State loses at Clemson in OT, 72-69

11-12 Basketball117

State put its very slim NCAAT hopes on ice today with a lackluster, often listless showing at Clemson, dropping its fourth straight. Now its only shot is to run the table in Atlanta in two weeks.

The real losers today were the fans, who were forced to watch five extra minutes of “ACC Excitement” (10 if you count the Duke-VPI game before it). State’s immediate goal should be to finish .500, which itself seems like a longshot at this point.

Box Score (ESPN)

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11-12 Basketball

117 Responses to State loses at Clemson in OT, 72-69

  1. StandUpAndHowl 02/25/2012 at 5:29 PM #

    Drives me crazy when we lose a game that we could have won simply by hitting our average at the line.

  2. Wulfpack 02/25/2012 at 5:34 PM #

    Hard to believe how far we have fallen in just 2 weeks. We’re right in the middle of the ACC now after *contending* for the title. We need to beat Miami just to save face – the possibility of a total collapse is on the horizon.

  3. eas 02/25/2012 at 5:34 PM #

    I think what frustrates us about the Wood situation is he is getting way too many minutes to break a slump. I agree that players need to shoot their way out but 35 minutes of providing virtually nothing is terrible. Game after game.

    It is as if all the coaches believe he is “Rudy” or something.

  4. pack76 02/25/2012 at 5:38 PM #

    Make your free throws. Clue, they are called “Free” for a reason!!! That would have easily won the game in regulation. Come on Pack, get it together and win out!!!

  5. dan the pack fan 02/25/2012 at 5:39 PM #

    Simply pathetic. I lost count of the number of opportunities we had to put it away. We don’t deserve a bid.

  6. wufpup76 02/25/2012 at 5:40 PM #

    Damon Thornton lives on.

  7. BJD95 02/25/2012 at 5:43 PM #

    I have to wonder how much tired legs are responsible for today’s FT woes. Or just fragile psyches. 9-7 is still a very important goal to fight for.

  8. Wulfpack 02/25/2012 at 5:46 PM #

    Wood is getting entirely too many minutes for contributing hardley nothing. His stat sheet today is abominable for the amount of time he is getting. But this isn’t on Wood. Poor defense in the first half, and of course, just terrible free throw shooting.

  9. Wufpacker 02/25/2012 at 5:47 PM #

    We’re gonna have to come out and play harder if we hope to get to 9-7. 7-9 much more likely at this point.

  10. BJD95 02/25/2012 at 5:49 PM #

    It’s not as much a criticism of W as it is of MG’s player rotation. You have to tell him that if he’s not going to take shots, then he’s going to sit.

    He can’t break out of his slump by not shooting.

  11. BJD95 02/25/2012 at 5:57 PM #

    Boy, is UVA ever getting jobbed this afternoon. Break out those blue conspiracy hats, ladies and gentlemen.

  12. Wufpacker 02/25/2012 at 6:01 PM #

    A few years back it was “tiers” that defines the ACC pecking order. I suppose now it’s “tendencies”. I’ll be happy when we develop the tendency to grow a pair as a team.

  13. Wufpacker 02/25/2012 at 6:04 PM #

    Holy crap! Traveling on the blue? Who the hell is calling this game?

  14. wolfpackdawg 02/25/2012 at 6:05 PM #

    It’s official. WTNY!!!!!

  15. BladenWolf 02/25/2012 at 6:06 PM #

    “You have to tell him that if he’s not going to take shots, then he’s going to sit.”

    Absolutely right. Wood has become curiously one dimensional of late. (Does the young man not know how to penetrate towards the basket and pull up for a jumper? It seems if he is not wide-ass open for a three then he hesitates and looks awkward.)

    It’s up to Coach Gottfried to 1) correct this “one-dimensionalism” in practice and 2) send in a rotation earlier if it continues.

  16. Prowling Woofie 02/25/2012 at 6:09 PM #

    I’m so damned tired of having to say “Wait till next year…”

    Today’s choke job flushed the whole season down the drain. Missed FT’s absolutely cost us the game.

    That and Wood’s inability to contribute anything to the team effort. What the hell is his deal ??? Hey Scott – either spend the off-season studying JJ Redick films from Duke on how to WORK to get yourself open, or transfer. You have wasted our time this season.

  17. wolfpack15 02/25/2012 at 6:17 PM #

    Can’t wait for T.J. Warren to take Wood’s spot in the starting lineup.

  18. Wufpacker 02/25/2012 at 6:17 PM #

    Close ugly games must be the theme of the day. Year?

  19. john of sparta 02/25/2012 at 6:23 PM #

    +1 to wufpup in previous thread: Duke is still beating us.

  20. choppack1 02/25/2012 at 6:25 PM #

    Here’s why I’m thinking Gott plays Wood a good even though he’s in a slump.

    1) When you put Wood on one side of the court and CJ Leslie on the same side, CJ Leslie will get a good look, and he has clearer paths to the basket. Lo Brown has clearer paths to the basket, CJ Williams gets better looks.

    2) There was a play late in the 2nd half where Wood’s man had a brief open look for a second. Wood does what you do in those situations, he overplayed to take away the three. As a result his man passes the ball off.

    In a very similar situation involving Lo Brown – we’re up by 3, Clemson has the ball…Brown defends the shooter casually rather than aggressively playing to stop the jumper – guard hits jumper, momentum is totally on Clemson’s side.

    Say what you want about Wood, but he’s the only guy on our team that shows that kind of situational awareness. He’s the only guy on our team who has stopped making real stupid fouls on a regular basis.

    And if you think it’s frustrating for us, think about how Gott feels. You’ve got these talented guys. They play pretty hard and they aren’t bad guys – they just have zero situational awareness.

  21. blpack 02/25/2012 at 6:31 PM #

    Some days I hate college basketball and today is one of those days. It just seems like the haves keep on rolling and the have nots can’t get over the hump. We need to get better, smarter hoops IQ players. In the meantime keep fighting.

  22. 61Packer 02/25/2012 at 6:38 PM #

    Today, another game that should’ve been won was pissed away when the Pack again flunked Fundamentals 101, this time at Clemson.

    This season, however, was flushed down the drain in a span of just 11 minutes on February 16 over in Durham. When the tv announcers pronounced this team “done” before the final minute of that game, it was prophetic. This season is done and over, period. Barring a 5-game winning streak, that’s all, folks.

    This edition of the Wolfpack went, in that short 11 minutes at Duke, from a solid NCAA team to an also-ran NIT team. This team has shown about as much mental toughness lately as rats being led into the abyss by the Pied Piper. Missed free throws, bad passes, defensive lapses and a general lack of confidence have this squad in a free-fall that could end the season with an 8-game losing streak, with the final insult coming far from home as someone’s NIT road kill.

    Like I said a few weeks ago, please spare us the misery of another NIT and let’s just get this one over with and done.

    I have full confidence that this coaching staff will bring in some decent recruits and talent, but I sure hope that they do a better job than their predecessors did in the area of assessing just how much these recruits have between their ears and in their hearts. This present bunch just ain’t got it.

  23. MattN 02/25/2012 at 6:42 PM #

    I cannot believe I allowed myself to get excited about the prospect of a decent team. I’ll probably do the exact same thing next year. What the hell is wrong with me?!?

    The thing that really pisses me off is we are NOT getting better as the year progresses. If anything, we are not as good as we were in December when we beat Tejas.

  24. choppack1 02/25/2012 at 6:42 PM #

    61Packer – do you really have that confidence? I don’t – Les Robinson, Herb Sendek and even Sidney Lowe showed solid potential in their first year. Gott is no difference. In both Sendek and Lowe’s case, they also highly ranked recruiting classes coming in. Forgive me if I’m not as excited about the future.

    I said after the Indiana game that if we play this way in the ACC, we’ll be 6-10. I was wrong, it looks like we’ll be 7-9.

  25. tuckerdorm1983 02/25/2012 at 6:44 PM #

    MY THOUGHTS
    1.zo and calvin are our best players.
    2.We might get to NY in the NIT.
    3.We are a decent team but not great.
    4. The other players have serious deficiencies in their games.
    5. Painter is a good power forward, but not a center.
    6. We are going to be 5th, 6th or 7th in the ACC.
    7. UNC, Duke, FSU and UVA can beat us every day all day.
    8. Give the ball to Calvin every play and let him take it inside until they double him or let zo drive the lane and pull up
    9. Next two games are going to be tough.
    10. Duke and UNC better enjoy their wins against us because there is a new sheriff in town

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