WRAL’s sports site has a couple of articles of interest:
Ken Medlin: Starters Need To Thaw A Frigid Offense
The Pack actually played better with their starters on the bench.
Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley, Trevor Ferguson and Farnold Degand – all four of them starters — combined to score a grand total of five points in the second half.
Five.
Barry Jacobs: Lowe, Pack Looking for Right Fit
Lowe’s search for viable options was evident against FSU as both coaches sifted through their benches like shoppers rifling racks of ready-to-wear clothing to find something that would fit. Lowe employed 10 different players for at least 11 minutes each. Hamilton used nine.
[...]
While the newcomers prospered, more familiar options were discarded. Javi Gonzalez, last year’s starter at point, played three minutes and looked so out of sync he seemed almost relieved when he was yanked from the game. Degand, touted as the playmaker of the future when he was recovering from injury, continued to be ineffective.
Only Mays appears capable of attacking a defense off the dribble or creating opportunities for others. “Julius, he’s solid,†Lowe said. “He’s a point guard, he knows how to play the position. He’s a smart player.â€
Nearly every column I have seen covering this game seems to say the same thing: that NC State’s starters didn’t do their jobs and that the young players off of the bench did.
Perhaps it is time to reverse the roles and force the upperclassmen to earn their time on the court.
