NC State @ BC

Hi all – forgive me but I’m posting the game thread the night before this time around … Not sure when I’d have time to post a game thread tomorrow (Saturday) morning, plus Premier BJD has expressed reservations about opening game threads – so I figured I’d go ahead and get this one up 🙂 . I could have used the ‘publish timer’, but who am I to deny those who are hype about State playing BC and want to post thoughts tonight? Onward Red Army!

Not sure about you, but I’m still a bit hungover with my head still in the clouds after Tuesday night. As fans, we can afford that luxury – the team, not so much. Thankfully, Coach Gottfried and the players have expressed that they know what’s at stake with the BC game. This is a business trip. While recent ‘next game’ results are decidedly not in the Pack’s favor after beating either Duke or the Cheats (they’re so bad I won’t state them here), there are some other factors that do weigh positively in our players’ favor.

One of those factors is that this team has already experienced what can happen after beating a top ranked foe, namely Duke, earlier this season. Several State players expressed that exact sentiment after the win over the Cheats on Tuesday night. They know the kind of focus and composure that is necessary in order to hopefully avoid a ‘letdown’ performance. They also know that Tuesday night’s win is now firmly in the past, and a new challenge awaits. It’s one of those ‘thin line’ differences between consistent championship level Top 15 teams and those programs and teams that only catch lightning in a bottle now and then. State has always had the talent to win this season – some of it new and raw – but winning talent nonetheless. A number of State’s losses have been greatly aided by the mental/psychological side of the equation, leading to seeming inconsistency. That’s hopefully in the past for this season.

Another factor playing in State’s favor as they move forward is that this team is this team … it’s not the team from a decade ago, or even last season’s team. As they proved on Tuesday night, past results and trends are not necessarily indicative of current or future results. It’s like a new spin of the roulette wheel, just because you’ve hit black or green 11 straight times doesn’t mean you won’t hit red on the 12th spin. Most Pack players had no idea about any ‘losing streak’ in the Cheat Dome – they just went out and won. What this team’s players know is that they had a collective letdown after defeating Duke, and they know now to be focused from here out. To hell with any past results of other teams – those are completely irrelevant to this team.

All that said, even with great focus at 12 pm Saturday there are other challenges this game presents. One is that the Conte Forum is likely to be a near dead arena. It doesn’t matter who you are, it can be tough to generate energy for a noon start in a moribund setting. Thankfully, this is just as likely to potentially impact BC as it is the Pack.

The other challenge is the BC team itself. It’s been a tough season for the Eagles under first year coach Jim Christian. They’ve won only one league game to this point, and are on a prolonged losing skid. Still, they’ve been competitive in a number of their games and they do own a nice early season win over a solid Providence squad. Olivier Hanlan has been tearing it up in league play, and scored 39 in BC’s last contest – a 71-65 loss at Pitt.

Bottom line: Challenges aside, as in almost all games this team will play – if State can come out and play poised and determined they stand a very good chance of winning.

Go Pack

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About wufpup76

'99 grad. Abundant reservoir of useless knowledge and even more useless skills. Vehement believer in the individual voice and also that it will indeed all be over by Friday.

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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 338 total)
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  • #76246
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    Hi all – forgive me but I’m posting the game thread the night before this time around … Not sure when I’d have time to post a game thread tomorrow (
    [See the full post at: NC State @ BC]

    #76250
    choppack1
    Participant

    Yep. Important game. It can give us a little breathing room and a boost in the “new” RPI.

    We need to win 2 of next 3 to feel nice and relaxed come selection Sunday (and the worry wart in me thinks we’d still need to win our first gsme with a loss.)

    #76251
    MrPlywood
    Participant

    Just win baby.

    #76254
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    #SayNoToNCSS

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #76255
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    If the Pack comes out looking hongry and executing, it will be a very, very good sign going forward.

    That being said, I’d still settle for an ugly win considering that the worst case senario is a loss in letdown city with a trip to Death Valley still looming.

    So, I’m with MrPly…don’t screw this up (I’m paraphrasing).

    #76256
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    #SayNoToNCSS

    Heh … I resisted the urge to bring NCSS up. I know this team can avoid it, question is will they?

    We should keep in mind that even if State plays reasonably well, BC *could* still have a chance to clip us. They had Miami all but beat the other week – they lost due to some BC Sh*t. If we’re gonna see any sh*t tomorrow, that’s the type of sh*t we need to see – BC sh*t!

    #76257
    theTHRILL
    Participant

    This game scares the dickens out of me. Win this one, and I like our chances at Clemson. Lose, and the pressure really builds. Win the next two, and the environment for our final home game should be amazing… We’d be on a phenomenal run coming into that game.

    #76258
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    Call me crazy, I don’t see us losing this game.

    I’m assuming Cat will be on Hanlan, I’m interested in seeing how that plays out.

    #76260
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    bill.onthebeach wrote:

    #SayNoToNCSS

    Heh … I resisted the urge to bring NCSS up. I know this team can avoid it, question is will they?

    Pup, I’m not worried about the Basketball Players one bit.

    Posted that for the general health and wellbeing of the SFN lunatic fringe….
    I know “most of them” can avoid it, the question is “Will they?”.

    #SayNoToNCSS

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #76261
    Khan
    Participant

    This is exactly the kind of game #stateclassic loses. If this team has really turned the corner and has really come together and found an identity, then #newstate walks out with a win, continued momentum heading to Clemson, and a more relaxed Selection Sunday. We’ll see.

    #76262
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    The old me is terrified, but I can’t help but hope that this team has found their focus (at long last) and doesn’t want to go back to the precipice of disaster. And really…they have ONE F-ING PLAYER. We should beat teams like that 100 times out of 100, especially when it’s a perimeter guy who we can mark with Cat and/or Des for 40 minutes.

    We shall see. My latent pessimist is usually eventually the winner in my internal battles. Just hope not today.

    FORWARD for Glorious Red Cause, Comrades!

    #76263
    choppack1
    Participant

    If you want to know why coach k is coach k and others aren’t… After their game vs. UNC they played Clemson without their best player (okafor). They came out pressing… And dispensed of a decent Clemson team quickly.

    That’s the kind of statement we need to make today if we’ve truly turned the corner.

    #76269
    JohnGalt78
    Participant

    Dragging out of bed just now (8:30) and thinking, damn, the guys are probably getting taped right now. I hate noon games. Hope the players don’t have my internal clock. And BC is proven to be godforsaken in the winter, especially this one with global warming and all. This will be a test of a different kind…not so much against the five BC players on the court, but everything else….12 BC parents in the stands and maybe 2 media people, cold, dead quiet save sneakers squeaking and those butt ugly colors. It will have a scrimmage feel to it. Beat the elements boys and winning the game will take care of itself.

    #76270
    Deacon Blues
    Participant

    So…besides the Pack, the Noles the Jackets and the Dookies, who are we pulling for today?

    The U? Or the Cheats?

    #76271
    13OT
    Participant

    Who are we pulling for, The U or UNC-CHeats? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

    As for our game, if we see the same type of defensive effort we saw last Tuesday, we’ll be in great shape.

    DEEEEFENSE!!

    #76272
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    I plan to watch our game, get a mild-to-moderate buzz on, then read about war crimes whilst waiting on a fridge to be delivered.

    #76273
    wolfmanmat
    Participant

    Ill be interested to see if gott plays the martin twins and rest of 2nd string more. We need more pt out of those guys if we plan on making a serious run in either tourney. Cant play cat and lacey the entire game.

    #76274
    Fastback68
    Participant

    Was it lost on anyone that Boyd Crowder was drinking Buffalo Trace and working at the mine on Blanton’s creek. How many bourbon references can be squeezed into one show. Wild Turkey at high noon. Works for me. Go Pack

    #76275
    StateMan
    Participant

    if state, Louisville and cheat all end up at 11-7, who owns the tiebreaker? How about Louisville and state? I think state wins both but I am not confident…

    Just win today!!!

    #76276
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    I plan to watch our game, get a mild-to-moderate buzz on, then read about war crimes whilst waiting on a fridge to be delivered.

    Now that’s a day!

    Also, I think this team is having a positive affect on your outlook … you didn’t take the opportunity to compare State games to war crimes 🙂

    #76277
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    if state, Louisville and cheat all end up at 11-7, who owns the tiebreaker? How about Louisville and state? I think state wins both but I am not confident…

    Hrmmm … no idea. Getting to 11-7 would be amazing though.

    #76279
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    This reminds me of the Ol’ Roy/U*NC relationship right now, and makes me giggle uncontrollably:

    Plus, I dig Kaiser Chiefs.

    #76280
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    State went 2-1, Holes (2-2) and Yum! (1-2) split. Easy 3-way tiebreak, Pack is your 4 seed. Hopefully Yum! is the 5, because they go to a head-to-head tiebreaker next.

    #76281
    Fastback68
    Participant

    State would be #4 since we beat the Cards and by virtue of a 1-0 record against Duke which would trump UNX’s at best 1-1 record with Duke. There is a wild scenario where State could lose one of their remaining games and still be #4 if Cards lose all 3 remaining games and UNX 2 of 3. The Canes play UNX, Pitt and VT. IMO, they seem to have the easiest path to the fourth seed. Too many noon ACC games today.

    #76283
    Texpack
    Participant

    We get Klempson and GT here today so it’s ESPN3 again. I just hope the empty building doesn’t make us listless. Other than that we have a decent shot at a win.

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