Friday Farrago

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NC STATE BASKETBALL
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Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Wolfpack need to shake off slump

N.C. State headed to Clemson last season with hopes of ending an untimely three-game losing streak.

The Wolfpack faces the same predicament this weekend. And it can’t afford another loss at Littlejohn Coliseum.

N.C. State, the ACC preseason favorite, fell to .500 in the league Thursday, when Duke rolled to a 98-85 home victory. Since beating North Carolina on Jan. 26, the Wolfpack (16-7, 5-5) have dropped consecutive games against Virginia, Miami and the Blue Devils.

The next test is a game at Clemson on Sunday afternoon.

“We’re not going to look at pitches,” N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. “We’re going to keep swinging. I think they feel confident that we can be a great team here down the stretch.”

The Wolfpack snuck into the NCAA tournament last year despite struggling down the stretch. It was 7-3 in the ACC before losing four straight games, starting with a 78-73 setback in which Duke erased a second-half deficit of 20 points at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Florida State and North Carolina defeated N.C. State before it lost in overtime at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Laura Keeley (N&O)
Duke starts fast, holds off of NC State 98-85

The first time Duke faced N.C. State, the Blue Devils were beginning their search for a new offensive identity.

It was clear Thursday night that they have found it, especially early in the game, as the first-half cushion they built didn’t run out in a 98-85 win. But the Wolfpack came close late in the game, making Duke work until the final minute.

“I don’t know how you couldn’t be proud of both teams tonight,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “That was great ACC basketball.”

Each team traded outstanding shooting halves, as Duke shot 61.3 percent from the field in the first half and led 58-37. N.C. State responded with a 65.5 percent performance to make the game interesting late.

Trailing by 21 points and missing point guard Lorenzo Brown due to a left ankle injury, N.C. State came out strong in the second half. The Wolfpack hit 12 of its first 14 shots, closing the deficit to 12, 78-66, with 9:21 remaining on the clock.

But Richard Howell, who dominated the first matchup, was whistled for his fourth foul on the next possession.

“When a team is in foul trouble, it’s just kind of like you smell blood, and you just keep going at them,” Mason Plumlee said. “When guys are playing not to foul, it makes them susceptible to a lot of things.”

Plumlee finished with a game-high 30 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and—in an especially positive development—12-of-16 shooting from the free throw line. Duke ran several isolation plays designed to get Plumlee the ball in the second half, and he was able to post up both Howell and Leslie.

Luke DeCock (N&O)
Curry assures reversal of fortunes

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Duke is back … now it’s State’s turn to regroup and rebound

“They’ve done a great job,” Gottfried said. “I don’t know we’ll use that as an example, but our guys know. They believe in our team.

“We just need to keep swinging the bat. We’re not just going to stand at the plate and look at pitches. We’re going to keep swinging. I think they feel confident they can be a great team down the stretch.”

While that is yet to be seen, State (16-7, 5-5 ACC) figures to be a deeper, more diverse team in the long run as a result of its recent downturn.

Backup point guard Tyler Lewis was once again the silver lining in the dark cloud of a Wolfpack loss by following up his impressive performance against Miami last weekend by contributing 13 points, six assists and no turnovers in his first career start.

In the ACC’s most hostile environment, no less.

But neither that nor the fact that State battled back to whittle a 22-point deficit down to eight in the final two minutes behind some inspired play by center Richard Howell, is any consolation for a team that is clearly battling itself right now as much as it is the opposition. And things won’t get any easier Sunday when the Wolfpack goes to Clemson, a place it has traditionally struggled.

“We’ve just got to stay together, that’s the main thing,” said senior forward Scott Wood, who tweaked his groin during the first half Thursday. “Sitting at 5-5, it’s not a great place to be. But you’ve just got to look at the things you as an individual can do better and make sure we stay together as a team.”

Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Bad First Half Dooms NC State In Durham

Scoring 1.21 points per possession should be enough to win on the vast majority of occasions–it should be enough to win by quite a lot in most instances. But there are always outliers like this, and NC State got totally buried by an incredible first-half shooting performance by the Blue Devils. It’s tough to overcome a barrage of 10 three-pointers in one half, and Duke finished the first 20 minutes with an effective field goal percentage north of 77.0.

The second half was almost a complete reversal from a shooting percentage perspective, and State outscored Duke 48-40, but the thing that allowed the Blue Devils to stay at arm’s length was its ability to get to the line–they shot 28 free throws, 22 of which they made, in the second half. They made just nine field goals over the final 20 minutes, none of which were threes, and they were still able to win comfortably thanks to that huge advantage at the free throw line.

Jacey Zembal (TheWolfpacker.com)
First half barrage buries NC State

“We didn’t match that intensity at the beginning of the game,” said NCSU senior wing Scott Wood, who played with a groin injury during the second half. “We let Curry and Plumlee get going, which you can’t do when you play against them.”

Plumlee scored 15 points in each half, and lived at the free-throw line, going 12 of 16 in helping foul out NC State senior center Richard Howell and junior power forward C.J. Leslie.

Howell picked up two fouls and went to the bench with 14:07 left in the first half, making it even easier for Plumlee to work on the interior. Howell bounced back in the second half and carried NC State. He knocked in an array of mid-range jumpers and worked hard around the basket for a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds.

“I thought he [Howell] was really good and Plumlee played off him a little bit,” Gottfried said. “He respected his ability to bounce it once or twice. He made a lot of jump shots. He rebounds like he does every night.”

Leslie also found his offensive rhythm in the second half, scoring nine of his 16 points to form a strong one-two punch with Howell. NC State shot an impressive 19 of 29 for 65.5 percent after halftime.

“Howell is the unsung great player in our league,” Krzyzewski said. “He can play for anybody. He puts up amazing efficient numbers.”

NC State’s perimeter defense also improved after halftime. Duke went 0 for 7 in the second half, but the damage was done.

“We just weren’t chasing them [in the first half],” Wood said. “We said all practice that we have to chase them. We can’t try and run over the screens, which we got caught on a couple of times, and they made us pay for it.

“Any time they run those baseline screens and you don’t chase them, you are in a world of hurt.”

MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS

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WRALSportsfan.com
Gottfried: Need to build on positives

NC State head coach Mark Gottfried said the team needs to build on some of the positives and make sure they are getting better.

WRALSportsfan.com
Leslie: We have to fight a little harder

NC State’s CJ Leslie said the team needs to fight a little harder than they did against Duke.

WRALSportsfan.com
Howell: We didn’t come out with intensity

NC State’s Richard Howell said the team didn’t come out with intensity against Duke.

WRALSportsfan.com
Lewis: Seemed like they couldn’t miss

NC State’s Tyler Lewis said it seemed like the Duke team couldn’t miss Thursday night.

WRALSportsfan.com
Wood: We have to stay together

NC State’s Scott Wood said the team needs to stay together following their loss to Duke Thursday.

About 1.21 Jigawatts

Class of '98, Mechanical Engineer, State fan since arriving on campus and it's been a painful ride ever since. I live by the Law of NC State Fandom, "For every Elation there is an equal and opposite Frustration."

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78 Responses to Friday Farrago

  1. Gene 02/08/2013 at 2:49 PM #

    ” I saw Vandenberg tried a couple of times but he was a step or 2 behind the pace of the game.”

    The big guy needs to spend some time with the S&C coach. He really doesn’t seem to be in game shape compared to the rest of his teammates.

  2. choppack1 02/08/2013 at 5:48 PM #

    Folks, that game by Lewis – his FIRST game in Cameron – should be revelation, and unfortnately, may tell us some not-so-good things about this staff.

    Lewis has now played a ton of minutes in the last 2 games vs. the 2 best teams in the ACC and has very few TO’s and averaging double digits in points. Yeah, it was a good move to have him riding the pine most of the ACC season, especially when Lo wasn’t playing D until the second half.

  3. wolfpackdawg 02/08/2013 at 5:58 PM #

    Clemson quit against UVA lasy nite so we have that going for us.

  4. Rochester 02/08/2013 at 6:17 PM #

    Chop, I was thinking the same thing last night. Reminded me of when Scooter Sherrill got hurt and Cam Bennerman finally got a chance to play and was one of the best players on the floor.

    We’ve been sucking wind hard in the second half in several games, where having a 7th player in the rotation could have made a significant difference keeping guys fresh, particularly Brown. So it’s a little mystifying that we had this kid on the bench. What do you want out of a backup point guard? Someone who protects the ball at a minimum. Anything more is gravy. Lewis is the gravy. He does a lot more than just not turn it over. I hope we find a lot more time for him when Brown comes back.

  5. 61Packer 02/08/2013 at 7:04 PM #

    Like ADVENTUROO, I also haven’t given up on this team, but I’m way less optimistic about our ACCT chances because I see little likelihood that we’ll finish as high as 4th place when we’re already 5-5 and fading.

    Miami and Duke are almost a certainty to take the top 2 spots in the ACC standings. 6-3 UNC and UVA are tied for 3rd, with UVA holding a tiebreaker over us. Another win over UNC is unlikely because it’ll be in Chapel Hell and UNC without question is playing better now than we are. This Wolfpack team seems to detest road games, especially against Big Four opponents.

    If we can somehow finish ahead of the Hoos or Heels, we still have 5-5 Maryland to get past in the standings, and again we’re on the wrong end of a tiebreaker with the Terps. Plus, FSU is 5-4 and Clemson would tie us in the standings if we lost to them on Sunday. That’s a hard one to comprehend after seeing how badly the Tigers were sunk in John Paul Jones last night.

    Apparently the kiss of death for this team was the ACC pre-season predictions which apparently went to the players’ heads.

    I see us playing Thursday in the ACCT, and again on Friday, but going out on gimpy legs Saturday. Selection Sunday won’t make us wait as long as last season, but we’re probably going to get a 6th seed and get bounced out of the NCAAT by a defensive and tempo-minded 11th seed.

    On the other hand, this team could go on a long winning streak and start showing signs of why they were a pre-season #1 pick in the ACC. But until I see something, anything, that resembles ACC Championship material from this team, including mental toughness, I just don’t see Wolfpack fans enjoying March.

  6. mak4dpak 02/08/2013 at 7:19 PM #

    Coaches can’t play on the floor, so if anyone is to blame for the first half woes, it is leadership by the upper classmen. They showed no intensity, and set a bad example for the underclassmen. They have played long enough to know you have to come out ready to play, and they failed to do that. But no doom and gloom from me on this team. We still can be a team to contend with, but our upper classmen have to set the example, and I can’t say enough about Tyler Lewis, and his play the last two games. Time for the guys to get their heads on right and play every game for their life, from start to finish. Let it start in Clemson.

  7. Wulfpack 02/08/2013 at 7:36 PM #

    I have heard the criticisms of Gott at his time at Bama. The two major ones were lack of bench development and loss of focus against marginal competition. He is known as a great recruiter that will get his teams up for the big game. It seems history may be repeating itself. Look, I don’t know why Lewis was sitting the pine, but he better not be going forward.

  8. WeAreCured 02/08/2013 at 8:11 PM #

    I am very proud of them for putting up a fight in the second half. When a hated rival is burying threes in their house, it can be very disheartening and easy to give up; however, they did what I can not say for teams past, which is carry on and play their game.

    I like this team. If someone could teach Leslie to keep his defensive position down low instead of going for low percentage blocks and steals, that would be great… As someone else pointed out, when your man is scoring 20+, you better have a damn good offensive game. I love the young man, but there are so many simple things he could do to better himself and the team if he could stay disciplined. As for Warren, I’m afraid he’s going to need the off-season to learn some defensive fundamentals, which is a shame. He has the offensive efficiency to make up for it as a freshman, though. There isn’t much else we have at the position…

    I think we are going to be just fine come March.

  9. john of sparta 02/08/2013 at 9:39 PM #

    as posted:
    AWAY is a loss.
    WFU or ClemPson.
    Duke beats us twice.

  10. eas 02/08/2013 at 10:41 PM #

    Not that Lewis needs to be talked about more BUT yes he needs to be talked about more. Now I have been whining about him NOT playing all season because of some bright idea for a 6 man rotation of exhausted players. Lewis was a WacArnolds AA and one of the best PG’s in the nation coming in. His passing skills and Ability to run an offense were one of the best you could ask for. Yes he still a tad slower and smaller. However, has this been a problem in ANY way against the 2 toughest ACC teams/games we have faced? The answer is absolutely NO! He had no turnovers as a freshman PG at the Cameron for goodness sakes. What more does this kid have to do to prove he is legit? He is not going Pro and can develop beyond good the more he plays.

    I’m sorry but he is a better PG than Brown (noticed I said PG not a better athlete, not a stronger player, not break your ankle move kind of guy). Is he better than Brown? No and yes IMHO. Yes on leadership, hustle and running the offense. No for virtually everything else that involves what I mentioned above.

    Lewis is going to have stupid mistakes (eventually that is) as all young players do. All I am saying is Gott and Co better have him logging significant minutes when Brown comes back. Right now our 3 strongest players on the court are Howell, Warren (although lazy on D) and Lewis. Wood shows up from time to time but not much more than an occasional 3 pointer. I am not on the CJ can’t play anymore wagon (the kid is good) but his decision making ability on the court is pretty darn bad. Playing into triple teams that are normally stronger than he is and trying to do it all on his own is not helping us one bit. MAKE him understand the concept of kicking the ball back out to open players!

    Please spend more time on free throws and please look at moving Brown to the 2 guard a little when comes back. Find a defense that works even if you have to steal it from another team.

  11. fullmoon1 02/08/2013 at 11:05 PM #

    In my opinion brown is a better and more experienced. Perhaps Lewis has a higher ceiling. Te offense flows better with brown. Zo gets players the ball in a position where they can score. Lewis is the next best thing but I don’t think he should replace Zo. That’s just an opinion.

  12. MrPlywood 02/08/2013 at 11:34 PM #

    I think the team should regard the next 8 games as Season 2. Fresh start, 8 games, all winnable. With Zo back, State has a viable 7 man rotation with a variety of configurations that should handle any of the remaining teams, including unx at their place. No more WtF losses (see what I did there?). Build momentum for the tourneys. Carpe diem boys.

  13. mak4dpak 02/09/2013 at 8:01 AM #

    Success would mean no more one man shows by Leslie, so next time there is a triple team, duh, someone else is open. Please find him. It is a team sport. And learn to take charges when guys like Plumlee play you, as it looked at though he could have been put on the bench more, if we had taken charges with his body movements when going for shots.

  14. Wulfpack 02/09/2013 at 8:05 AM #

    Lewis is the more pure PG and will be a better college PG than Brown has been. But we are beyond the midpoint of the season, so it is getting late for sweeping changes. Brown is obviously the better defender, leader and his athleticism is off the charts. I want to see Lewis at point and Brown at the 2. Let Warren and Wood split time and go with who is hot. Wood is so streaky and offers little when he’s not on. Both are poor defensive players. Leslie and Howell are fixtures in the paint. Don’t play Vandy unless you have to. Nothing against the guy but just not up to snuff at this stage. Plus, we are best when we run and he doesn’t offer much there. Brown IMHO will be a terrific NBA player, and Lewis may not even get a look, who knows. But, it is hard to argue that Lewis isn’t a damn fine PG that gets everyone involved, and protects the ball. Oh, he can shoot it, too. His confidence will only continue to grow in due time. Give him the minutes. He’s going to be stellar.

  15. DC_wolf 02/09/2013 at 9:18 AM #

    ” Apparently the kiss of death for this team was the ACC pre-season predictions which apparently went to the players’ heads…”

    61Packer, a tremendous, tremendous post up above. I just copied the best part, but I wish I had written every word you did, dammit.

    Why shouldn’t this team have been picked #1 in conference? unc lost 4 starters & didn’t have a great class coming in; duke had a better recruiting class than the holes but also lost key talent… Why not NCSU who had the #3 recruiting class (according to 1 of the trackers) + a returning starter who apparently was ready for the NBA last year? To be fair, I don’t think anyone saw Miami coming on – but you said it so much better than I could…

  16. eas 02/09/2013 at 9:40 AM #

    A line up with Brown at 2 and Lewis at PG would make a nice set up.

  17. Wulfpack 02/09/2013 at 9:51 AM #

    We have the best talent in the league, no question. Leslie, Brown and Howell will be playing in the league. Maybe Warren, if he develops. I don’t think anybody else is even close talent wise, at least in terms of experience.

    Comes down to team chemistry and coaching. Miami has something special going. You can tell those guys are playing hard for one another, as well as Larranaga. Duke always plays hard for K even when outmatched. UNC is starting to play hard for Roy, and the young talent is starting to show. UVA is playing hard for Bennett. I think we have played hard in spurts, but lack consistency, and we are making the same stupid mistakes over and over again.

    I do think we can go on a nice run here starting tomorrow. Stop the bleeding now and we can earn a high seed. But this win one lose one (and lose about very game on the road) stuff has to stop.

  18. wolffpride 02/09/2013 at 11:42 AM #

    You guys need to leave CJ, TJ and Rodney alone. CJ catches more crap than any player in the country, and not just by our fanbase but the media as well. CJ has never been a great defender, he is undersized as a PF. Plumlee is 6’10” 240 going against 6’8″ 200, wonder who wins that matchup? Most of the guys he guards are bigger/stronger than him. I think Calvin plays with a lot of intensity every time out. When he doesn’t have a 20 point and 3 blocks game all of a sudden he is “not dialed in” or “same ol CJ”.

    TJ is a freshmen, he makes freshmen mistakes. Offensively he has been pretty great this season, remember, even the best players have down games. Defensively he has a lot to adjust to on the college level. He spends most of his time guarding a wing or SG. Not easy for a guy who is 6’8″ 230. I see stretches and even games where he defends pretty well. When you put him against Joe Harris, Seth Curry, Durand Scott, he is going to struggle.

    The Rodney being selfish comments are just stupid. He is one of the most complete team players I have seen in CBB period. I give more credit to a baby blue athlete with an AFAM degree than a fan who thinks that. If you truly believe he is selfish, then please go somewhere else for the remainder of the season , I hear Europe is nice this time of year.

  19. EdMar 02/09/2013 at 5:19 PM #

    The next 8 games are against the bottom 6 teams in the ACC and one against UNC-Cheat. We SHOULD go at least 6-2 or 5-3. If we do not, we should be officially declared ACC DOY. “Dud of the year”

  20. Wulfpack 02/09/2013 at 6:03 PM #

    Miami is having the season we could have had. Good news is still a ways to go.

  21. Rochester 02/09/2013 at 6:22 PM #

    ^Miami plays hard 40 minutes a game.

  22. JeremyH 02/09/2013 at 11:50 PM #

    Miami will win the ACC regular season, only because they are the best ACC team.

    I agree with what Wulfpack said about our line-up going forward. I hope that Zo’s return, whenever it is, gives us a nice shot in the arm, and that as a team we can expend more energy on defense given Lewis can give 30+ legit minutes.

    It we didn’t have some downswings, it wouldn’t be NC State. But the overall season doesn’t need to be a disappointment due to the downswings. You do your homework and go to study hall so you kick ass in your final exams.

  23. WeAreCured 02/10/2013 at 1:25 AM #

    Miami is on a nice run; however, I think we will end up having the better season as a whole. They will stumble, just like every other team has thus far. I think they’re a great team, but no better than us. We whipped the Holes at home too, without hitting 15 three pointers. They beat us with a right place at the right time tip in. No biggie.

  24. JeremyH 02/10/2013 at 2:06 AM #

    Well, I like the optimism.

  25. WeAreCured 02/10/2013 at 2:34 AM #

    It’s more fun.

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