Wednesday Woolgathering

March 21, 2012

You daily Wolfpack web run. Enjoy.

NC STATE BASKETBALL

JP GIGLIO (N&O)
Free of fouls, N.C. State’s Howell displays shooting touch

John Marshall (AP)
Running down the NCAA’s regionals

Luke DeCock (N&O)
Gottfried’s confidence turns Wolfpack around

Luke DeCock (N&O)
John Wooden’s role in NC State’s turnaround

Brett Friedlander (accinsider.com)
With Gottfried’s help, Leslie has made a ‘name’ for himself

Eventually, though, he came to realize that his new coach had his best interest at heart.

It wasn’t as if there was one specific ah-ha moment in which the light bulb came on and Leslie suddenly found himself on the same page as Gottfried. There was just a point sometime around mid-to-late January when you suddenly looked up and realized that that Leslie was finally living up the hype that surrounded him coming out of Raleigh’s Word of God Academy.

“I don’t really know when it happened,” Leslie said Tuesday. “It was one of those things that just kind of clicks as it goes. It just fell into place piece-by-piece, little-by-little, time-by-time.”

Though Leslie still has some work to do when it comes to his free throw shooting and committing silly fouls, he has significantly improved his shot selection, decision-making and defensive intensity as the season has gone on.

Akula Wolf (BackingThePack.com)
The Comeback Kids

I’d forgotten how great this week is. In my defense, it’s only the second time I’ve ever had the chance to experience it. It’s great to be able to relax after the weekend and just soak everything in during the buildup to the next round. That’s one of the best things about the NCAA Tournament structure: as Bart Simpson would say, there’s only one thing to do at a time like this–strut. I’m taking a walk every day, smiling and shooting a knowing glance at every stranger I see while also firing off finger guns. It’s the best. America, I love ya! Looking good! Great shoes!

Michael Rogner (nbc sports)
NC State winning games in March? Get used to it

But rebuilding a team that was near the bottom of a major conference takes time. Or does it?

What if C.J. Leslie returns for his junior season? Only two seniors currently get minutes for the Wolfpack – the other C.J. (Williams) and grad transfer Alex Johnson. This means their top four scorers are returning (if Leslie comes back).

And even if Leslie doesn’t return, NC State has arguably the best shooter in the ACC (Scott Wood), a maturing Lorenzo Brown (3rd Team All-ACC), and Richard Howell, who would be an All-Conference player if he could stop committing so many fouls.

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
NC State’s history in the Sweet 16

NC State basketball has officially played in 13 regional semifinal games in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, the Wolfpack has appeared in the Sweet 16 four times. The Red and White also took part in the round of 16 during the 1983 edition of the tournament en route to winning the 52-team field.

With the Pack playing in the Sweet 16 once again on Friday, The Wolfpacker takes a look back at the previous five trips to the regional semifinals for the program.

PackPride.com
QUOTES: Mark Gottfried Radio Show

NC State head coach Mark Gottfried held his weekly radio show last night and the obvious hot topic was the Wolfpack’s Sweet 16 matchup against Kansas. Here are some of the quotes from the show.

Are you feeling appreciated?

[Laughing] Yes, very much so.

There was a lot of excitement. It’s fun. I think our players have done a great job. They have grown up, they have got better, they are tougher, and they have learned how to win.

it’s great for all of us. This sea of Red, it’s amazing. Hopefully our players understand that we are not done. The feeling is good, but at the same time there still has to be a great hunger, and I think there is.

We hear the media questions about the fanbase in the postgame interviews. Do you want a high bar set?

There is a high bar already set. We just need to embrace it. When you are at a program where there has been tradition, success, and a lot of winning in the past, the program then deserves that. Our fans do. They deserve that, you’ve been there, and we’ve been there more than once.

There is tradition and history here, and it’s exciting for me. It’s exciting for all of us to share in that and hopefully this train isn’t ready to stop.

Thoughts on the fans greeting the team at the Dail Center:

It was fun. Now with Twitter and pictures they already had some pictures of the crowd so they knew there were a lot of people there, and they were excited to get off the bus.

To see that and feel that, it means a lot to the players, to feel appreciated like that.

It seems like a lot of the media has been on the NC State bandwagon, picking you to win games… a lot of them basketball guys:

As you watch TV it’s fun, nice and great that our program is getting a lot of attention. From a recruiting standpoint it’s got to be big for us, it helps us. I think we all know when the game starts what matters is what happens in between the lines.

But it’s been fun. I think the guys around the country have done a good job talking about our program. those guys do a great job.

Derek Medlin (PackPride.com)
Gottfried: “They Are Very Talented”

NC State head coach Mark Gottfried met with the media today to discuss the upcoming game against Kansas.

Thoughts on Kansas:

Obviously they are very talented. They are very good. They get up the floor extremely well, maybe as good as anyone we’ve played all year.
Robinson inside is a monster. He’s tough. He’s strong, he can score, and they go to him a lot.

You take a guy like Withey, who is 7-foot, he has more blocked shots than John Henson. That tells you right there he has the ability to change the game around the rim.

What impresses me is their two guards, they can get baskets. They get them at key times and they both can take the ball off the dribble and score.

They are a very talented team and they know how to win. We have to convincingly beat them. We have to go in there and play well and not expect them to give us the game. That’s not going to happen. We have to go in there and win.

Thoughts on State’s offense versus Kansas’ defense:

They are a team that likes to run and we’re a team that likes to run. We’d like to get out and get some in the break, as would they. It should be an uptempo game.

We feel like we can improve offensively but we also think we have done a lot of things well offensively. We just need to execute our offense, those things we want to run and what we’re trying to do in the game… setting really good screens.

When I watched the tape of the Georgetown game, we all felt good because we won. When I see the tape I see a team that can get a lot better.

We can still improve a lot. Those are the things that we are concentrating on today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week.

What were your thoughts on Calvin when you first got here?

He’s a very likable guy. It’s comfortable to be around him. He’s a fun-loving guy.

It’s interesting because when I first got here I heard so many negative comments all the time, and you’ve got this guy that is very likable. You’re kind of scratching your head, trying to figure that one out a little bit.

Was he looking for guidance?

He’s a guy that wanted to get better and needed someone to challenge him the right way.

What I like about him is he’s very honest. When he and I talk about anything I always feel like he is telling me the truth.

I’ve enjoyed it. At times early it was hard to coach him a little bit, but that is the fun part about coaching. Not every guy is easy to coach and he has just got so much better there. So much better.

Aaron Schoonmaker (WRALSportsfan.com)
Staats Battle gives NC State another spot in Sweet 16

The North Carolina State Wolfpack, as a team, is headed to their first Sweet 16 since 2005. Meanwhile, freshman Staats Battle is in the Sweet 16 of a different kind – as an individual.

The No. 6 seed Battle has advanced to the third round of ESPN.com’s Coolest name in the NCAA Tourney contest.

[snip]

Up next in the third round for Battle in the Uwe Blab Region is Alabama’s Dakota Slaughter.

Dana O’Neil (espn.com)
Is Sweet 16 still a sweet thrill?

For those who have been deprived, a berth in the second weekend remains a cherished nibble on the candy of success; for those who have achieved, there is still something sweeter to achieve.

“I can remember when I was at UCLA, those first 30 games were all exhibition games,” NC State coach Mark Gottfried said. “Your season begins in March, and sometimes that really is unfair. No matter who you are, it’s hard to advance, but in some places it’s expected. John Wooden used to always say, ‘Don’t give ’em too much too early because then they want it all the time.’ That’s the truth.”

This weekend has always been the line of demarcation in college basketball, but as the pot has thickened with the plot, just what is being separated has changed along with it.

Back before the rise of the mid-major and the official cinching of the gap between the haves and have-nots, the regional semifinal served as a barometer for the underdogs, the low seeds that were good but never expected to knock off the big dogs.

[snip]

No, the saccharine level of the Sweet 16 no longer depends on who you are; it’s about where you’re coming from or where you’re supposed to be going.

In Raleigh, N.C., Gottfried is a hero today. A year ago, the Wolfpack won a wobbly 15 games, few enough to cost Sidney Lowe his job. Hired after the school’s public longing for VCU’s Shaka Smart, Gottfried won instant converts by luring a top recruiting class to campus for next season.

This season was his mulligan. The Wolfpack were picked to finish eighth in the ACC.

Instead, Gottfried not only led State to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six seasons but got the Wolfpack into the Sweet 16.

Forget that this is a program with two national championships on its résumé. Six years is an eternity in purgatory, and absence from the tourney made many a heart grow quite fond of Gottfried.

“We had 1,500 people here when we got home [Sunday night],” he said. “For our program, for our fans, this is a chance to savor the fact that we are taking steps in the right direction, that it is happening.”

A mere 25 miles down the road, there is no joy in Chapel Hill, only hand wringing — or more accurately, wrist wringing over the injury to point guard Kendall Marshall.

“When you go to the Sweet 16, it’s supposed to be a lot more fun than this,” coach Roy Williams said.

Fun, though, is hard when winning is expected and success has become commonplace.

Jason King (espn.com)
Ranking the Sweet 16 field

Nearly every season at the Final Four, I hear people say the teams should be re-seeded to ensure that the most deserving ones meet in the title game.

This week in King’s Court, let’s take it a step further.

Let’s re-seed the Sweet 16. (You can rank yours here.)

The following is how I would power rank the remaining teams in this year’s field. Keep in mind, these rankings have nothing to do with regular-season records or accomplishments. The teams are ordered simply by how well they are playing entering the games.

Injuries were considered. So were momentum and swagger. Again, this isn’t necessarily a projection of who will make the Final Four or which teams will win certain matchups. It’s simply how I would rank the tournament’s remaining 16 teams based on their current states.

7. Kansas: Bill Self’s team trailed for virtually the entire game before eking out a last-minute win against Purdue on Sunday. Kansas won despite shooting just 34 percent from the field. Thomas Robinson missed all but two of his 12 field goal attempts in that game, but Elijah Johnson came through with some huge plays down the stretch. Johnson is averaging 18.5 points in his last four games. Look for center Jeff Withey to be more of a factor against North Carolina State.

14. North Carolina State: The team a lot of people think didn’t deserve to be in the tournament advanced to the Sweet 16 by defeating two higher seeds (San Diego State and Georgetown). Lorenzo Brown averaged 7.5 assists in the two wins while C.J. Leslie contributed 14.5 points. This is a talented team with loads of length and athleticism. The Wolfpack could give Kansas trouble.

Andy Katz (espn.com)
Which Sweet 16 teams feel the pressure?

A Sweet 16 appearance elevates a program to the next level.
A Final Four moves it up another notch.

The matchups usually make the difference in getting this far. Talent — and star power — also play big roles.

There is a certain level of pressure for all coaches and programs. For some, it’s self-induced. For others, it comes from a passionate fan base. Some programs need to reach the Final Four for the season to be considered a success. Some do not.

With that being said, here is our Final Four pressure-meter (1 feels the least amount of pressure and 10 feels the most):

Kansas (9): The Jayhawks have two of the top players at their positions in Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor. Kansas expects to compete for conference and national titles, regardless of personnel, every season. And while Bill Self had to deal with rotation players not being eligible, including top newcomer Ben McLemore, the Jayhawks still won the Big 12 regular-season title for the eighth straight time. Kansas survived against Purdue, but had it not been for a guard meltdown the Jayhawks may be idle right now. Instead, they have new life in the Midwest, thanks to NC State’s Sweet 16 run and North Carolina potentially being without Kendall Marshall in the Elite Eight (if the Tar Heels get past Ohio). The pressure has ratcheted up for the Jayhawks. If Marshall is out for this weekend in St. Louis, the Jayhawks are the new favorites in the Midwest.

NC State (2): The Wolfpack have far exceeded expectations under Mark Gottfried. NC State was the last team revealed on Selection Sunday. It had to be one of the last teams in the field prior to the four at-large teams that played in the First Four. NC State lost a 19-point lead at Duke, and the Wolfpack couldn’t close out UNC in the ACC tournament. But they grinded out wins over San Diego State and Georgetown in their first two games of the tournament. This program has had low expectations for years. The Final Four would be gravy on what has already been deemed a highly successful season. The Wolfpack draw Kansas and if they somehow get past KU (not improbable), they could face a rematch with UNC. One can only imagine the scene in Raleigh if NC State, and not UNC, made the Final Four.

Myron Medcalf (espn.com)
Six bold Sweet 16 predictions

Let’s try this again.

My first set of “bold” predictions didn’t exactly last through the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. But I’m not alone.

How many reconfigured their brackets after the Fab Melo news developed? Missouri losing to Norfolk State? I’d like to see a notarized “first” bracket as evidence that you picked that one.

Second time’s a charm though, right?

4. Thomas Robinson averages 28 points/12 rebounds against NC State/North Carolina — I still have Kansas in New Orleans. The Jayhawks didn’t look great against Purdue in the round of 32, but going to St. Louis and the Edward Jones Dome will feel like home with the numerous Kansas fans that will flood that facility. But environment alone can’t affect this outcome. The Jayhawks will need the best Robinson can give to get past NC State (a Sweet 16 sleeper that could pull off the upset) and North Carolina, even if the latter doesn’t have Kendall Marshall. And I believe Robinson will put together a string of performances that will define his career at Kansas. He’ll average 28.0 points and 12 rebounds. He recorded only 16/13 and 11/13 in wins over Detroit and Purdue. That won’t get the job done in the Sweet 16. Robinson will step up and take the Jayhawks to New Orleans with the kind of outings that are expected from national player of the year candidates in March.

Jeff Borzello (cbssports.com)
Ranking the Sweet 16 matchups

The Sweet 16 is a mixture of chalk and upset-minded Cinderellas this season. All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the second weekend, but three double-digit seeds also won their first two games. Last year aside, the national semifinals are usually filled with the heavy-hitters of the bracket, the top few seeds. Will any of the surprise Sweet 16 teams continue the trend of last season and get to the Final Four, or will we see power conferences fill the streets of New Orleans? It makes for some intriguing Sweet 16 match-ups on Thursday on Friday, but which is the best?

6. No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 11 North Carolina State: Plenty of athletes on both sides in this one. The battle inside will be interesting to watch, as NC State’s bigs might be playing better lately. Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey will have their hands full with C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell – if the Wolfpack’s tandem can stay on the floor. Tyshawn Taylor vs. Lorenzo Brown is intriguing.

MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS

GoPack.com
Pack Perspective with Mark Thomas

Mark Thomas visits with senior C.J. Williams to reminisce about his basketball career as a member of the Wolfpack.

Yahoo! Sports Radio
NC State Head Coach Mark Gottfried – Experience More Than Expected in 2012

Riddick and Reynolds
R&R Podcast: Episode 43

Ernie Myers and Chris Corchiani join us for an extra sweet episode of the podcast!

Two big wins over San Diego State and Georgetown have put State in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. We discuss the games from the past weekend and look ahead to what State can expect from Kansas.
We also answer questions from the audience in segment two which is always good for entertainment value.

WRALSportsfan.com
Gottfried: “We need to keep the edge”

Mark Gottfried says once you get to this point in the season, it’s about keeping a competitive edge.

WRALSportsfan.com
Leslie: “Kansas is a tough team”

C.J. Leslie says he is looking forward to playing Kansas given the history of the program.

WRALSportsfan.com
Williams: “It’s amazing to still be playing”

C.J. Williams says it is amazing to still be playing at this time of year.

WRALSportsfan.com
Brown: “we aren’t ready to be done”

Lorenzo Brown says this team is not ready to stop playing.