Totally agree on the atmoshphere last night. It was totally dead, but very representative of the type of game that was being played.

    I forget which game it was recently where Costner took his first right handed hook, but it was last week I think. Anyways, if he develops that right hand in the off-season, then he has a great chance to make all-ACC next season.

  11. Red_Terrors 03/01/2007 at 10:39 AM #

    ^Interesting comment Mr O. Last night the announcers on ESPNU (who I think did the best job of any this year on any network) said that the only thing Costner does left-handed is play basketball. They said he writes right-handed, plays baseball right-handed, etc.

  12. BigRed 03/01/2007 at 10:44 AM #

    Here’s a tinyURL version of the Mike Jarvis link from Dan:

    http://tinyurl.com/2kp3tp

    I read that Albritton love the area and expects to stay in Raleigh. Does his early departure have any effect on the scholarship availability picture?

  13. choppack1 03/01/2007 at 10:45 AM #

    O – Yea, I think I saw him do that against either Carolina or FSU.

    I think it’s easy for us to forget about how good this kid has been this year. If Brandon Wright wasn’t in the league – and wasn’t one of those once in a lifetime players, Costner would be a unanimous choice for rookie of the year.

    Tony Haynes said last year (before the injury) that Costner would break scoring records at NC State. AFter watching him that year and early this year, I didn’t think so. However, his game is really coming on. I’m hoping he doesn’t go pro THIS year.

    Next year, w/ more depth and hopefully more consistent guard play, Costner can make a bid for conference player of the year.

  14. GoldenChain 03/01/2007 at 10:47 AM #

    Hey hionlowe, we’re 15-13 now, if we lose Saturday and in the 1st round of the ACC (both of which are highly likely) then lose a 1st round game in the NIT then Lowe starts off with a losing record. Personally I don’t want him to start that way.
    After 28 years in the WPC and all the ball game tickets I’ve bought I think I’ve earned the right to my opinion. If I wanted to read the proverbial circle jerk I’d go to Pack xxxxx, I prefer to listen to different ideas and perspectives, some of which may not always be rah-rah or that I may not agree with. Thought that was the point of this higher level blog in the first place.
    However, if the Pack can catch fire and pull off a couple W’s and insure that Lowe cannot have a losing season then OK, the NIT would be fine with me. I’ve been to several NIT games back at Wm. N Reynolds.

  15. gopack968 03/01/2007 at 11:18 AM #

    You have to think that having an opening round at a facility like the RBC Center and a fan base like NC State’s will always help us on the “NIT Bubble.”

    Let’s just hope this is the last year we ever have to worry about that…

  16. TNCSU 03/01/2007 at 11:29 AM #

    From what I hear about the crowd last night, we need some help in the “fan base” area!!

  17. packbackr04 03/01/2007 at 11:43 AM #

    no wen need help in getting out of that shitty arena… its s pro sports arena not a tobacco road basketball coliseum. we need to go back to reynolds and Kay Yow Court FOR GOOD

  18. Dan 03/01/2007 at 12:01 PM #

    “no wen need help in getting out of that shitty arena”

    No, as fans, we need to get into that arena. Anyone who attended the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year know how loud that place can get if its filled with emotional people. Its insane.

  19. redfred2 03/01/2007 at 1:04 PM #

    I’m not bashing here, but the complacency that we’re witnessing right now, is somewhat justified. There is a balance in area like the triangle, and when grown ups, and children especially, don’t have a program/players that they can get excited about, then they just move on down the road to next spot on the ACC landscape. It’s not exactly right or fair to Sidney Lowe and company, but they don’t have a legion of faithful fans now. They are just going to play through it, and start tipping those scales back in the right direction.

  20. VaWolf82 03/01/2007 at 1:19 PM #

    we need to go back to reynolds and Kay Yow Court FOR GOOD

    Of all of the stupid things that I have read on NC State BB, this has to rank near the top. It only adds to my amazement the number of times I see this same silliness repeated each season.

    You do realize that State has sold LTR’s to specific seats at the RBC?

    You do realize that State AVERAGED about 2000 attendees more per game last year than would ever fit into Reynolds?

  21. VaWolf82 03/01/2007 at 1:21 PM #

    There is a balance in area like the triangle, and when grown ups, and children especially, don’t have a program/players that they can get excited about, then they just move on down the road to next spot on the ACC landscape.

    I don’t believe this for a second. I do believe that people stay away when “their” team isn’t doing well….but I seriously doubt that even WalMart fans switch teams like you suggest.

  22. Thompson44 03/01/2007 at 1:25 PM #

    I have not seen the box score of the game but at halftime Fells had only played 3 minutes. I wanted to know what the reasoning is behind this and if he got more minutes in the second half?????

  23. RickJ 03/01/2007 at 1:52 PM #

    ^Clark & Neiman started instead of Fells. They both played better than anticipated so it took a while before Fells came in. He picked up two fouls in 3 minutes and sat out the rest of the half.

    Fells started the second half and played normal minutes. He played very poorly – bad passes, bad shots and weak defense. To his credit, he worked through the period and finished the game very strong. With 8 or 9 minutes left in game, Wake cut it to 6 when Fells went around a screen and sank a terrific 3 point shot. This was probably the biggest shot of the game. He later had a monster dunk off a great pass from Costner.

  24. TNCSU 03/01/2007 at 2:13 PM #

    ^^You do realize that State has sold LTR’s to specific seats at the RBC?

    You do realize that State AVERAGED about 2000 attendees more per game last year than would ever fit into Reynolds?

    I concur, the RBC is a great place, but any chance we can get a NOISE METER in there? I used to love that thing!! Also, I think they should run shuttles back and forth from campus before and after the games. Just a thought….

  25. wfmzdj 03/01/2007 at 2:24 PM #

    My biggest problems with the RBC is not the arena but the lack of enthusiam by the fans. Last night when they did the most jacked up fan everyone looked asleep. If the people in the lower level are not going to come or not going to make noise give me your seats. Another thing that irks me is fans getting there late and then leaving early. Last night we had less than a 10 point lead with 5 mins to go and tons of people were leaving. Come on. The game was not over and it was senior night. Stay and support your team. I have a 2 hour drive to come to the games and I don’t leave. EVER. And I didn’t even go to school at State. As much as I hate Duke look at them. There fans are there 30 mins before the game and are going crazy whether winning or losing for the ENTIRE game.

    I think this team (most of the year) has been fun to watch and thank you to the fans, like me, who stay for the entire game. Heres to a long ACC tourney run.

    GO PACK!!

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