Big Ben Beats The Clock (NC State 67, Wake 65)

07-08 Basketball149

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Take THAT ghost of Chris Paul and the decade where NC State couldn’t win a close game if our life depended on it!

BEFORE the last play of the game, I had already written the following for the postgame entry –

Player of the game – Ben McCauley. He did a lot of things in the second half that were obviously huge…but he also made a ton of decisions that don’t show up in the box score. The little things like not rushing in-bounds passes that result in turnovers. Like not only coming up with loose balls, but immediately making the right play with the loose balls that he recovers.

Then…the last play of the game happend. UNBELIEVABLE!! UNBELIEVABLE!!

Some quick bytes:

There are a lot of differences between NC State’s basketball program under Sidney Lowe compared to Herb Sendek – some of them good; some of them not as good.

But, nowhere is the difference between the team more evident than in two areas that were highly evident today: (1) NC State’s sudden ability to win close (and exciting) games, and (2) NC State’s sudden ability to beat Wake Forest.

* Coach Lowe extended his record to 3-0 against State’s Big Four rival as his program is now a respectable 5-5 against Big Four competition since taking over the program.

* In a year and a half, Coach Lowe has amassed half the number of regular season wins over Wake Forest as the Wolfpack’s previous coach did in an entire decade as he compiled just a 6-14 regular season record against the Demon Deacons.

* NC State advances to 10-5 in games played on Super Sundays.

* NC State advances to 13-7 and 3-4 in the ACC. The win improved the Wolfpack’s RPI improved to #43 against the 34th toughest schedule in all of America. State hosts surging #63 Virginia Tech (14-8, 5-3) on Tuesday night with a chance to even our ACC record at .500.

* I REPEAT the comments that I made after the big Miami win earlier this year.

What I am about to say is actually pretty sad, but unfortunately true — I think tonight’s win over Miami [insert Wake Forest] may have represented the most exciting win in ESA/RBC Center history. Last year’s win over Carolina clearly ranks as the “best” win by nature of their national ranking, the style & excitement in which the game was played and the fact that it was Carolina. But, tonight’s win at the buzzer bests anything else that I can remember in the RBC. Others that immediately come to mind would be Justin Gainey’s shot to beat Maryland and the ESA’s opening night against Georgia.

* From 2000-2006 I tried to tell some of you that ACC Basketball should be more fun than it was for NC State and I was castigated. From 2000-2006 I tried to tell some of you that NC State’s record in close games and inability to compete in clutch time was abnormal. From 1993-2006 I tried to tell some of you that the prominence of Wake Forest’s basketball program compared to NC State’s was unacceptable and completely out of step with decades of history. I would like to thank Coach Lowe and the entire team for giving us fans some actual success in the midst of challenges and close games and for making home games FUN for the fans again!

* Javi Gonzalez continues to improve exponentially. I could only imagine what kind of surprises this team could pull if Degand was healthy and had Gonzalez backing him up.

* Wake Forest’s Harvey Hale not only WALKED when he slid with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, he also DOUBLE DRIBBLED as he used the ball to stop his fall then recovered and then dribbled to his left. That means that the ball hit the floor. Stopped. And was put back into play. Ultimately the Demon Deacons couldn’t convert and JJ Hickson rebounded and stepped to the free throw line (and missed two big ones).

* FREE THROWS, FREE THROWS, FREE THROWS – Gavin Grant and JJ Hickson combined to go 1 of 4 from the free throw line with less than a minute to go and ultimately alllowed Wake Forest to tie the game with a drive to the basket with 5.2 seconds left.

* We had first half comments in this entry. The key comment was the first one as the second half of today’s game marked a buge different

Simple reason why NC State is not winning this game – SHOOTING. It’s not just that State only hit 2 of 11 three pointers (both by Courtney Fells. It is that State missed/bricked multiple WIDE OPEN threes – at least three of which were from the top of the key where it doesn’t get any easier. If the offense creates wide open threes then the guys have GOT to hit them.

…More to come…

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07-08 Basketball

149 Responses to Big Ben Beats The Clock (NC State 67, Wake 65)

  1. newt 02/03/2008 at 6:13 PM #

    I think he’s telling them to do the “wolf sign” to the fans.

  2. beowolf 02/03/2008 at 6:16 PM #

    BJD:
    Not to be a wet blanket, but we were very lucky that today’s opponent was Wake Forest. A good (or even decent) team kicks our freaking teeth in.

    Not to be a Pollyanna, but we were very unlucky that Thursday’s opponent was Duke. A bad (or even decent) team would have had their freaking teeth kicked in.

    Some things to keep in perspective:

    1. It was a win. By one or by 31, it doesn’t matter. For the second time in three games, this team overcame a significant deficit to win.

    2. Wake Forest was ahead of us in the ACC standings. This win keeps us in the thick of things.

    3. See No. 1; repeat as necessary.

  3. JeremyH 02/03/2008 at 6:17 PM #

    ShootingGuard: I think the first-half Duke game showed us what we “can be”, heck many on here were crowning Javi an ACC-caliber point guard after that. And we would like to see the team strive for that level of play each time out, so our letdown was a natural one. We don’t get critical for the sake of it, we want to see the team to keep sight of that marker, and when we see a regression, it naturally is frustrating. Sure we may not end up great, but with Javi showing improvement and more potential than we first though, we could “potentially” still be very good.

  4. BJD95 02/03/2008 at 6:18 PM #

    It’s not a matter of “talent” that keeps us from being ready to play at the opening tip, or from diving for loose balls, or blocking out. That “talent index” from a few weeks back ranked State as 3rd in the ACC in talent. Fells was a top 50 guy.

    I didn’t expect us to be GREAT – but I do think that we could at least be pretty good if we got our minds right. That’s what frustrates me.

    Our biggest problem on offense is the lack of a secondary ballhandler. Fells is a lousy passer, and Grant a suspect dribbler. Neither has a backup that is so much as serviceable really.

  5. redfred2 02/03/2008 at 6:54 PM #

    “The claim that “we need to see XXXX play” has to be one of the silliest statements ever posted on the internet.”

    I basically agree with that statement, but only in the context of the way this particular team has played thus far in this particular this season. We do need seviceable players with some valuable, close game experience, coming in off the bench more often. If not for this season, for those following. But instead, we’re scratching and clawing every step of the way against teams like UNO, ECU, WCU, and etc. The problem has been that this group doesn’t have a killer instinct, they play just enough to stay in the game. There hasn’t ever been enough of a consistent effort, or any breathing room, that would allow the coach an ability to ease those players into the lineup for a minute or two here and there.

    That isn’t on any one player, or any one coach, but it is something that they ALL need to W O R K on.

  6. Dr. BadgerPack 02/03/2008 at 7:43 PM #

    I saw effort across the board today, which was a refreshing change of pace. The biggest negative was the inability to nail down WIDE-FRIGGIN’-OPEN jump shots. That just can’t happen. Wake made it a very competetive game by hitting some very questionable shots– some of the crap McFarland threw up springs to mind. That said, we cannot count on teams missing shots if we want to consistently win.

    Oh, and the officials sucked. Big time. (Wait, can I say that if we won the game? Yes, I can– since I recognize incompetence when I see it.)

  7. WolfEyes 02/03/2008 at 7:57 PM #

    I was at the game today. Most of the regular seats were occupied but attendance in the student sections behind the goals was awful. There were only about 8 rows of students. I know it is superbowl sunday but the game was well over before any superbowl pregame stuff. This is mighty disappointing, however, at halftime my 7 year old and I drifted down from the rafters in section 326 to the student seats and had an awesome look at the last play. My son will never forget the last second heroics of our team on this “Super Sunday”

  8. choppack1 02/03/2008 at 8:05 PM #

    It will be interesting to see if Trevor will continue to get minutes and be productive. In addition to the 3, he also had a key assist and a steal.

    I will say this – for the most part Fells played good D on Teague. Talk about young teams – the Deacs started 2 freshman, 2 sophomores – and bring in one of the better recruiting classes in the country.

    I’ve got to think we have as much a possible upside as anyone in the conference. Right now, we’re 3-4, breaking in a new PG, w/out McCauley and Costner being as good as last year. We’ll see, 8-8 will be great for this team. (7-9 won’t be too bad.)

  9. Keystone 02/03/2008 at 8:14 PM #

    While I agree student attendance was way below where it should be, I think some error with the online system exacerbated the problem. I know when I originally requested a ticket, I was assigned a seat in the 300 level, yet one end of the court was almost completely empty today. It’s not just an issue of students getting worse seats because of the system, but it makes our school look bad when there is a wide open section with no students.

  10. redfred2 02/03/2008 at 8:20 PM #

    On Trevor Ferguson…

    It’s funny to me how people can better tolerate mistake after mistake from someone who just looks the part.

  11. Dr. BadgerPack 02/03/2008 at 8:23 PM #

    Redfred, he may make mistake after mistake, but today he gets his credit. That 3 was absolutely friggin huge. Give the tomato his day to ripen in the sun.

  12. wolfonthehill 02/03/2008 at 8:25 PM #

    This is the kind of game that we simply didn’t win for about 15 years. If there was a question about the clock, it went against us. If there was a question about whether we scored in time, we didn’t. If there was one possession where we needed to score to win, we would not only not score, but we’d leave the other team enough time to score & beat us.

    This year is different. This team is different.

    Yes, they get their asses blown off the court occasionally. Those teams are simply better, and something highly unusual will have to happen for us to win one of those games.

    But in the games that are close… that come down to the wire… this team finds a way to win.

    THAT is NC State’s tradition. THAT is the legend of Jimmy V.

    Damn, it’s good to have it back again.

  13. Sweet jumper 02/03/2008 at 8:34 PM #

    Whoever wants Trevor at point guard has a short memory. Last year he was the human turnover. I think he deserves some minutes at shooting guard but not at the point. Let Javi keep maturing.

    Good win. We again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Ben Mac redeemed the shortcomings of JJ and GG at the foul line in the final minute.

    I talked to a member of the radio crew today who has attended several practices on the road this season, and he says that our problem is absolutely not the coach. He says that Lowe runs well organized practices and comprehensively goes over the game plan and the fundamentals to implement the game plan. He says that the players seem to get it in practice, but in the games they sometimes revert to old habits and abandon the game plan. There are not enough timeouts available to keep them on track with the game plan every possession. I truly believe that we will see marked improvement in discipline and execution as more of Voldemort’s(HWSNBN) players use up their eligibility and Sid has a complete roster of his recruits.

    We were way overrated in the preseason and we as fans were overly confident and optimistic(unrealistic). Last year we were not a very good team for most of the year with a good run in the postseason. Any improvement over 5-11 in the ACC this year should be regarded as progress.

    GO PACK!

  14. redfred2 02/03/2008 at 8:39 PM #

    Dr B, you misunderstood, I was saying that players other than Ferguson have been allowed much MORE than their fair share of mistakes up until now, but let Fergie turn it over just once, and all you hear is…”What the hell is Ferguson doing in there?”

    He appears slow, maybe he is slow, but he can pass and he can shoot, and I believe given the proper playing time if there is ever any available and within limits, he may develop into a CONSISTENT contributor in spots.

    He’s just a very, very, very, late bloomer.

  15. beowolf 02/03/2008 at 10:14 PM #

    Trust me, Dr. Badger — no one’s going to call you out for criticizing the officials in this game.

  16. ADVENTEROO 02/03/2008 at 10:27 PM #

    I did NOT get any takers to sell their tickets in my recent post that took on a whining tone…

    However, we did LACK for fans today…the RBC should have been filled to capacity for a BIG FOUR GAME…

    Having said that….

    IT WAS GREAT…My wife and daughter were thrilled…I could not have been prouder…

    Ole’ MacDonald never sounded better.

    OK…

    All you folks who have connections to the team and the administration….

    I would REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE TEAM STAY ON THE FLOOR FOR THE ALMA MATER…

    McCauley was awesome….Trevor was a terror…I am at a loss to come up with enough superlatives for Grant’s Senior leadership…

    Way to go PACK…

  17. LRM 02/03/2008 at 10:31 PM #

    I hope we always play at home on February 3rd. A year ago today we beat Carolina at the RBC.

    Exciting and encouraging win guys. It’s time to focus on VPI and staving off any hangover from this emotional win.

  18. Texpack 02/03/2008 at 10:44 PM #

    Survive and advance. We could stand to recruit some shooters. The college game is dominated by the 3 pointer. Gonzales is coming along. Thank goodness Sid made the decision to go with Ben over Costner in the last few games. Remember that we can easily finish with an RPI in the low 40’s or high 30’s by going 8-8. That will get us in the big dance. Hopefully the Houston regional where I have tickets.

  19. Primewolf 02/03/2008 at 10:44 PM #

    As noted above, there were no students at the south end. What is the excuse???

    Everyone raves about Hickson, but he makes a ton of mistakes, and generally had a horrible defensive game. The coaches need to run him ragged until he learns how to shoot a free throw. Half of the time he just throws it up there. The other times he looks like he is concentrating and shows good form. I know he young, but he needs work.

  20. Stoner 02/03/2008 at 10:51 PM #

    I agree on Hickson not being NBA ready. He has some potential, but the NBA usually takes true freshman, if they demonsrated superlative skils like Carmello Anthony and Kevin Durant, have incredible athleticism and skills like Greg Oden, or have tremendous athleticism, and some skills, which is worth takeing a risk on them and giving them a year or two to develop, like Chris Bosch and Brandon Wright.

    Hickson has shown some good skills around the basket, but he’s not going to survive in the NBA on his athleticism. He’s just not jumping over everybody and he’s not strong enough to overpower anyone in the NBA. He really needs to stay in college and work on his rough edges.

    Someone in the NBA might try and take a chance on him, but if he’s not close to being ready, no team will pay him millions to learn on their dime.

  21. brown pelican 02/03/2008 at 11:02 PM #

    shooting guard is correct when he proclaims that our outside shooting and defense must improve if we are to become the program that we all believe we can be again—the college game is won from the outside in—as far as the leadership issue and the point guard position—i agree with jeremy h—let’s not sell javi out until we give him a chance to grow—it should be his job to lose from here on out—as far as ben is concerned—no one since guglliotta has played in a pack uniform with that intensity and ability—as for el sid—we played outr best basketball at the end of the season—a mark of a fine coach—let’s do it again this year coach—go pack

  22. PurplePeopleEaters 02/03/2008 at 11:10 PM #

    The whole ferguson issue needs to be put to rest. He is fine where he is right now.. if Fells is in foul trouble, he can go in and rotate with Horner. If not, I would rather have Fells in there 100% of the time. Don’t even suggest playing him at the point.. We saw how that went last year.

  23. ShootingGuard 02/03/2008 at 11:33 PM #

    “It’s not a matter of “talent” that keeps us from being ready to play at the opening tip, or from diving for loose balls, or blocking out.”

    Gonzalez has hustled all season long. It doesn’t matter how many loose balls he jumps at, he is still going to be at a disadvantage versus Sean Singletary. He is still going to have trouble keeping Ty Lawson in front of him. Again, when your point can’t get you into your offense, you don’t get off to a fast start as was the case today as Johnson struggled early. When your point gets torched by quicker guards off the dribble as happened early today with both Johnson and Gonzalez, you start off down. When your big guys have to constantly peel off to help because your points keep getting torched off the dribble, it is kind of hard to get position for the rebound against the opponent’s big guys while simultaneously having to stop the other team’s guards who have blown past your guards.

    “That “talent index” from a few weeks back ranked State as 3rd in the ACC in talent.”

    I am fairly certain that no one in the country ranked our point guards as 3rd in the ACC, or even our backcourt as a whole # 3 in the ACC. The media and State fans completely overlooked what happens when your team loses its point guard. Remember Wake after Chris Paul left? Were Eric Williams and Justin Gray “top 50”? Why did they fall so far? Because having a lot of talent at other positions doesn’t mean as much if you don’t have a straw to stir the drink…

    “Fells was a top 50 guy…Our biggest problem on offense is the lack of a secondary ballhandler. Fells is a lousy passer, and Grant a suspect dribbler. Neither has a backup that is so much as serviceable really.”

    “Top 50” Fells spent a lot of today on the bench with fouls, although it sounds like Fells’ top 50 ranking overlooked the weaknesses you point out. It also sounds like we lack some TALENT since our wings can’t dribble and have no backups. Let’s summarize your thoughts and mine: Lose Atsur. Degand blows out knee. Johnson and Gonzalez are both freshmen. Johnson can’t drive or shoot. Gonzalez tries his ass off and is getting better, but he still does not have a high D1 frame or high D1 speed. Fells and Grant are lousy passers who can’t dribble. And there are no real backups for any of these guys…Sounds like # 3 talent right behind Duke and UNC to me…Why is it any surprise that a team with this kind of talent has to scratch and claw to win games? Do you think any college coaches in America would kill to have Fire and Ice, aka Gonzalez and Ferguson, leading their team with 6 minutes to go in an ACC rivalry game?

    “I didn’t expect us to be GREAT – but I do think that we could at least be pretty good if we got our minds right. That’s what frustrates me.”

    I agree with a lot of what you say, I just think you miss how hard it is to get your mind “right” when you are at a physical disadvantage every night without a lead guard playing 4vs5 for a lot of the season (or 4 versus worse than that since other teams have backups at the positions you yourself said State doesn’t) and without shooting or penetrators or backups at key positions.

    If State can win Tuesday night, then they will be doing “pretty good.”

  24. Rick 02/04/2008 at 8:28 AM #

    Good commetns from Shooting. Do you have ay idea what is going on wiht BC? It is more than just his “shot being off”. It looks like a player that has quit on his team and his coach.

    I am sure we will not see noah this thread, he has nothing to complain about. But it appears noah has stolen BJD’s login ID.

    We won, the refs sucked. T-Ferg played well when he was in but lets not go overboard. BC is still seeing too much playing time. Javi is improving (would be the best backup PG in the league if we could pull in Wall ;-). Oh and we won

  25. Rick 02/04/2008 at 8:30 AM #

    I also wanted to add that I cannot remember ever wanting a coach to succeed more than Sid.

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