NC STATE BASKETBALL
Joe Giglio (N&O)
NC State beats Virginia Tech 80-63 in ACC tourney
N.C. State won 22 games in the regular season.
Senior forward Richard Howell said he doesn’t know many were because of its defense.
He knew what led to Thursday’s 80-63 win over Virginia Tech, however, in the first round of the ACC tournament.
“If we want to go farther in this tournament and the NCAA tournament, it’s going to have to be with our defense,†Howell said.
N.C. State (23-9) advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal matchup against Virginia by holding Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer, to 15 points – 10 points below his average.
Green made just 5 of 19 shots and had four turnovers, thanks in large part to the defensive effort of Wolfpack point guard Lorenzo Brown.
[snip]
“We were active and quick and we rotated better,†Gottfried said.
The N.C. State players have not been shy about their intentions in Greensboro, but there’s only one way to get to Sunday.
“We’ve got to keep on trucking here and get some wins,†Wood said.
Luke DeCock (N&O)
Wolfpack’s Lorenzo Brown meets defensive challenge
Lorenzo Brown wouldn’t say who called him Wednesday night and challenged him to play better defense, only that it was a “good friend,†someone who believed Brown was a good defender despite what “people were saying.â€
Given that friendly challenge, what better platform to tackle it than taking on Virginia Tech’s Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer and the ACC player of the year.
“I just felt like it was the perfect timing, to try and contain him the best way I could,†Brown said.
Contain would be one way to put it. Brown limited Green to 15 points, 10 below his average, on 5-for-19 shooting, as N.C. State advanced to face fourth-seeded Virginia in Friday’s quarterfinals with an 80-63 win.
At one point in the second half, after Green had the ball knocked away from him in the lane, he looked pleadingly to the officials. No help was forthcoming, not with Brown in his face. It was a team effort, but it started with Brown.
“Everybody was in the gaps,†Green said. “When I penetrated they were right there, and even in transition I was seeing two or three players back there waiting for me.â€
Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Lorenzo Brown directs Wolfpack’s tourney win over Hokies
Making plays
When Virginia Tech set high screens for its high-scoring guard, Brown and N.C. State’s secondary defender stayed with Green to apply double-teams and traps. The plan worked beautifully late in the first half, when the 6-foot-5 Brown and 6-foot-8 forward T.J. Warren forced Green into a corner near midcourt. He attempted a pass while drifting out of bounds, but it was deflected, and the ball hit off him for a turnover.
Brown was credited with only one steal, but it linked two highlight-reel plays together during an important 17-second sequence.
The Wolfpack pushed ahead 32-27 when Warren converted a dunk off a long alley-oop pass from Brown, who then swiped the ball away from an unrelated, spinning Brown, Robert, while he dribbled up the court.
N.C. State’s Brown executed a crossover move into the lane and dropped a pass back to C.J. Leslie, whose two-handed slam prompted a timeout from Virginia Tech coach James Johnson with 3:20 left before halftime.
Brown didn’t score for the first time until later in the half, but he was already in clear control of the game.
“I think Lorenzo’s the kind of player that, if he felt he’s needed to score or if our team needs that, he can do that more,” Gottfried said. “Today, his focus was defensively, and I thought he had a heck of a game.”
Stephen Schramm (FayObserver.com)
Wolfpack takes first step in tackling tall order at ACC tournament
N.C. State took the floor in Thursday afternoon’s ACC tournament opener with Virginia Tech wearing red T-shirts provided by Adidas that read “Rise to the occasion.”
Given that the fifth-seeded Wolfpack need to win four games in four days to claim their first tournament title in more than a quarter century and validate the season’s lofty expectations, it was an apt sentiment.
In the crowded Greensboro Coliseum locker room following its 80-63 win against the Hokies, Wolfpack senior Scott Wood was asked about meaning behind the T-shirts.
“I have no idea,” Wood said. “. Adidas gave them to us.”
He then turned to walk-on Jay Lewis, who was dressing at a nearby locker.
“Do they have meaning, Jay?” Wood asked.
Lewis shrugged.
“I guess Adidas wants us to step it up. It’s tournament time,” Wood said.
Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Rodney Purvis’ dunk a good finish to a tough game
Rodney Purvis finally found a release for his frustration with Virginia Tech.
Purvis, a 6-foot-3 freshman, played sparingly in both of N.C. State’s wins against the Hokies this season. He was limited to 11 minutes off the bench Thursday in an 80-63 tournament victory, but he ended the game with a thunderous dunk over walk-on Christian Beyer.
“I just needed something good to happen for me,†Purvis, who is normally quick with a laugh or smile, said in a serious tone. “I was a little down in the dumps, but I’m fine now. The team won. That’s what’s most important.â€
Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Wolfpack still has a chance to shed its ‘underachiever’ label
There’s a general perception, especially among the fans and media gathered at Greensboro Coliseum for the 60th ACC tournament, that the N.C. State basketball team is a classic underachiever.
The Bart Simpson of college basketball, if you will.
As with all narratives, there’s a basic element of truth to the popular theme. The Wolfpack was, in fact, picked to finish first in the ACC’s preseason poll, and as the No. 5 seed in this week’s postseason tournament, it has clearly fallen far below those expectations.
Coach Mark Gottfried and his players will be the first to admit that. But they’re just as quick to point out that their story is not yet finished.
You don’t write a scathing book review of a mystery novel before you find out who committed the crime. And you certainly don’t write off a team before it plays the most important games on its schedule.
So while State didn’t do everything it could have or even should have during a regular season that was still pretty darn good by recent standards, the past four months could be quickly forgotten depending on what happens during the next two weeks.
Stage One of the Wolfpack’s redemption tour was Thursday’s tournament opener against 12th seeded Virginia Tech. Having taken care of business with a convincing 80-63 victory against the Hokies, State can now turn its attention to Stage Two, a quarterfinal matchup Friday afternoon with No. 4 Virginia.
“I think everyone in our camp wishes we would have won more in the regular season,†Gottfried said. “Sitting here with 23 wins and 11 league wins is good, but for us it wasn’t good enough.
“It’s all about how you finish. We talk about it all year long, being at your best at the end of the year. That’s what we need, to be our best now.â€
Brooke Pryor (accsports.com)
Brown Keeps Green In Check In Wolfpack Win
Virginia Tech came into Thursday’s matchup seven seeds lower than its opponent, N.C. State.
But that didn’t stop Erick Green from thinking that his team had a chance to get past the Wolfpack and make a run at the ACC Tournament title.
Call it wishful thinking, but Green simply wanted to end his run with the Hokies by hoisting up the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
Instead, Green’s last outing in a maroon and orange uniform wasn’t as glorious at he had hoped.
The ACC’s Player of the Year was held to just 15 points in his 38 minutes on the court in his team’s 80-63, thanks in large part to the stifling defense of N.C. State’s Lorenzo Brown.
“Lorenzo Brown made up his mind he was going to do a good job and I thought he did and I thought our team’s defense was better,†N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. “We were active, quick, rotated better, so I thought that was probably the key to the game.â€
Brown held Green, the nation’s leading scorer at 25.4 points per game, to his second-lowest scoring output of the season and denied Green from getting to the charity stripe save for two attempts following a shooting foul late in the second half.
GoPack.com
NC State Cruises Past Virginia Tech in #ACCTourney, 80-63
GoPack.com
ACC Tournament Day 1 (Video)
Jacey Zembal (TheWolfpacker.com)
Wolfpack rolls to 80-63 victory
Both seniors, Wood and Howell, commented on the importance of doing well in their last ACC Tournament, with the postseason a fresh start for the squad.
“I’m thinking about it all the time,” Howell said. “It’s bittersweet because I love college, but I’m definitely ready to get out of it.”
Junior small forward Jarell Eddie had a team-high 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting, and the Hokies struggled in the second half to finish the game at 41.7 percent from the field.
“I thought our pressure defensively initiated our opportunities in the break,” NCSU second-year coach Mark Gottfried said. “When we got our pressure up and we were deflecting passes and we were disrupting them, it enabled us to run our fast break more, which I thought was the key.”
The Wolfpack didn’t want to have to play on Thursday of the ACC Tournament, but have some momentum building going into the second round. NC State’s 23-9 record and 11-7 mark in the ACC were dissected the last several weeks.
“I think everybody in our camp wishes we would have won more in the regular season, no question, sitting here with 23 wins and 11 league wins, now 12 if you count this, and that’s good for us, but it wasn’t good enough,” Gottfried said. “It’s all about how you finish. We need to finish well and our guys want to finish well.”
Brown will get matched up against a much different kind of point guard in defensive-minded Jontel Evans of Virginia on Friday. Brown played 10 minutes against the Cavaliers before injuring his ankle. Freshmen Tyler Lewis and Rodney Purvis split the point guard duties the rest of the way in the loss.
Brown is open to guarding either Evans or star junior small forward Joe Harris.
“He is definitely effective off the dribble,” said Brown about Evans. “He is quick and he can drive and draw fouls. He gets the ball to Joe Harris, and that is how their offense runs.
“I’m sure they are as hungry as we are. It will be a good game to watch, and tough game to play in.”
Joe Ovies (WRALSportsfan.com)
Talking Points: NC State silences Erick Green
3. NC State’s veterans clicked and contributed with their specialties.
Brown complimented his defensive game against Green by dishing out 12 assists, including one particular sequence which included an alley-oop pass to T.J. Warren followed by a steal and assist to C.J. Leslie with just over 3 minutes left in the first half. It woke up the fans in attendance and started the separation.
A quick look at the “Calvinometer” showed that Leslie was tilting towards the “Calvin” zone throughout the game and finished with 15 points. He was particularly good at helping pull down rebounds and provided a crowd pleasing rejection of Joey van Zegeren late in the game.
Wood, who switched defensively on Green, knocked down three from beyond the arc.
5. Since NC State needs to win four games in four days to take home the ACC Championship, Mark Gottfried made the curious decision not to go to his bench earlier.
The Wolfpack starters all played 34 minutes or more. Rodney Purvis played 11 minutes, Tyler Lewis played 6 minutes and Jordan Vandenberg came in late to only play 2 minutes. Gottfried didn’t empty the bench until there was 1:05 left in the game.
Those who only watch SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays will see Purvis’ game-ending dunk and not realize he actually struggled for most of the minutes he played.
It’s not that college players can’t handle the workload, they play a heck of a lot more in AAU ball, but nagging injuries for guys like Brown might creep back into the equation.
Joe Giglio (N&O)
Three Points: The real Zo, matchups matter, free throws
2) Matchups, matchups, matchups
Considering the alternatives, N.C. State couldn’t have asked for a better matchup in Virginia Tech. Good matchups: that’s a streak the Wolfpack would like to continue in the postseason.
Really, there are only two teams N.C. State does not want to see this month: Louisville or Kansas. On the flip side, N.C. State is also capable of losing to any potential opponent the rest of the way.
The last thing N.C. State needed was another on Thursday was another slugfest with Florida State, Clemson, Maryland or Georgia Tech. (The Clemson-FSU game in the nightcap was painful to watch).
The Wolfpack will get a dose of ugly today against Virginia, it was a break that it didn’t have to grind through Thursday’s first round.
3) Free throws
At the behest of alert reader Dave, there’s another potential “Rule of …” I have overlooked this season.
Junior forward C.J. Leslie made better than 50 percent of his free throws (9 of 14) in Thursday’s win. Dave wanted to know N.C. State’s record when Leslie, a 61.3 percent free-throw shooter, does that.
The answer: 15-3 (meaning State is 8-6 when he doesn’t).
It’s still not as good as the “Scott Wood Rule of Four*” but it’s worth tracking in the final games of the CJL era.
Note: * does not apply to road games in the Triangle.
Joe Giglio (N&O)
NC State Notebook: Howell eager to see Virginia again
Lewis OK: N.C. State freshman Tyler Lewis collided with Virginia Tech’s Jarell Eddie with 2 minutes, 7 seconds left in Thursday’s game.
Both players remained on the floor for a few minutes and Lewis went to the bench favoring his right knee. He had an ice pack on it after the game but said he would be ready for Friday’s game against Virginia.
“I’m OK,†Lewis said. “We went knee to knee.â€
Lewis finished four points and three fouls in six minutes. Veteran official Bryan Kersey was giving Lewis a hard time in the second half after a quick flurry of calls.
Kersey joked with Wood, after one call, that Lewis couldn’t talk to him because he was only a freshman. Senior Scott Wood acted as intermediary between Lewis and Kersey.
“He was standing up for me,†Lewis said of Wood. “That was nice of him.â€
Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
NC State Advances To ACC Tournament Quarterfinals With 80-63 Win Over Virginia Tech
For a while, the game today felt like the meeting with Virginia Tech in Raleigh–NC State could not put any distance between itself and the Hokies, and Tech got efficient play from some guys who aren’t normally very good at basketball. But Erick Green struggled–Lorenzo Brown had a lot to do with this–and State finally managed to build a multiple-possession lead over the final four minutes of the opening half. It would have been a more decisive finish had State not missed four free throws during that period of time.
In the second half, Virginia Tech’s offense withered with Green’s continued struggles; Green hit just two of 11 attempts over the last 20 minutes, and while Jarell Eddie had a solid half, he alone was never gonna be enough to keep the Hokies in contention. Tech hit just 12 of 34 field goal attempts in the second half, and NC State controlled the defensive boards, which was crucial to building a big lead. In the first meeting, the Hokies grabbed almost 45% of their missed shots, and today, well, see above.
Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Tony Bennett Creates Conflict
I can’t reconcile the stats with what I see when I watch Virginia games. Sometimes I feel like Tony Bennett exists merely to test my faith in the validity of statistical analysis. But that’s the thing about Virginia–it plays slow, and it wins in the margins, and this is a combination that leaves little impression on the mind save “ugh low scoring this is ugly ugh.” There is a good team hidden in there.
Bennett’s team leverages turnover margin better than most, and it eschews offensive boards in favor of getting back on defense, which also helps it clean up on the defensive glass. To some extent, the Cavs have just been lucky–opponents are hitting threes and free throws at rates below the national averages in those respective categories. They’re doing a lot right, though, and their interior defense, including their block and steal rates, are testaments to this.
PackInsider.com
Zo, Howell and Leslie Help Pack Squash Hokies, 80-63
• Sure, Richard Howell had an amazing game, but I think I’m giving my game ball to Lorenzo Brown. He’s the guy I’ve been the hardest on this season and the guy that I feel needs to really take it up a notch this postseason…and that’s exactly what he did. Brown was amazing today. He was in control, focused, and giving good effort on every possession. NC State stopped Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer, from going off, and you can credit Brown for that. He made it almost impossible for Green to get a good look. When he did get a shot off, it was with Brown’s hand in his face. On offense he was just as good. Zo was slicing up the Hokie defense all night. He got in the lane, found open men and scored when he needed to. This may have been Brown’s best all around game this season. He finished with 9 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds. He didn’t shoot all that well, which still is a bit of a concern, but if he’s facilitating like that and giving that type of defensive effort, NC State is going to go a long way.
• Now we’ll get into Howell’s performance. Big Rich was a monster once again. This guy plays like he’s a senior every night, he takes nothing for granted and he leaves it all on the floor. Once again, Howell showed up big for the Pack. The team’s MVP all season, Rich did it again, dropping 22 points and scooping up 12 boards. He got the Pack going early on and never really let up. He’s getting confidence in his midrange game, much like he did last postseason which just adds another wrinkle to his game, making him even harder to guard for opposing bigs. With Zo and Howell playing at this level NC State is right where they need to be.
Matt Carter (TheWolfpacker.com)
Quick hits from NC State’s win over Virginia Tech
Strong start to ACC Tournament
There was not much to complain about after NC State’s 17-point victory. Senior center Richard Howell was a strong candidate for player of the game by posting 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. He finished with his 17th double-double of the year and 30th of his career.
Howell, who was three points shy of his career-high, led four starters in double figures scoring. Junior forward C.J. Leslie had 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman forward T.J. Warren added 13 points in his ACC Tournament debut.
Also pouring in 13 points was senior wing Scott Wood, who made 3 of 5 three-pointers. That gives Wood 319 career three-pointers. He needs three more to tie Rodney Monroe’s school record for most career threes, and Wood has at least two games left.
Wood, who is 21 of 40 all-time making three-pointers in the Greensboro Coliseum, is now tied with former Wake Forest guard Justin Gray for the seventh most all-time in ACC history.
Overall NCSU shot 52.8 percent from the field, making over half their shots for just the second time in the last nine contests.
The only nitpicky criticism of NCSU was allowing junior forward Jarell Eddie to score 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, matching his career best for an ACC game. Eddie also had 21 against Boston College Jan. 9. Eddie seems to like playing the Wolfpack. He had 17 in the two teams’ earlier matchup this year, including the controversial put back to send the game into overtime.
Rematch with Virginia
NC State traveled to Virginia Jan. 29 fresh off the emotional high of its dominating win over UNC just three days before. The trip to Charlottesville turned out to be a bit of a nightmare for the Pack.
Leslie entered the game questionable to play because of a sickness and actually started the game on the bench. It was one of just two games this year that Leslie did not start. Then a little over nine minutes into the game, Brown turned his ankle and would not return.
Leslie ended up playing, contributing a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, but the loss of Brown was tough to handle. Virginia rallied from a 31-24 halftime deficit to upend NCSU 58-55.
Cavalier junior wing and first-team All-ACC performer Joe Harris led the way with 22 points, while the combination of junior center Akil Mitchell and freshman center reserve Mike Tobey combined for 27 points and 19 rebounds in the post.
David Teel (dailypress.com)
Teel Time: U.Va. faces N.C. State’s balanced offense in ACC quarterfinals
Virginia’s postseason fate may well hinge on its ability to defend the ACC’s most-balanced offense Friday in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
North Carolina State defeated Virginia Tech 80-63 on Thursday to earn that quarterfinal collision with U.Va. Though the Wolfpack (23-9) is seeded fifth and the Cavaliers (21-10) fourth, it’s State that is assured an NCAA tournament bid.
Conversely, to avoid a nervous Selection Sunday, Virginia needs to win Friday, and perhaps even Saturday in the semifinals. U.Va. has not reached the ACC semifinals since 1995.
The Cavaliers lead the ACC in scoring defense and rank second in opponents’ field goal percentage, and they limited the Wolfpack to its second-lowest point total of the season in a 58-55 home victory Jan. 29. But State’s all-league point guard, Lorenzo Brown, rolled his ankle midway through the first half of that game and did not return.
Brown missed two subsequent contests, both of which the Wolfpack lost. His impact was immeasurable against Virginia Tech on Thursday as he contributed nine points, seven rebounds and 12 assists, the latter a State record for the ACC tournament.
“We’re tremendous (on offense), and he obviously does a great job distributing the ball,†said Scott Wood, the Wolfpack’s wing guard and the ACC’s most-prolific 3-point shooter. “But we know that’s not going to be our problem (against Virginia). Our problem’s going to be on the other end. We just have to make sure we get in a stance and continue to play good defense.â€
Mark Giannotto (washingtonpost.com)
ACC tournament 2013: Virginia’s Jontel Evans shrugs off fan angst about his play
When Jontel Evans saw the photo, he wondered if Tony Bennett would hang it up in his office. Virginia’s coach has several photos of memorable events, and Evans hoped the moments after the Cavaliers beat Maryland on senior night would rank among them.
After Virginia stormed back from a 17-point deficit Sunday, scoring a 61-58 overtime victory over the Terrapins that kept the Cavaliers in contention for an NCAA tournament berth, Evans ran into Bennett on the court. The emotions came pouring out quickly, with Virginia’s senior captain in tears as Bennett cradled Evans’s head in his arms.
The Cavaliers had ended a two-game losing streak, but more importantly, their point guard finally got some relief from the growing fan angst about his uneven play.
“He sees the love and the hate relationship from the fans,†said freshman Teven Jones, Evans’s backup. “There are a lot of fans that come at his neck sometimes. I don’t know how he takes it.â€
Though Evans is averaging just 4.4 points and 4.9 assists per game this season, he has drawn the spotlight with Virginia seeking back-to-back NCAA tournament bids for the first time since 1994-95. On Friday, the Cavaliers face fifth-seeded North Carolina State in an ACC tournament quarterfinal that could decide their fate on Selection Sunday.
Evans’s absence from the lineup during nonconference play helped cause the Cavaliers’ baffling NCAA tournament resume. With him out or limited while recovering from October foot surgery, Virginia went 0-3 against Colonial Athletic Association competition.
Since his return, Evans’s play has become a barometer for how the Cavaliers will perform. The Cavaliers are 10-2 when he finishes with at least four assists and commits three turnovers or less. When Evans commits four or more turnovers, though, Virginia is just 3-4.
ACC BASKETBALL
Stephen Schramm and Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
ACC tournament notes
Scott nothing to say
Scott Wood was sick of answering the same questions, and he admitted it.
With only a few media members left in N.C. State’s locker room after an 80-63 win against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Wood walked over to the whiteboard and wrote comments about many of his teammates. Each sentence was meant to stand as an official statement from Wood, who (understandably) didn’t want to do any more interviews.
About Richard Howell: “Rich is good”
About C.J. Leslie: “CJ has great energy”
About Lorenzo Brown: “Zo is a great defender”
About T.J. Warren: “TJ can score”
About Rodney Purvis: “Rod is a freak”
About Tyler Lewis: “Tyler can pass”
Not wanting Wood to be left out, Warren walked over and offered his take: “Scott can shoot a little”
Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Random notes and quotes from Day 1 of the ACC tournament
ONE RECORD ENOUGH FOR HANLAN
Boston College’s Olivier Hanlan, the ACC’s Rookie of the Year, scored 41 points to key an improbable rally and lead his team to an 84-64 first-round victory against Georgia Tech on Thursday. In doing so, he broke an ACC tournament freshman record set two years ago when North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes hit for 40 in an overtime semifinal win against Clemson.
A DOZEN DIMES FOR BROWN
N.C. State point guard Lorenzo Brown had 12 assists in Thursday’s win against Wake Forest, the most ever in an ACC tournament game by a Wolfpack player. The previous record was nine, shared by four players — the last of which was Chris Corchiani in 1991.
The 12 assists were also the fifth-most among everyone in a tournament game. Wake Forest’s Ish Smith set the mark of 15 against Georgia Tech in double overtime in 2007. UNC’s Kendall Marshall matched him in last year’s quarterfinals against Maryland.
FORMER DEACON STAR ROGERS REMEMBERED
The ACC honored former Wake Forest star Rodney Rogers at halftime on Thursday’s Wake Forest-Maryland game on the 20th anniversary season of his being named the league’s player of the year in 1993.
Rogers, a former Durham Hillside two-sports star, was wheeled out in his wheelchair by his wife Faye and his Wake Forest coach Dave Odom among others; Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down after he was injured in a Nov. 28, 2008 dirt bike accident in Vance County (near Raleigh).
A 13-year NBA veteran who played for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, Rogers created a foundation to help assist those in financial need from accidents that cause paralysis.
MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS
WRALSportsfan.com
Raw: NC State-Virginia Tech postgame press conference
NC State head coach Mark Gottfried and Virginia Tech head coach James Johnson meet the media following State’s opening round win over the Hokies at the 60th ACC Tournament.
WRALSportsfan.com
Gottfried: Our defense made the difference
NC State men’s basketball coach Mark Gottfried, Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie speak with the media following NC State’s 80-63 win over Virginia Tech in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
WRALSportsfan.com
Wood: Lorenzo did a great job
NC State’s Scott Wood praised the play of Lorenzo Brown following the Wolfpack’s win over Virginia Tech.
WRALSportsfan.com
Purvis: Erick Green was our key focus
NC State’s Rodney Purvis said Virginia Tech’s Erick Green was our key focus.
WRALSportsfan.com
Howell: Virginia is like a revenge game
NC State’s Richard Howell said their game against Virginia Friday will be for revenge.
WRALSportsfan.com
Red means go on ACC Tournament Day 1
Fans of North Carolina State University dominated the crowd and ended the day pleased Thursday in Greensboro at the ACC Tournament.
NCAA
Jay Coleman, Mike DuMond, & Allen Lynch
NCAA Tournament “Dance Card”
Below are rankings of all NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams through the games of Wednesday, March 13, 2013, according to the “Dance Card” formula developed by Jay Coleman of the University of North Florida, Mike DuMond of Charles River Associates, and Allen Lynch of Mercer University.
Rank… Team…….. Chance of Bid
2…… Duke…….. 100.00%
8…… Miami….. 100.00%
10….. Michigan……. 100.00%
21….. Oklahoma St…… 100.00%
29….. UNC……… 100.00%
32….. NC State…. 99.90%
50….. Kentucky……… 68.68%
THE BUBBLE BURST HERE
51….. Virginia… 55.09%
63….. Arizona State…. 1.52%
65….. Stanford…. 1.16%
67….. UMass….. 0.51%
71….. Florida State…. 0.05%
TeamRankings.com
Bracketology 2013
N.C. State Wolfpack NCAA Tournament Bracketology Projection
Make Tournament: 96.6%
Prediction Seed: 9 (16.5%)NCAA Tournament Odds To Advance By Round
Round of 32: 50.0%
Sweet 16: 19.4%
Elite 8: 8.0%
Final Four: 2.9%
Final: 1.0%
Champion: 0.3%
RealTimeRPI.com
Bracket Projections – Men’s Basketball (2012-2013)
Last update: 2013-03-13 11:44
Duke (1), Miami (1), UNC (5), NCSU (8)
Bracketproject.50webs.com
The 2013 Bracket Matrix
Matrix Last Updated: 3/14/13 08:34 PM
Seed… Avg Seed… # of Brackets… Team
1……… 1.00………… 98……………… Duke
2……… 2.50………… 98……………… Miami
3……… 2.54………… 98……………… Michigan
4……… 4.37………… 98……………… Oklahoma State
7……… 7.17………… 98……………… North Carolina
8……… 8.18………… 98……………… NC State
OUT…….. 11.78……….. 23……………… Virginia
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com)
2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament Prediction
Bracket updated on: Thu Mar 14 22:16
Duke (1), Miami (3), North Carolina (8), NC State (9)
Joe Lunardi (ESPN.com)
Bracketology
Updated March 14, 2013
Duke (1), Miami (2), North Carolina (7), NC State (8), Virginia (11)
Eamonn Brennan (ESPN.com)
College Basketball Bubble Watch
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Virginia, Maryland
Virginia [21-10 (11-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 132] If any Virginia fans were celebrating after Sunday night’s win over Maryland, they might want to pull back just a bit. The Cavaliers still have a really depressing fact of bubble life working against them: too many bad losses. As ESPN Stats and Info’s Ryan Feldman wrote on our blog this week, UVa has seven losses to teams ranked outside the RPI top 100 (ranging from 118 to 317). In the past 20 seasons, no team with that many bad losses has received an at-large bid to the tournament. And in fact, only three teams — 2011 USC, 2005 Saint Mary’s and 2004 Washington — have gotten a bid with more than four such “bad” losses. Also working against Virginia? Nonconference schedule. This is nothing new, of course, but the selection committee has long since put the word out that bad noncon schedules will be judged harshly come March; it’s the type of quality that has kept more than a few otherwise (apparently) deserving teams out in recent seasons. Virginia’s nonconference schedule strength — No. 299 — is very much in that group. Of course, the Cavs also won at Wisconsin and beat Duke, UNC and NC State at home, and had players missing for some of those ugly losses early in the year. But even so, while Virginia remains alive, it may be more difficult than anyone thinks for the Cavs to actually seal that bid come Selection Sunday.
Maryland [21-11 (8-10), RPI: 82, SOS: 118] The Terps survived an NIT-guaranteeing potential loss against the typically dismal Wake Forest Demon Deacons Thursday, a win which nonetheless still leaves them outside serious bubble contention. After all, the Terps do have just four wins against teams ranked better than 150 in the RPI; that two of them came against Duke and NC State doesn’t really matter, given the utter softness of Maryland’s nonconference schedule (No. 297), ugly RPI and a sheet full of cupcakes. It’s easy to pick on, say, Southern Miss when we’re talking about the mediocrity on the bubble, but really, the fact that the Terps are even still in fringe contention for an at-large bid says it best. And with all of that discouragement out of the way, Maryland’s win Thursday did one thing: It gave them another crack at Duke. I’m not sure I?’d slot Maryland in the tournament even if they do win Friday, but that win obviously couldn’t hurt.
