Preview: NC State vs Georgia Tech

09-10 Basketball34

14709070362_Georgia_Tech_at_Boston_College

After falling 59-47 to Virginia Wednesday night in Charlottesville, NC State (14-9, 2-6) hits the road again Saturday afternoon to take on the No. 21 Yellow Jackets in the “Thriller Dome.” Ga. Tech (16-6, 4-4) fell 86-67 to Duke in Durham Thursday night and will have a quick turnaround for Saturday’s match up with the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack needs a win in the worst way and will look to reverse its fortunes against the Yellow Jackets. State has lost three straight ACC games since the upset over Duke Jan. 20. If NC State does in fact hope to get that done, the offensive effort will have to be much better than it was Wednesday night against the Cavaliers. The Wolfpack shot just 35 percent from the field Wednesday and went only 2-11 from behind the arc.

NC State will need to limit fouls against Ga. Tech, especially in the paint, as Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors lead the Jackets in both scoring and rebounding. Lawal averages just over 14 points and Favors notches 11, with both players hauling in more than 8 rebounds a night. If NC State gets in foul trouble early it could be a long afternoon in Atlanta.

Game Notes

NC State Travels to Georgia Tech: NC State hits the road for the second time this week, as
the Pack travels to Atlanta to face No. 21 Georgia Tech on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. NC State
started its week with a 59-47 loss at Virginia on Wednesday, and will be looking for its third
straight win over Georgia Tech this weekend.
The Yellow Jackets are the fourth ranked opponent the Pack will face this season. NC
State previously won at No. 25 Florida State and won at home against No. 7 Duke, and fell at
home to No. 24 Clemson.
The game will be broadcasted on Raycom with Tim Brandt and Eddie Fogler.
The Series Versus Georgia Tech: Saturday’s matchup will mark the 85th meeting between
NC State and Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack leads the overall series 50-34. NC State has won
the last two matchups, and the Pack has also won nine of the last 13 meetings dating back
to the 2002-03 season.
Georgia Tech holds a 20-14 advantage in games in Atlanta. However, the Pack has won
three of the last five games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, including last year, 86-65.
Pack and Jackets Play it Close: Although the Wolfpack has won nine of the last 12 games
against Georgia Tech, the scores of those games have been relatively close. NC State’s larg-
est win in those seven games was last season’s 21 point win in Atlanta, and only two of those
last nine wins were in double figures.
Three of the last seven games between the teams have been decided by no more than
three points. Georgia Tech won in 2008 and in 2006 by three points each time, and the Wolf-

NC State Travels to Georgia Tech

NC State hits the road for the second time this week, as the Pack travels to Atlanta to face No. 21 Georgia Tech on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. NC State started its week with a 59-47 loss at Virginia on Wednesday, and will be looking for its third straight win over Georgia Tech this weekend. The Yellow Jackets are the fourth ranked opponent the Pack will face this season. NC State previously won at No. 25 Florida State and won at home against No. 7 Duke, and fell at home to No. 24 Clemson. The game will be broad casted on Raycom with Tim Brandt and Eddie Fogler.

The Series Versus Georgia Tech

Saturday’s matchup will mark the 85th meeting between NC State and Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack leads the overall series 50-34. NC State has won the last two matchups, and the Pack has also won nine of the last 13 meetings dating back to the 2002-03 season. Georgia Tech holds a 20-14 advantage in games in Atlanta. However, the Pack has won three of the last five games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, including last year, 86-65.

Pack and Jackets Play it Close

Although the Wolfpack has won nine of the last 12 games against Georgia Tech, the scores of those games have been relatively close. NC State’s largest win in those seven games was last season’s 21 point win in Atlanta, and only two of those last nine wins were in double figures. Three of the last seven games between the teams have been decided by no more than three points. Georgia Tech won in 2008 and in 2006 by three points each time, and the Wolf-pack came away with a two point win at Georgia Tech in 2005. Last season’s game in Raleigh had the Pack winning 76-71 in overtime.

Last Season Versus Georgia Tech

NC State won both games during the regular season. NC State used a late surge to overcome a 10-point second half defecit, and downed Georgia Tech in overtime at the RBC Center, 76-71, on January 17. The Yellow Jackets held a 64-54 lead with 4:40 remaining, but the Pack would close the game on a 13-3 run to force overtime thanks to a three-point play by Farnold Degand with 30 seconds left. NC State would outscore Georgia Tech in the extra period 9-4, with Dennis Horner scoring five of the Pack’s final six points. Brandon Costner paced the Pack withh 22 points, while Ben McCauley added 18 points and 10 rebounds. NC State used its top shooting performance of the season, 61.4 percent (27-44) from the field, and picked up its largest ACC road win since 1989 in defeating Georgia Tech, 86-65, on February 14. Six Wolfpack players scored in double figures. Tracy Smith recorded his second straight double-double, finishing with game-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Yellow Jackets took a 11-5 lead to start the game, but NC State used a 35-13 run to go into the half up 44-33. In the second half, NC State hit 12-of-18 shots, and was 16-of-19 from the free throw line.

Oh yea. Remember this.

09-10 Basketball

34 Responses to Preview: NC State vs Georgia Tech

  1. rtpack24 02/05/2010 at 5:00 PM #

    Howell should get minutes tomorrow. Horner will get killed by GT front line.

  2. Rufftown Wolf 02/05/2010 at 5:05 PM #

    I hope it is a nice homecoming for Howell. He needs to start.

  3. NJpack 02/05/2010 at 5:27 PM #

    With the way Scott Wood has been playing lately, does anyone think a “big” line up of Howell, Smith, and Horner down low is a good idea to try? Why not when we are 2 and 6 in the conference? Plug Wood in at SG and let Javi / Degand try the PG.

  4. Thinkpack17 02/05/2010 at 5:31 PM #

    Prediction?? Pain….

  5. tuckerdorm1983 02/05/2010 at 6:18 PM #

    we have two plays

    play #1 Dribble the ball and pass it around the perimeter for 33 secs and then launch some lame ass shot.

    play #2 Pass the ball into Smith and break the defense down. Either they double team him and he passes or he takes it to the basket. Lots of time the defense waits until he starts his move and then they come. OK. He needs to pass it out of that.

    Point being. No one player in the ACC can guard him down low. I have not see it yet. Smith needs to play min that he can. Stop getting stupid fouls. If he gets in foul trouble leave him it, otherwise we are lost. Howell needs to race to the basket the second the double comes

    We won two games. FL state where Wood shot lights out and made it tough to double Smith. Duke where Coach K and his hubris refuse to double team. Every team we faced after that watched the film. We can win as long as every set on offense starts with getting Smith the ball.

  6. whope90 02/05/2010 at 6:20 PM #

    Maybe with the bus stuck by snow and ice, the pack will forfeit or miss shots!!! loll Maybe El Sid will have somekind of strategy? I hear it now, we could not guard their bigs! I say the line up should be vberg,howell smith javi g and degand with wood and horner off the bench with a little mayes and that is all. a eight man rotation and stick to it and slow the ball down walk it up and control the game. Tech is to talented to let us try to shoot our way out of the game. Pound the rock inside and help develop vbergs game and if needed let j davis play only to give bigs a blow and play a zone!! Yes Sidney Lowe, play a zone, in order to conquer a team with a strong inside presence, zone defense will work and is allowed in college basketball games, which we seem to never play,but i look for a long afternoon and a 20pt plus beatdown and a 2-7 14-10 record and a 4 game losing streak which we shoot less than 40 percent. Please o lord, send us a coach for the young guns!!

  7. whope90 02/05/2010 at 6:23 PM #

    This just in from the Marty Mcfly information from hid Delorean, Quotes from losing state coach Sidney Lowe,”We could not hit shots and control their bigs! Yet no comment from the assistant coaches?
    Do we have any and what do they coach? I think i saw some of them at kinkos getting their resumes ready for that future job at unc-ashville or unc-pembroke or something like that and el sid back to being an assistant with the Clippers.

  8. MrPlywood 02/05/2010 at 6:39 PM #

    Re: Wood – I like the kid, but he needs to be not just a shooting guard, but a “shoot and make it” guard.

    The Pack needs to make a few of these: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4887781

  9. PoppaJohn 02/05/2010 at 7:08 PM #

    Heard Roy on the radio the other night (it was an accident). He was basically doing an impression of Sid. ‘We aren’t hitting shots’ ‘We aren’t executing the game plan’ ‘We aren’t playing defense’ The Tarheel ‘homer’ radio guy was saying Roy doesn’t know what to do to get his team to play up to their potential.

    Welcome to Hell Roy, we live here.

  10. leewolf 02/05/2010 at 7:21 PM #

    I think the strategy v. GT is pretty obvious. Collapse inside and give up the outside shot. Honestly, we are going to get abused on the boards either way, but we have to try and hold them somewhat on the inside. If that doesn’t work then maybe go small and harass them, try to get steals, use speed to offset their size? Either way it is a matchup nightmare, but so was Duke.

    On offense, making shots would be nice. Other than that, I don’t think Tracy will be able to do much, or Richard for that matter. Our guards are going to have to make some plays to free those guys up some or we are in for a long day.

    Somewhere down the line this team is going to have to turn it around and it won’t be versus an easy team. Winning tomorrow would go a long ways towards giving us a shot in the next two games.

  11. NJpack 02/05/2010 at 9:31 PM #

    I loved Howell’s post game quote after the Virgina game, which was: “Most of the time the guys are just looking for the contact and not going up and finishing strong.” Horner is absolutely the biggest offender, he thinks he is T. Hansborough and the refs are going to call every touch foul on his defender. Go strong or don’t go at all, Dennis.

    After the Virginia loss there were a lot of posts about potential coaches, how about the guy from Memphis? They have the #1 recruiting class next year, he is obviously doing something right.

    If we lose to GT, we are clearly on the death spiral. Take away the first year run, which is all we ever had under Lowe, and the 2nd half of the season results aren’t pretty.

  12. 61Packer 02/05/2010 at 10:28 PM #

    There’s nothing complicated about tomorrow’s Georgia Tech game. After it’s over, we’ll be in sole possession of last place in the ACC for at least 4 hours. And if Miami wins in Tallahassee tomorrow night, then the cellar is all ours for at least 4 more days.

  13. cc4ncspack 02/06/2010 at 3:40 AM #

    I sure hate that the games like NCCU and Elon are over with. I enjoyed seeing State get by and win for a change. Oh well, here we go again.

  14. graywolf 02/06/2010 at 8:54 AM #

    More severe pain and sole possession of last place in the league. Wow. We cannot get any lower than we are now. Athletics at NC State is on life support. The former administration got their wish….make athletics meaningless at NC State.

  15. rtpack24 02/06/2010 at 9:45 AM #

    Degand at point, Wood at 2, Horner at 3, Howell at 4, and Smith at 5. That lineup gives us our best shot to win be it GT or anyone else in the league. Wood is a 2 and if he has a 2 guarding him he should have some good looks, evern if we do not run sets to get him open. This a game they desperately need to win, no excuses just win.

  16. PoppaJohn 02/06/2010 at 11:08 AM #

    ^ I like that lineup

    I hate it when the pre-season picks are right, but I’d say we definitely are the worst team in the league. We earned it, fair and square.

  17. Khan 02/06/2010 at 12:37 PM #

    There is no way we win this game. Absolutely none.

  18. whope90 02/06/2010 at 12:45 PM #

    Yes, it is sad in today’s N/O when the State VS Gtech game is the last sports article on their sportsweb page right above trout fishing!
    WEll, at least there are only nine more games to go and 2-14 looks like where were headed. Even JP Giolo stated, states fans can see what a new class for 2011 will bring, tech was 2-14 last year and is struggling at 4-4,16-6 overall? Humm. tech is ranked and has beaten duel and unc in the same year and 10-6 may win the acc regular season this year and unless they collapse will go to the NCAA’s and today’s win will put them at 5-4/17-6 overall. But to put hopes on :Ryan H and L Brown and Luke to turn this around is nuts! We still have el sid s coach with some stiffs on the bench!

    If we finish 2-14 and last could we be allowed to forfeit the acc t so we will not go 2-15? Strange Days indeed for NC State atheltics! Is there any other program in the country that would allow a coach to stay four years with this record? Opps, i ‘m sorry we did keep les for six! and then herb and now el sid: 20 years of ncaa men’s basketball malase,
    6 Ncaa bids, 4 nit ones and 10 of nothing with only four acc t title
    games with only one close opportunity to win(2003 15pt meltdown in GBO against Duke and some freshman named JJ Reddick!!)

    PRICELESS!!!!!!!

  19. whope90 02/06/2010 at 12:52 PM #

    Oh! I forgot our football team: Mike O’Cain years followed by Chuck A and now Tom(take the mone and run)o”Brien(3yrs 16-21) and bowl bids three out of the last seven yrs? and Borderline bowls at that!

    Humm, even ECU has an atheltic director that is willing to make a good hire now and then! What ECU Ad better than ours? What are you kidding me? ECU has a AD? What are you kidding me? ACC school, Division one, TV deals and constant exposure nationally and ECU has better AD than us?
    NC STATE ATHLETICS AS CONSISTANT AS HEALTH CARE REFORM!!!

  20. whope90 02/06/2010 at 12:54 PM #

    This just in, nc state bus stuck in snow and el sid decided not to worry about shots and will ask for a make up game ala nba style! loll
    Hey sid your not in the NBA anymore, go buy a Cliff notes version on how to coach ncaa men’s basketball or go to kinko’s and update your resume(i think a kinkos is on Hillsborough street!)
    You know, the street that the university is on!!

  21. GoldenChain 02/06/2010 at 1:07 PM #

    Mark it down: State comes out hot and wins. After 3 games of frustration where the basket seemed to have a lid on it the Pack will come out hot and lay the wood to the Jackets. For 3 games we’ve shot in the 30’s and that is a matter of confidence. Look for a better effort especially from Javi and Mays (who have like 4 assist in 3 games vs 20 TOs).
    In addition my wife came and said we were going to the movies this afternoon at 3:40 to see the 3D version of Avatar and I didn’t even argue or mention the game. Perhaps I’ve been putting some bad karma on them or something. Hope to get the good report in the post-game when I get out!LOL

  22. inhoc... 02/06/2010 at 1:09 PM #

    is it bad that i had a free ticket to this game (i live in atlanta) and would rather just sit at home and fix a broken door?

  23. ncsufan13 02/06/2010 at 1:15 PM #

    “is it bad that i had a free ticket to this game (i live in atlanta) and would rather just sit at home and fix a broken door?”

    ^ You should just make the excuse that you don’t have the right tools right now and say you’ll fix it next year.

  24. whope90 02/06/2010 at 1:19 PM #

    NCsufan 13: You should just make the excuse that you don’t have the right tools right now and say you’ll fix it next year.

    NC STATE BASKETBALL: You got to Love it!

    Is today a preview of the ACC t 5-12 seed game torney game?

  25. orionpack 02/06/2010 at 1:41 PM #

    For anyone that wants a good link and go through the agony of another State basketball game check out raycomn on-line:
    either goto http://www.raycomsports.com or
    raycom.swarmcast.com/
    If your area isn’t showing the game today (they are showing the VA Tech game in our area today) you can see it here. It appears you have to be in the ACC defined viewing area to watch the game. The quality of the Wake/UVA game is incredible.

1 2

Leave a Reply