NC STATE BASKETBALL
Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
One-handed, behind-the-back assist nothing special to Tyler Lewis
“I’ve been doing it all my life,” he said. “It’s nothing really hard for me. It just comes natural.”
Joe Giglio (N&O)
NC State beats Virginia 75-56 in ACC tourney, faces Miami next
Scott Wood’s third 3-pointer, in a 84-second span in the second half, not only sent N.C. State on its way to a 75-56 win over Virginia in the ACC tournament Friday, it made Lorenzo Brown shake his head in amazement.
“That’s just Scott right there, that’s what he does,” Brown said.
True enough, with seven 3-pointers Friday, Wood passed Rodney Monroe for the school’s career record in 3-pointers.
Much was made of Wood’s 23 points against Virginia, one of the toughest defenses in the country, but the senior sharpshooter was more interested in talking about his own defense on Virginia’s Joe Harris.
“Finally,” Wood said in a postgame scrum with the media after he was asked about his defense. “I like to take a lot of pride in my defense.”
For the second consecutive game, it was N.C. State’s defense that helped the Wolfpack advance to Saturday’s semifinal matchup with top-seeded Miami at 1 p.m.
Tom Sorensen (N&O)
Where Leslie leads, Wolfpack will follow
Leslie is, I think, the most talented player in the ACC. He’s not the best. He’s the most talented. There’s a difference.
He also is among the most puzzling. As good as he is, he’s not good all the time.
He underachieved this season only in the context of his great talent. He leads the Wolfpack in scoring, averaging 14.9 points a game. He’s in the ACC’s top 10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
At 6-foot-9 and a lean 200 pounds, Leslie can handle the ball, go to the basket, score with an array of inside moves, hit from the mid range and jump as high as he chooses. Watch him leap for a rebound. He waits above the rim for the ball to come to him.
Leslie can take over a game the way he did Friday at Greensboro Coliseum.
[snip]
“I knew if I got it going and got the energy started early, my team would follow behind me and we would do a good job of picking each other up,†Leslie says. “On any given night it could be a different person.â€
That person will be a starter. N.C. State’s bench is as thin as Leslie. Reserves played 31 minutes against Virginia and accounted for four assists, three rebounds and two points, each of those numbers supplied by point guard Tyler Lewis.
To compensate for the reserves, starters have to star. Richard Howell, the first team all-ACC forward, is a fierce rebounder.
But he can’t do all that Leslie can. Do you remember Leslie during N.C. State’s Sweet 16 run in the NCAA tournament last season? He averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds and often was the best player on whatever court he stepped.
Luke DeCock and Tom Sorensen (N&O)
Two instant analyses from NC State-Virginia game
N.C. State players wore red long-sleeved T-shirts inscribed with white letters: Rise to the occasion.
The Wolfpack rose. They allowed Virginia to linger in the first half at Greensboro Coliseum Friday. The Cavaliers could have competed if they had hit some easy and open shots. But they didn’t. The longer the game wore on, the more difficult Virginia’s shots became.
N.C. State looked like the team many of us anticipated before the season began. The Wolfpack imposed their talent on a lesser Virginia team. The Cavaliers had nobody who could match up with C.J. Leslie, and Leslie knew it.
When Virginia adjusted inside, Scott Wood hammered the Cavaliers outside.
Wood took 12 shots from the field, all 3-pointers, and hit seven for a game-high 23 points. Leslie added 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
N.C. State won easily, beating the Cavaliers 75-56.
The Wolfpack was unselfish and entertaining and really good.
If they can sustain it there’s nobody in the conference, or in the country, with which they can’t compete.
— Tom Sorensen
Joe Giglio (N&O)
Pack’s Howell plays through the pain
Richard Howell thought he knew what it meant to play with pain.
That is until Friday when Howell had to briefly leave N.C. State’s win against Virginia with a thigh bruise to his right leg.
Twice, Virginia forward Akil Mitchell accidentally kneed Howell in the second half.
“It was a simple injury, he kneed me twice, but it felt like I got hit with a baseball bat,†Howell said. “I’ve never played with something so painful in my life.â€
Howell, who finished with 12 rebounds and labored through 30 minutes, went to the locker room at the 13:05 mark in the second half.
He returned less than 2 minutes later, after briefly riding a stationary bike behind the N.C. State bench. Howell’s rebound of a Lorenzo Brown miss at the 8-minute mark fired up the Wolfpack crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum, and led to a 3-point play by C.J. Leslie.
Later in the second half, coming out of a timeout, referee Mike Eades stopped to ask Howell if he was OK.
Howell said he was in pain, but Eades replied, “They still can’t stop you on the glass.â€
Howell’s health will be a question mark for Saturday’s semifinal against Miami’s huge frontcourt of Reggie Johnson, Julian Gamble and Kenny Kadji.
“It’s definitely going to be a physical battle but we feel like if we can get out and run, we’ll be all right,†Howell said.
Howell has started every game this season and 70 straight games.
Stephen Schramm (FayObserver.com)
Wolfpack’s Howell powers through leg injury
N.C. State forward Richard Howell was in the middle of a pack of teammates and photographers when he walked off the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday.
But a few paces later, he was all alone.
After catching two unintentional knees in the thigh from Virginia’s Akil Mitchell on back-to-back plays late in the first half of the Wolfpack’s 75-56 ACC tournament quarterfinal victory, his right leg was screaming in pain. That made the long walk to the Wolfpack’s locker room a struggle.
By the time he hit the 10 steps he needed to climb along the way, the rest of his teammates had already disappeared ahead of him. With a towel draped over his head, he clung to the railing and lifted himself gingerly up each one.
“I’ve never played with something so painful in my entire life, honestly,” Howell said.
Howell played in the second half with a wad of tape around his thigh. He left the game just once in the second half, heading behind the bench to ride a stationary bike and chat with Wolfpack trainers. He returned after sitting out for roughly two minutes.
When he was on the court, Howell was noticeably uncomfortable, limping and grimacing with each trip up the floor.
“I felt like I got hit with a baseball bat right there,” Howell said. “It’s definitely nagging to play through, but I felt like my team needed it and I needed it and we came out with the W.”
In the chaos of the lane, Howell continued to show the kind of effort that landed him on the All-ACC first team.
Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Scott Wood breaks school record for 3-pointers
Rodney Monroe, wearing a red N.C. State cap, clapped politely from his end-zone seat after Scott Wood’s seventh 3-pointer put the finishing touches on another ACC tournament victory.
The Wolfpack’s 75-56 win against Virginia pleased the entire Monroe family. Wood’s record-setting performance was a tougher sell.
Wood became N.C. State’s career leader in 3-pointers made, breaking Monroe’s 22-year-old record, early in the second half Friday. The two sharpshooters stood together for a postgame television interview on the Greensboro Coliseum floor, where Monroe congratulated Wood.
Monroe’s three sons had a harder time accepting the development.
“They’re all big N.C. State fans, and they really want N.C. State to win,” Monroe said. “Of course they didn’t want Scott Wood to break daddy’s record. I had to explain it was the same situation when I was coming up on David Thompson’s (career scoring) record. No one wanted me to break that record, it happened, and he was totally great about it.”
Wood, who entered Friday’s tournament quarterfinal needing four 3-pointers to surpass Monroe’s career total of 322, scored 23 points thanks to a 7-for-12 showing from long range.
Wood tied the record, and topped it, during a critical 83-second stretch in which he ended three consecutive Wolfpack possessions with a 3-pointer. Virginia, which faced a 30-21 halftime deficit, trailed by 16 when Wood capped his quick-release hat trick with 17:33 remaining.
Known first and foremost as a 3-point threat – more than 75 percent of his 1,048 field-goal attempts at N.C. State have been 3s – Wood set the career record during one of his most complete performances as a college player.
Bret Strelow (FayObserver.com)
Lorenzo Brown looks forward to semifinal matchup with Shane Larkin
N.C. State point guard Lorenzo Brown sprained his left ankle in the opening minutes at Virginia in late January, and the Wolfpack lost consecutive games against the Cavaliers, Miami and Duke without Brown.
[snip]
“It’s going to be a battle,” Brown said. “He’s a great point guard. He led their team to an ACC title this year. It’s going to be good.”
Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
NC State Dispenses With Virginia, 75-56
Another day, another easy win thanks in part to shutting down the other team’s star player. State’s effort at the defensive end was very good in the early going, which set the tone for what was to come over the full 40. Virginia got a fine performance from Akil Mitchell, but with Joe Harris struggling to score, the Cavs could not keep up. I feel like I could just use yesterday’s recap and replace the names. Maybe I am already doing that. Roll Pack.
Scott Wood had himself one hell of an afternoon, and he broke Rodney Monroe’s school record for career three-pointers in the process. With Zo struggling from the field and Richard Howell hobbled, Wood’s performance was crucial. Virginia did its best to make things interesting in the second half, but NC State always responded to keep the Cavs from seriously threatening, and Wood had a major hand in that. T.J. Warren…I don’t know what to say anymore. His shooting accuracy seems totally unsustainable, but there he goes game after game hitting an insane percentage of his twos.
Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Even on one leg, Howell dominates the glass for N.C. State
Howell, a first-team All-ACC selection said he’d go through treatment leading up to Saturday’s 1 p.m. game against top-seeded Miami in hopes of being full strength. He had an ice pack wrapped tightly around his right thigh in the locker room after the game.
“He’s a tough, tough guy and he played through about everything,†N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said of Howell. “I asked him a couple of times if he was okay and I knew he wasn’t but didn’t want to come out of the game because he battles like that.â€
Still, it was evident that the 6-foot-8 senior wasn’t as his best physically. Referee Mike Eades noticed it and said something to Howell late in the game.
“He said he’s known me long enough that he knew something was wrong,†Howell, who still ended up with six points and 12 rebounds. “I told him my leg was hurt, and he was like ‘yeah, but they still can’t stop you on the glass.’â€
GoPack.com
Pack Extends #ACCTourney Run with 75-56 win over Virginia
Scott Wood had 23 points and seven 3-pointers to help NC State beat Virginia 75-56 on Friday in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals.
C.J. Leslie added 17 points and 11 rebounds with three blocks for the fifth-seeded Wolfpack (24-9), who blew the game open after halftime and led by double digits nearly the entire second half for a second straight quarterfinal win against the fourth-seeded Cavaliers (21-11).
NC State also got strong performances from freshman T.J. Warren with 18 points and senior Richard Howell, who battled through a right thigh injury to finish with 12 rebounds.
The Wolfpack avenged a regular-season loss to Virginia that started a three-game skid, which all but took the preseason ACC favorite out of the regular-season title chase. Now NC State is back in the semifinals and has a Saturday matchup with No. 9 Miami, the tournament’s top seed.
Akil Mitchell scored 19 to lead Virginia, which hasn’t reached the semifinals since 1995 – the longest drought in the league. First-team all-ACC performer Joe Harris had 13 on 4-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-9 from 3-point range.
The teams met last year in the exact same position, with the fifth-seeded Wolfpack winning 67-64 to reach the semifinals. This one wasn’t nearly that close, with the Wolfpack taking a 30-21 halftime lead then scoring on five straight possessions out of the break to push that margin to 19 barely 3 1/2 minutes in.
Tommy Bowman (Winston Salem Journal)
Wood’s shooting helps Wolfpack sink Cavaliers
Wood’s first two 3s, in a two-minute span late in the first half, helped the Wolfpack begin to pull away. Three more — from the top of the circle, from the right wing and then from the corner — came in a span of 1:20 early in the second half to extend the lead to 19.
“I’m not one to go in the huddle and say ‘Give me the ball’ but it feels good when you’re knocking down your shots,†said Wood, whose final 3 gave the Wolfpack its biggest lead, 21 points. “Any time I get an opportunity to get a good look, I’m going to take advantage of it. My teammates did a great job of setting screens.â€
Coach Mark Gottfried of the Wolfpack said: “When you play our team, one of the first things you have to do is figure out how you’re going to guard Scott Wood…. Scott had the hot hand. We kept going to him, and he kept delivering.â€
[snip]
The Wolfpack limited Virginia Tech’s Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer, in the first round. Then followed by holding Virginia to 39-percent shooting — including 5 of 20 from 3-point range.
“They packed it in so much on our bigs, it was tough for our bigs to create easy shots for others,†Justin Anderson of Virginia said. “They denied Joey (Harris, the Cavaliers’ top scorer), and that made it tough for us because we need to get him touches. They played a solid overall defensive game.â€
Wood, guarding Harris much of the game, was also a catalyst on defense, but his barrage of quick 3s led to the blowout.
“It’s great to have someone like Scott Wood who can just light it up at any second,†Howell said. “He can get hot at any moment. That’s why we have so many players work to just keep getting him open.â€
“All he needs is a little bit of space to knock down a shot,†Harris said.
Tony Bennett, Virginia’s coach, said: “When Wood gets it going, they are so dangerous. I think they’re the most offensively-talented team in our league.â€
Jacey Zembal (TheWolfpacker.com)
Scott Wood’s all-around game sparks Wolfpack
Wood’s teammates are used to viewing his long-range prowess.
“That’s just Scott right there,” Brown said. “That is what he does. I shook my head on the last one because he was off-balanced. He still made it. I was like, ‘I wish I could shoot like that.’ He’s tough.”
Gottfried pointed out that Wood’s ability to make big shots should have gotten him some type of All-ACC recognition. Wood will settle for victories and continued hot shooting.
“One of those shots was the hardest ones especially moving and getting pretty high in the air,” Wood said. “My teammates did a great job screening for me and getting good looks.”
NC State senior center [db]Richard Howell[/db] had to play through pain in the second half. Virginia junior power forward [db]Akil Mitchell[/db] accidentally hit Howell twice in the thigh.
“I feel good right now, but running out there on the court, my leg definitely hurt,” Howell said. “I’ve never played with something so painful in my life. It was a simple injury. He kneed me twice, but it felt like getting hit with a baseball bat.”
Howell finished with six points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of action, and will be put to the test against the Hurricanes’ large centers. Howell and Wood’s leadership has shown through the Wolfpack’s season, with both rewriting the record book.
“You can tell he was really, really hurt,” Wood said. “He’s a warrior in there and he was battling. Even when he’s hurt and in the game, he’s going to give us good minutes.”
Brown’s ankle is also holding up. He missed the earlier game against Miami, but freshman point guard [db]Tyler Lewis[/db] was impressive in his place with 16 points and five assists against Hurricanes star sophomore point guard [db]Shane Larkin[/db].
“We are obviously better with Lorenzo in the game, anybody can see that,” Gottfried said. “He affects the game in so many ways.
“Our chemistry is great and defensively we are better. Offensively, we are sharing the ball. We just need to continue to get better. We are going to play a team that is awfully good.”
Joe Ovies (WRALSportsfan.com)
Talking Points: Wood buries Cavs; Pack get defensive
3. A check of the “Calvinometer” shows that Leslie moved the needle towards “Calvin.”
While it wasn’t his most efficient afternoon, Leslie chipped 17 points and limited the turnovers. It’s not a coincidence NC State’s ACC Tournament wins feature Leslie hitting free throws and not giving away possessions. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.
4. Richard Howell found himself on a stationary bike working through a thigh injury. It limited his point production, but he still managed to grab 12 boards against Virginia.
Howell has earned a seat right next to Julius Hodge if Wolfpack fans ever hold a “Beloved Modern Pack Player” luncheon.
“He’s a tough, tough guy and he plays through about everything,” said Mark Gottfried. “I asked him a couple of times if he was okay and I knew he wasn’t but he didn’t want to come out of the game and he battles like that.”
PackInsider.com
Wolfpack Slaughter Cavs 75-56
– Brown is still working his way back from that ankle injury, but over the past two games he’s played at a pretty high level. Sure, his shot has been off and he hasn’t been able to finish around the rim but again today he finished with a great game as a floor leader. Zo had only 9 points but dished out 6 assists and had only 1 turnover. State can go far with him playing like this, but he’s going to have to get his offense going if they’re going to bring home any hardware this season.
– Scott Wood. Wow, what can you say. The guy is such an unbelievable shooter and can single handedly swing momentum with a few shots. Wood’s 9 point flurry early in the 2nd half really put the Pack in control. UVA didn’t do a bad job of guarding him, he was just on fire. Wood finished with 23 points and knocked down seven 3s. With those, he broke Rodney Monroe’s all-time record at NC State. Now, we always talk about Scott’s shooting, but rarely does he get any credit on defense. Today he was in lockdown mode, making it hard for Joe Harris to get anything going. Wood’s play on both ends were the biggest key in this win.
– With Richard Howell a bit hobbled with a thigh contusion, TJ Warren really picked up the slack. Now, Warren isn’t a guy whos posting up or having plays run to get him open. He’s a guy who’s constantly moving, finding open gaps and capitalizing. TJ ended up with 18 points on 9-11 shooting. I know every single time you read an article about Warren, you hear the line ‘natural scorer,’ but honestly there’s no other way to describe it. His footwork, body control and ability to finish in traffic is insane. State’s got all their scorers on a tear right now.
– The midseason injury to Lorenzo Brown hurt NC State. They dropped a few games the should have won, but it really may have been a blessing in disguise. Right now, you’re getting to see a fresh PG all game thanks to Tyler Lewis being able to sub in and give Zo a breather. But Lewis isn’t’ just a place filler. This kid has been giving the Wolfpack a boost every time he steps on the floor. He really came in and calmed things down in the second half and helped the Pack get back on track after UVA had a little breakthrough. Lewis finished with 4 assists and only 1 TO.
Kris Wright (TheSabre.com)
NCSU Ousts UVa At ACC Tournament
With tournament play arriving around the country, many teams – including NC State – have warm-up apparel that reads ‘Rise To The Occasion.’ If the ACC Tournament is the occasion, Virginia hasn’t risen to the task for nearly two decades. Seeking its first conference tournament semifinal appearance since 1995, the fourth-seeded Hoos struggled offensively and the defense wasn’t good enough to keep it close as the fifth-seeded Wolfpack rolled to a 75-56 victory Friday in Greensboro.
The 19-point loss marked the largest margin of defeat this season for the Cavaliers. They are now 2-14 in this event against NCSU. Virginia has the longest semifinal drought of any conference team.
“We struggled in the ï¬rst round, we played NC State last year and last year we had a couple guys banged up and there is no excuse. We have struggled to ï¬nd our way in here, but I have faith in our team and hopefully we’ve got some basketball left,” Cav forward Akil Mitchell said.
“Our effort was good. It was, but our execution [wasn’t.] Effort without execution or soundness doesn’t get you a whole lot,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “These guys are a group and I sound like a broken record but you certainly can win with ’em and you can lose with them, and you know they’re going to ï¬ght for the next practice and they’re about the right stuff.”
As has been the case with most of UVa’s games away from Charlottesville this season, the Wahoos (21-11) did not put together the type of performance needed to win. In addition to a 9-of-15 showing at the free throw line, they shot a miserable 25.0% from 3-point range and 38.9% overall as only Mitchell consistently found any touch on offense. Mitchell hit 7 of 11 shots (63.6%), while the rest of the team combined to go 14 of 43 (32.6%). The junior forward finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots in 33 minutes.
[snip]
The loss put a final dent in the Cavaliers’ NCAA Tournament projections. The Hoos’ hopes rest in the hands of the selection committee, who must weigh one of the most perplexing resumes among the bubble hopefuls. Virginia owns mediocre stats for RPI (likely to settle somewhere in the 60’s or 70’s by the end of the weekend) and strength of schedule (likely to be in the 130’s neighborhood by Sunday).
UVa played well against the top 100 in the RPI with wins over Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Wisconsin, and Tennessee but they stumbled frequently against teams outside of the top 100 with losses to Old Dominion, George Mason, and Delaware as the CAA headliners. Of course, the team has had injuries and illness shuffle things at different points in the season. Evans missed or was limited during many of the tough early losses, while Tobey and Darion Atkins sat out during stretches of conference play.
All in all, it is an interesting case for the committee to dissect.
“I felt like our team was focused on this game at hand. We all had ACC Tournament Title as our goal. Whatever happens, happens, you can’t worry about that and you have to get yourself ready to play,” Mitchell said.
“I don’t know, I think I told you before, said we’re the ‘Dos Equis’ bubble team, we’re the most interesting bubble team in the world, we gotta stay thirsty, right?” Bennett said. “We do have some quality wins, absolutely. Have some bad losses. Have the injuries. They’ll have to make those decisions. It is a unique situation and that’s where it’s at.”
Regardless of what the committee choose to do with that information, the Wahoos put together back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1991-92 and 1992-93. The team just wants a chance to add to that success in a postseason tournament at this point.
David Teel (dailypress.com)
Virginia offers no NCAA case in ACC tournament loss to N.C. State
Virginia perpetuated one of ACC basketball’s most baffling streaks Friday, and the defeat probably cost the Cavaliers an NCAA tournament bid.
“Honestly, if we play like this, we don’t deserve to get in,” point guard Jontel Evans said after North Carolina State punished Virginia 75-56 in an ACC tournament quarterfinal at Greensboro Coliseum.
Indeed, on this day the Cavaliers gave the NCAA selection committee no reason to consider them bracket-worthy. They shot, rebounded and defended poorly, a trifecta rarely seen from coach Tony Bennett’s squad.
Most troubling and unusual: the defense. The Wolfpack scored 20 more points than the average Virginia opponent and more than anyone against the Cavaliers this season except North Carolina (93).
“Our identity’s our defense,” Evans said. “When we don’t play defense, and when we’re missing shots, we get blown out of the water like that.”
Virginia shot 38.9 percent overall, 25 from beyond the 3-point arc, and with State owning the glass, coach Mark Gottfried’s bunch was able to quicken the pace beyond the Cavaliers’ comfort and saddle them with their most-lopsided defeat of the season.
“Our transition defense was not acceptable today,” Evans said. “I don’t know what we were doing. We (weren’t) communicating. … That’s not us at all. You guys have seen us before. We’re a team that locks down on the defensive end, and today they just had their way with us.”
Evans is spot-on. While the Cavaliers contested many of Scott Wood’s seven 3-pointers, they often neglected to slow the Wolfpack’s fast break.
MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS
WRALSportsfan.com
NCSU-Virginia postgame press conference
North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried and Virginia head coach Tony Bennett meet the media following the Wolfpack’s quarterfinal showdown with the Cavaliers.
WRALSportsfan.com
Bennett: Give NC State all the credit
Virginia head coach Tony Bennett and forwards Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell meet the media following the Cavaliers’ 75-56 loss to NC State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
WRALSportsfan.com
Gottfried: Our team is beginning to find a groove
North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried and forwards Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie meet the media following NC State’s 75-56 win over Virginia in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
WRALSportsfan.com
Brown: It’s great to get another chance
North Carolina State point guard Lorenzo Brown discusses the Wolfpack’s recent “revenge” tour, against Virginia on Friday, and now Miami on Saturday.
WRALSportsfan.com
Warren: We know what to expect vs. Miami
NC State’s T.J. Warren said the team knows what to expect against Miami Saturday.
WRALSportsfan.com
Howell: Today is a confidence booster
NC State’s Richard Howell said the win over Virginia was a confidence booster for the team.
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 Friday, March 15, 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
5…… Duke…….. 100.00%
8…… Miami….. 100.00%
12….. Michigan……. 100.00%
24….. Oklahoma St…… 100.00%
28….. UNC……… 100.00%
29….. NC State…. 100.00%
50….. Mississippi……… 64.43%
THE BUBBLE BURST HERE
51….. Iowa… 63.39%
53….. Maryland… 46.35%
55….. Virginia… 38.37%
58….. Massachusetts… 24.66%
66….. Stanford…. 1.65%
68….. Arizona State…. 0.77%
71….. Florida State…. 0.20%
TeamRankings.com
Bracketology 2013
N.C. State Wolfpack NCAA Tournament Bracketology Projection
Make Tournament: 94.5%
Prediction Seed: 9 (16.3%)NCAA Tournament Odds To Advance By Round
Round of 32: 47.9%
Sweet 16: 18.3%
Elite 8: 7.5%
Final Four: 2.7%
Final: 0.9%
Champion: 0.3%
RealTimeRPI.com
Bracket Projections – Men’s Basketball (2012-2013)
Last update: 2013-03-15 11:44
Duke (1), Miami (1), UNC (5), NCSU (9)
Bracketproject.50webs.com
The 2013 Bracket Matrix
Matrix Last Updated: 3/15/13 08:40 PM
Seed… Avg Seed… # of Brackets… Team
1……… 1.02………… 91……………… Duke
2……… 2.52………… 91……………… Miami
3……… 2.62………… 91……………… Michigan
4……… 4.45………… 91……………… Oklahoma State
7……… 7.19………… 91……………… North Carolina
8……… 8.15………… 91……………… NC State
OUT…….. 11.85……….. 20……………… Virginia
Jerry Palm (CBSSports.com)
2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament Prediction
Bracket updated on: Sat Mar 16 01:02
Duke (1), Miami (3), NC State (8), North Carolina (9)
Joe Lunardi (ESPN.com)
Bracketology
Updated March 15, 2013
Duke (1), Miami (2), North Carolina (7), NC State (8), Virginia (12)
Eamonn Brennan (ESPN.com)
College Basketball Bubble Watch
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Virginia, Maryland
Virginia [21-11 (11-7), RPI: 64, SOS: 131] For the past few weeks, opinion on Virginia has been split. The Cavaliers got a huge boost from their impressive Feb. 28 home win over Duke, but undid it almost immediately with losses at Boston College and Florida State. They have a collection of quality victories and an even bigger collection of atrocious losses (some of which were suffered at injury-induced partial strength, admittedly, but there’s only so much explaining when Old Dominion is involved). Their adjusted efficiency and BPI numbers point to an underrated, tough defensive team. Their RPI and strength of schedule numbers scream NIT. After Friday’s 75-56 ACC tourney loss to NC State, it looks more likely than ever that the Cavs are going to fall short. Historically, few teams with Virginia’s profile get in the NCAA tournament. The only saving grace is that November win at Wisconsin, but will that be enough to tip the scales in their favor, even with all that other ugliness? I doubt it.
Maryland [22-11 (8-10), RPI: 77, SOS: 122] Question No. 1: What would the Terrapins do without Duke? Question No. 2: What would Maryland do without Dez Wells? On a day when just about everyone with a big bubble opportunity fell short (save Ole Miss, more on which below), the Terps upset Duke in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament thanks in large part to Wells’ 30 points on 13 shots. He went 9-of-13 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3 and 10-of-10 from the free throw line, with six rebounds and three assists thrown in for good measure. That is the insanely efficient performance of a player, and a team, who apparently does want to go to the tournament after all. Then again, maybe the Terps just really like to beat Duke. Of Maryland’s mere five top-100 RPI wins, two have come against the Blue Devils, and considering how well Duke was playing post-Ryan Kelly’s return, Friday’s win was even more surprising than the first. Anyway: Another win over Duke! Maryland’s in, right? Well, not so fast. Seventeen of its 22 wins are still against teams ranked below the 100 line, they’re still 4-9 against the top 100, the nonconference schedule is still ranked No. 296, and so on. A win over Duke at this stage of the season should get you into the tournament, but because Maryland was so far out on the bubble fringe, it still might not. It remains up in the air. A win over North Carolina in the semis would sure be nice.
