Bad Trendlines Heading Into Tonight (Updated – 5:00)

1) Boston College lost 6 consecutive games leading into last week’s game with NC State, then beat the Pack at home by 17. In its next game, BC lost to last-place Virginia. At home.

2) Clemson came into Raleigh with only one ACC road win (at last place Virginia, which has beaten no ACC foe other than BC). It left Raleigh with two. In their next game, the Tiggers were soundly thumped at Florida State.

3) UNC struggled mightily in its first few games without Ty Lawson (out with an ankle sprain). After last Saturday’s 39-point mauling of Virginia Tech, it looks like the Tarheels have finally adjusted.

4) Prior to the previous meeting in Chapel Hill, Roy Williams offered his charges no training table for dinner, noting that he would “rather not eat than lose to State.” A focused and motivated UNC team is not what the doctor ordered.

5) As I noted in more detail three years ago, I absolutely hate Wednesdays. They are nothing but bad luck – and State needs all the mojo it can get.

6) How close is Wolfpack Nation (at least the student portion) to complete surrender? As 850 the Buzz notes, the Technician didn’t even have the heart to publish its traditional “Daily Tar Hell” gameday edition. Even during the dark ages of Les’ reign, we at least were up for making fun of UNC’s effete nature.

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.

07-08 Basketball NCS Basketball

62 Responses to Bad Trendlines Heading Into Tonight (Updated – 5:00)

  1. Sweet jumper 02/20/2008 at 12:37 PM #

    Come on Pack. Draw some early fouls on Travels Hopsbourough, force Roy to take him out and kick their collective asses back to the Old Well.

  2. Sweet jumper 02/20/2008 at 12:38 PM #

    Sorry. I forgot that the refs don’t call fouls (or travelling) on Hopalong.

  3. choppack1 02/20/2008 at 12:45 PM #

    BJD – We just wear these teams down w/ our speed, physicality and athleticism.

    Clemson’s blowout loss to FSU surprised me. Oh well, I’m already in spring football mode.

    I actually didn’t even watch much of the game on Saturday. Opting instead to do yardwork and listen on the radio. I hadn’t intentionally avoided a game on TV since we played at BC and blew them out when Herb was here. Didn’t work this time. I’ll watch the game tonight.

    All I can say is that this is damn depressing.

  4. Trip 02/20/2008 at 12:46 PM #

    Why must you tell me about these trends BEFORE I leave to go to the game? Can’t you post them at say… 5:30, when I leave? That way I atleast have a little hope.

    Things we can hope for:

    1: Costner not dining on Whitecastle, because he’d rather “Beat Carolina than eat another Whitecastle.”
    2: Fells realizing that he has this unnatural athletic ability that allows him to dunk in anyones face as well as hit 3’s.
    3: Javi sees Lawson and remembers how he got punked, goes crazy for 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the teams first triple double.
    4: Harris is put in and given one order “Make them feel pain”
    5: Hansbro travels. Yes, this may be the most unlikely of my 5… but I have dreams you see… dreams.

  5. RickJ 02/20/2008 at 12:48 PM #

    Going into our game with Clemson, James Mays of Clemson had shot 5 three point shots during the season. Not surprisingly, he had missed all 5 – he shoots a sizzling 51% from the foul line. Of course against us, he hoists up a three that hit nothing but net.

    K. C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby hit two amazing 3 point shots in the last 2 minutes of our game. My hats go off to them for making such clutch shots with the game on the line. Naturally their amazing performance is followed by this line from their game last night against FSU – a combined 1 for 14 from behind arc.

    Quentin Thomas is currently shooting 20% from the 3 point line. Look for old Q to go about 4 for 5 tonight.

    BJD: We certainly do have a tenency to cure whatever is ailing our opponent.

  6. LRM 02/20/2008 at 12:54 PM #

    I don’t think the QT, aka the Chosen One, will be playing tonight. That dadgum flu bug going around.

  7. Pack84 02/20/2008 at 12:56 PM #

    Tonight may well be the first time in my life I’ve ever intentionally avoided watching us vs. the fairy blues. Hopefully I’ll regret it tomorrow, but I just don’t think I can take the pain and embarassment of watching us absorb yet another blow out loss to these guys.

    Don’t mean to bring anybody down, but I too have officially given up on this season and look forward (ONCE AGAIN!) to next year.

    Spring football started yet?

  8. CarnifeX 02/20/2008 at 1:00 PM #

    I wonder if there was some karma lost (or gained) here…

    http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/955055.html

    If you’re gonna go; GO STRONG, PAINT THE WHOLE MFer. Come on.

  9. WolftownVA81 02/20/2008 at 1:01 PM #

    We’ll, my wife has convinced me to skip out on work and make the 4 hour trek to see this game. I’m not feeling good about it but I’m going to try and watch without getting too wrapped up in it. I don’t have much emotional energy to expend so I’ll just cheer knowing the outcome is pretty much a given but will be thrilled if it turns out otherwise. She’s has told me if I keep bitching she’s not coming to anymore games so for selfish reasons, I have to make a real effort to be as positive as possible. Hope we do see the red blazer along with a high energy level and 110% effort from every player for all 40 minutes plus OT if needed. If we ever deperately needed a win, this is it. Forget how the season has gone thus far or what our record might end up being – Lets play for some respect – Go Pack!

  10. McPete 02/20/2008 at 1:02 PM #

    “Fells realizing that he has this unnatural athletic ability that allows him to dunk in anyones face as well as hit 3’s”

    i think in the 1st game he did ‘realize’ this, and tried to launch from the FT line (ala Jordan) and missed the dunk. but he’s the best shooter on the team and it’d be great if he could knock down 4 3’s. costner is due for a few 3’s as well.

  11. Rochester 02/20/2008 at 1:02 PM #

    We have a chance, because I can’t watch it tonight. Might catch the tail end, but I’ll miss most of it. Since God is personally punishing me, maybe if I’m not watching they’ll win. Of course, that didn’t work on Saturday when I missed the Clemson game. We went instead to the Bucknell/Holy Cross game. And of course Bucknell lost. Because God hates me and every team I root for.

  12. Trip 02/20/2008 at 1:07 PM #

    “i think in the 1st game he did ‘realize’ this, and tried to launch from the FT line (ala Jordan) and missed the dunk. but he’s the best shooter on the team and it’d be great if he could knock down 4 3’s. costner is due for a few 3’s as well.”

    Hahahah, I remember watching that launch… man, if he was only 3 inches closer he would have made it and it would have been the #1 highlight on ESPN.

  13. BillyVest 02/20/2008 at 1:11 PM #

    Because God hates me and every team I root for.

    I share your pain.

  14. Wulfpack 02/20/2008 at 1:14 PM #

    I predict Fells to have a monster game. Costner will score more than a point and have more than a rebound, so that will be an improvement. Ben Mac will yell and scream, I just hope he brought his hook shot along with him. Gavin will dunk over Danny Green.

    For UNC, watch for some no name walk on to come in and bury about 5 threes, the last putting them ahead with about 2 seconds left. Either that or Hansbrough will go about 25-30 from the line. “Hack-a-bro”.

    In all seriousness, we will be in this thing come crunch time. Just hope we don’t throw it away again.

  15. beowolf 02/20/2008 at 1:17 PM #

    BillyVest, we’re just in a time of testing.

    A real, real, real, REAL long time of testing. Verily we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death …

  16. Rochester 02/20/2008 at 1:20 PM #

    beowolf, when do the little Heelies and Dukies get tested? Or was it just for the Doherty and Gaudet years, because that’s hardly fair?

  17. eas 02/20/2008 at 1:27 PM #

    Trip, that was a very good summary. The best part of the entire thing was dreaming of Hanswalk actually being called for a walk! I have seen it happen, once….But they were at home last week and I think the ref. realized after he blew the wistle it couldn’t call a walk on the defense….Although he gave it some thought.

    I just hope some of the pine players get a shot tonight. Fergie, Smith, Harris all deserve more time for their efforts. Plus, they can ALL offer 15 hard fouls on airwalk himself.

  18. eas 02/20/2008 at 1:28 PM #

    oops…Whistle

  19. beowolf 02/20/2008 at 1:34 PM #

    Billy, hell if I know.

  20. PackGirl 02/20/2008 at 1:55 PM #

    I just read on gopack.com that Handsblo has been playing with an infected toe nail of all things!! Poor guy, how he does suffer. I hope JJ doesn’t “accidentally” stomp I mean step on his foot tonight…

    http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=1392992

  21. RAWFS 02/20/2008 at 1:58 PM #

    A real, real, real, REAL long time of testing. Verily we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death …

    It takes the patience of Job to be a State fan.

    But forget Job. There’s an old poster, maybe you’ve seen it before. It has a couple of buzzards sitting on a cactus, and one is looking to the other ands says “Patience, hell; I’m going to go out and kill something….”

    That’s how I feel (figuratively) and I hope that the Wolfpack can somehow, someway pull one out.

    Thing is, I don’t expect it and five minutes after it’s over it won’t hurt a bit. State hoops has let me down so many times I expect it now. And I try so hard to be an optimist!

  22. roandaddy 02/20/2008 at 2:02 PM #

    if we can keep it under 30 by half.. we should be ok.

  23. LRM 02/20/2008 at 2:02 PM #

    Hickson just picked up his first foul. Hansbrough goes to the line to shoot two.

  24. packpigskinfan23 02/20/2008 at 2:05 PM #

    cosnter will have a big game… he only tries when we play Carolina and Duke.

  25. ncstu 02/20/2008 at 2:06 PM #

    What a defeated msg board today….fellas, hang in there. I sense one of our big-time hammas tonight. Costner and Fells combine for 35 and Hickson blocks 3 of Hanssisters feeble attempts. WE WIN TONIGHT…GTY.

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