The one where NC State beats a ranked team and Scott Wood becomes my hero

09-10 Basketball87

Did that really happen?

So it definitely wasn’t a perfect performance by any stretch of the imagination, but I must say watching NC State beat FSU Tuesday night was just what I needed. Tuesday’s performance by the Wolfpack proves what I’ve thought all season, NC State does in fact have the ability to compete with pretty much anybody in the ACC if it plays well. Combine that with the fact that the ACC is down, and you have the opportunity for NC State to win some games (even on the road) that some people think it shouldn’t.

That being said, here’s some highlights from the game.

  • Scott Wood poured in a career-high 31 points while going 7 of 11 from behind the arc. He also pulled down seven big rebounds during his 37 minutes (wow!). If Wood can keep his shot going and start to score more consistently, it could be huge for the overall success of the offense. As teams continue to try and shut Tracy Smith down, Wood and others on the outside are going to have to continue to shoot well.
  • NC State shot nearly 83% from the free throw line. Didn’t think I would ever see that this season, but once again this proves that the ability is there. Not a ton of excuses moving forward.
  • Jordan Vandenberg and Richard Howell combined for 11 rebounds off the bench and Howell scored seven points.

Although most of what you can say about Tuesday’s win is positive, there are some points where NC State can improve. The most important one is turnovers. The Pack had 18 TOs Tuesday and Javi Gonzalez had six. This has to stop, soon.

One other thing I’d like to see is the ability to get the ball to Tracy Smith in different ways because teams are going to continue to double and hope other guys don’t make shots. Smith went 1 of 8 from the field and only scored seven points. Eventually there will come a time when Smith is being doubled and Soctt Wood or someone else is clanging shots off the backboard. Versatility is always good.

For those interested, here’s the box.

Also, thanks to those of you who joined the LiveBlog chat we did via Cover It Live. We had nearly 300 readers in the chat room and it seemed like there were about 50 guys typing feverishly during NC State’s win. It makes the game fun to watch, IMO. I’m going to keep working at trying to integrate the chat box into the main site rather than having a link that takes you somewhere else. We’ll do it again.

It’s amazing how much better winning feels. Especially compared to this…

Sorry, couldn’t help it.

09-10 Basketball

87 Responses to The one where NC State beats a ranked team and Scott Wood becomes my hero

  1. Wulfpack 01/13/2010 at 2:19 PM #

    ^Javi seems to be getting progressivley worse with his decision making. 18 TO’s between Arizona, Florida and FSU. Somebody else said it first, but that has to stop. Good to see Degand pick up the slack.

  2. packfan03 01/13/2010 at 2:23 PM #

    Nice, someone else noticed “the one…”. I thought of “friends” as well, but thought no one would have considered it. I could go for Jennifer Anniston being our Ashley Judd…thoughts?

    Does it seem that we shoot with more confidence on the road?

  3. fullmoon1 01/13/2010 at 2:31 PM #

    I am really impressed that the team did not seem down from the previous loss, they started with a clean slate, they did not let foul trouble get them down, tehy contimued to make big stops on defense. These are all things that other tems have had throughout that we have lacked. Javi was valuable on defense last night and he has to ease up on turnovers, but he has no excuse becasue we have seen him do better. Like others have said on here, now that we know this team is good enough to beat an acc team on the road, there are no excuses so the criticism wil be harsh as it should be when there is a loss. I look for Horner to still log valuable minutes and play a signifigant role if he can shake this slump.

  4. VaWolf82 01/13/2010 at 2:32 PM #

    Every game that passes Lowe should be getting a better idea of what he has, and should be structuring his pre-game and in-game strategies around the strengths and weaknesses of his players. He might be starting to do that, but it needs to be observed over a larger body of work

    There are any number of ways to evaluate this “larger body of work”. Much time is spent discussing who is playing that should not be…as well as who should be playing more. Or maybe it’s rebounding, turnovers, assists, tempo-based stats, etc.

    I prefer a more “macro-level” view. There are many wins to win or lose a ball game. I just want State to win. I used to make fun of Herb’s weave and heave when another 10 minute scoring drought led to another loss. But I never criticized his P.O., just his results.

    I intend to use the same approach with Sid. I don’t care who he plays or what offense/defense he runs. All that matters is winning the right way.

  5. D_Medlin 01/13/2010 at 2:32 PM #

    ThinkPack17,

    No it wasn’t. haha.

    Sorry to disappoint.

  6. coach13 01/13/2010 at 2:35 PM #

    It’s a sign of the times when my 10 yr old son asked me, with about 15 seconds on the clock and a 7 point lead, “Do you think we’ll pull it out?”. That’s funny, I don’t care who you are.

    I don’t think Mays lacks confidence, I just don’t think he has a brain. He just does dumb stuff, like he turned off his brain..i.e. the pick at the top when he turned his back on the D. Usually the guys who show confidence even when they are playing like crap are too dumb to know. yea,yea I know thats mean. Still kudos for hitting the FT’s.

    Wood and Vandy are my favorite freshmen. Can we throw back CJ? Convince him to transfer to free up the scholarship?

  7. choppack1 01/13/2010 at 2:40 PM #

    “And Javi was a no show last night.”

    Unfortunately, Javi has not been playing focused enough. In both the Arizona game and the Florida game, he had some incredible stretches that made his #s look respectable. However, aside from those moments, against legit competition he’s making way too many mistakes.

    We can be a decent team if we can avoid having 6 TO’s from Javi every night out.

  8. fullmoon1 01/13/2010 at 2:41 PM #

    How about Farnold beating everyone down the floor off a throw in to get a fast break. He did that more than once.

  9. bradleyb123 01/13/2010 at 2:49 PM #

    It’s a sign of the times when my 10 yr old son asked me, with about 15 seconds on the clock and a 7 point lead, “Do you think we’ll pull it out?”. That’s funny, I don’t care who you are.

    That is funny. But true. I was wondering the same thing. When FSU hit those threes, and then we fouled them on a three point shot and he hit the free throws, I really started to wonder. Would the recent poor free throw shooting nights creep into our heads and make us start missing? They cut the lead to five. A couple of missed free throws and we’re quite possibly looking at overtime.

    But I don’t think this is so much an NC State problem as a problem in general with the game itself. The three point shot is too much of an equalizer in my opinion. It used to be a 12 point lead with a couple of minutes left was nearly a sure thing. But not any more. I still don’t like that the defense can commit a violation (a foul) and FORCE a team into offense that they may not want. Like shooting free throws. Maybe they would prefer to shoot a three, but they get fouled and they only get two free throws at the most. It’s like committing a personal foul in football, and forcing a team to attempt a FG instead of going for a touchdown.

    It makes basketball exciting to the end. But IMO if a team gets fouled they should have the option of retaining possession of the ball instead of shooting free throws. If the rules were fair, this would be the case. But they’d rather have exciting games instead of fairness. It is what it is. But that’s why the three is such an equalizer. You can trade 3 for 2 or 3 for 1 (or even 3 for zero!) and get back into a game quickly. All by committing fouls.

  10. Thinkpack17 01/13/2010 at 3:01 PM #

    ^Half of our offense was 3 pointers and late free throws. So I don’t know how much complaining we can do.

  11. bradleyb123 01/13/2010 at 3:06 PM #

    We benefited from it this time. But we’ve been victimized by it a time or two, as well. I’m speaking in general. I do like that basketball is exciting, but you really cannot relax until the game is over.

    And wouldn’t we have preferred to maintain possession as opposed to shooting free throws, right after our 11 point lead was cut to eight and we were fouled?

    Evidence for the unfairness of the fouling rules is that the team that is behind commits fouls near the end. It might end up hurting them, but all too often, they benefit from it. Fouling is their only hope. Fouling can actually lead to BENEFIT for the team committing the foul. I can’t think of where that happens in any other sport. What foul in football benefits the fouling team? A false start gives them another down, but technically, there was no play on a false start. Other than that, penalties only hurt the team committing the foul. In basketball, it only hurts you if the fouled player is able to hit a 15 foot shot under tremendous pressure.

  12. Thinkpack17 01/13/2010 at 3:16 PM #

    Dude you are speaking as a State fan. In most other games…8 points is more than enough down the stretch to win. A team should always benefit from getting fouled in hopes that the team makes a three on the other end. It’s a desperation strategy. If a team gives you the opportunity to get 2 free points only in hopes to shoot a three pointer that the whole gym knows is coming you should win. The fact that we let those gift wrapped wins slip through our fingers twice is our own fault. It does not reflect a problem with the game…it reflects a problem with us.

  13. Rick 01/13/2010 at 3:34 PM #

    “However, aside from those moments, against legit competition he’s making way too many mistakes”

    Javi seems to have trouble playing against speed. That is why I have said guard is a weak spot for us since the beginning even during those games he scored a lot. When he does it against top competition I will be ready to say he is the PG we need.

  14. triadwolf 01/13/2010 at 3:38 PM #

    Guys, as NC State fans you should never complain about fouling at the end of the game and how it helps the team that’s behind. We most likely would have one less banner in the rafters if not for that strategy and V may have been the first one to really prove it as a viable way to win a game.

  15. bradleyb123 01/13/2010 at 4:37 PM #

    Guys, as NC State fans you should never complain about fouling at the end of the game and how it helps the team that’s behind. We most likely would have one less banner in the rafters if not for that strategy and V may have been the first one to really prove it as a viable way to win a game.

    I’m happy for the banner, but that just proves exactly what I’m talking about. NC State and Valvano are probably single-handedly responsible for the “double-bonus” rule. Dean Smith is probably single-handedly responsible for the shot clock because of that boring “four corners” offense that he invented. That doesn’t mean anyone should be praising the virtues of the four corners as a viable way to win games, does it?

    I admitted the free throw rules make games exciting. But they’re not really right. Wouldn’t it be more fair to give a team the choice of shooting free throws or inbounding the ball? I mean, from a purely “fairness” perspective. The other team committed the foul. Why should that FORCE you into offense that you don’t want or need?

  16. Mike 01/13/2010 at 4:45 PM #

    If the team had a chance to inbound the ball instaead of shooting FT’s, NONE OF US WOULD WATCH. Team is up at the end, they will run clock and you will have no chance to catch up at all. If you foul and cna inbound the ball, shot clock resets and you dig even deeper into the time setting. The games would be become very boring with 2 minutes to go and I hope never happens.

  17. burnbarn 01/13/2010 at 4:46 PM #

    Good post 2009

    I looked over at the wife with about 5 mins left and asked I wonder how we are going to lose this game? This team did not wilt…stayed mentally focused and played with the intensity of a tied game. This cannot be overlooked and is one of the few times I have not seen us melt..especially with full court pressure and lots of foul shooting.
    I suspect the leader of this team will become Wood. He did it on both ends and did not give up on plays that we would have always just let happen.
    Now, we don’t have to win our next game but can this team show that kind of toughness 2 straight games. They now know what it takes to win and that they can do it. Can they repeat? It something not many state teams have done in our players lifetimes.

  18. bradleyb123 01/13/2010 at 5:11 PM #

    “If the team had a chance to inbound the ball instaead of shooting FT’s, NONE OF US WOULD WATCH.”

    I said it wouldn’t be as exciting. But there is still the shot clock, so you have to shoot pretty much until the last 30 seconds. I’m just saying the sport would be more fair if that’s how it worked.

    In football, teams get to take a knee to run out the last minute or so of clock sometimes. Now imagine if the other team grabbed a facemask, and forced that team to attempt a field goal. The way I see it, each team has the majority of the game to get ahead at the end, and it’s not right that a team can commit a violation and benefit from it in any way. It would be more fair, but it would be more boring.

    I didn’t mean to stay off topic this long. It’s a moot point anyway. I’m letting it go. You can have the last word! 🙂

  19. Khan 01/13/2010 at 5:13 PM #

    What the sport needs is computer assistance, the likes of which has not been seen since Coach K basketball for Sega.

  20. triadwolf 01/13/2010 at 5:22 PM #

    Traditionally, the game and rules evolve as coaches/players identify and exploit ways to use the existing rules to their advantage, i.e. the shot clock & double bonus. However, both those rule changes were primarily done to keep the game interesting to fans, not to keep the game fair. The only time you’ll see a major rule change is if ratings or attendence are affected, the Networks need more control over the length of the game, it creates opportunities for additional advertising, or it protects player safety. Unfortunately rule changes rarely have anything to do with “fair” anymore.

  21. JeremyH 01/13/2010 at 5:51 PM #

    right, if it did they would have raised the rims a while back. isn’t it ridiculous how taller players or players with above average jumping ability have a clear advantage than those that do not? (is it a surprise that the best all-around players of the game (Jordan, Kobe) are around 6-6 and have tremendous jumping ability for that size?) this also compromises the “fundamentals” of the game (shooting, passing, team concept). is it a surprise? no… and it has made basketball one of the most popular and lucrative sports ever (I’m guessing).

  22. tjfoose2 01/13/2010 at 6:27 PM #

    “NC State does in fact have the ability to compete with pretty much anybody in the ACC if it plays well. ”

    That’s a big ‘IF’, so forgive me if I hold my enthusiasm. I’ve been a ‘Pack fan for 25 years, so I know full well what it means to be a Wolfpack fan… broken heart after broken heart, just when you’re about to detach yourself emotionally for self-preservation, the ‘Pack will do something to pull you back in… only to set you up and rip out your heart one more time.

    Sometimes I feel like Michael Corleone, ““Every time I try to get out, they keep pulling me back in”. Not this time. Not yet.

  23. JeremyH 01/13/2010 at 6:53 PM #

    tjfoose2: nail + head

  24. bradleyb123 01/13/2010 at 7:04 PM #

    tjfoose2: Same here, but I’m not quite as willing to restrain my enthusiasm just because I’ve been burned before. I like what I see in the players we have now. I’m grounding my hopes because I expect a young team like ours to be inconsistent. But we have had flashes of very solid play. And we play the full 40 minutes (even if we get OUTPLAYED for some of those minutes). There’s no giving up with this team. We don’t roll over and give up the way we have in previous years.

    I think we have plenty to be hopeful for. And I’m not just talking about next year. I still have hopes for the postseason, and with a little good fortune, maybe even the REAL postseason (NCAAT).

  25. Wolfy__79 01/13/2010 at 7:10 PM #

    tjfoose, agreed but to ease your perspective a little. that’s the benefit of this season. this is a bonafied “rebuilding” process, not year, under Sid. no reason to get your hopes up this year. this kind of team will keep you leveled out unlike senor princetone offense. each year we were good enough to stay alive for a round or two in the ncaa’s. just reading over the messages thus far, its gone from praise of wood, to ft’s w/ mays, …, to javi’s shortcomings to crazy rule changes. of these couple of topics i just listed what to you would solve more of our problems? me, i say the point guard. i’m grateful for javi and what he’s done for us so far. that’s right, grateful. but he knows just as well as many others that he’s not a top notch pg. he makes too many mistakes. and he’s admitted it. if you want to get your hopes up you can wait until next year when we have a true pointman! IMO

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