Pack wins UGLY, 58-52

We could only manage 58 points at home against a struggling UNC-G. State is now 9-3 with one more non-conference game (Northeastern on 12/29) before ACC play begins on January 2nd at Virginia Tech.

State’s collective focus was clearly lacking as the Pack shot only 13 of 26 from the free-throw line. Cat Barber finished with 27 points on 10-18 shooting and was responsible for making two of NC State’s whopping three three-pointers for the entire night. Freshman, Maverick Rowan was stone cold 1 of 10 from the floor.

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

15-16 Basketball

Home Forums Pack wins UGLY, 58-52

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 38 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #95109
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    We could only manage 58 points at home against a struggling UNC-G. State is now 9-3 with one more non-conference game (Northeastern on 12/29) before A
    [See the full post at: Pack wins UGLY, 58-52]

    #95112
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    With Rowan, I didn’t think it was simply that his shot was not falling. I thought he wasn’t getting good shots. They were off balance and contested. He had a similar night against Michigan, then he came out and hit everything against Bucknell, where it was a night and day difference in the shots he was taking. He is obviously a sharpshooter, but when he shoots those quick off balance 3’s not many are going to go in.

    #95113
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Just not a good ball club right now.

    #95116
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Crap, forgot about NE, I was hoping the bunny schedule (and thus, the potential for a truly humiliating loss) ended last night. Oh well, one more wolven white knuckle experience, comin’ right up!

    #95117
    redisgood
    Participant

    Unless Mav improves his shooting we’re not going to win many games. In three of the last six games he has gone 3 for 32. This team just cannot survive with that kind of inconsistency, especially since he’s one of our high volume shooters.

    Caleb needs to step it up as well. He’s 6 for 34 in the last four games.

    When two of our scorers shoot 10% and 20%, that’s not good.

    #95118
    ncsslim
    Participant

    Not only Mav, who is as inconsistent as he can possibly be, but the Martin twins are just as inept. Thought Caleb was bringing something to the table and his shooting is as bad if not worse than Rowan’s. Without any outside assistance to Cat, we’re toast.

    Last night was three hours out of my life I will not be able to get back. Just an unentertaining basketball game. I really was hoping a momentum surge into ACC play, and we just seem to only have one player, who fortunately, is one damn good player.

    #95120
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Crap, forgot about NE, I was hoping the bunny schedule (and thus, the potential for a truly humiliating loss) ended last night. Oh well, one more wolven white knuckle experience, comin’ right up!

    At least it’s on a real TeeVee box channel, so no further issues with the tres. Gotta find the silver linings where we can.

    #95121
    redisgood
    Participant

    Not only Mav, who is as inconsistent as he can possibly be, but the Martin twins are just as inept. Thought Caleb was bringing something to the table and his shooting is as bad if not worse than Rowan’s. Without any outside assistance to Cat, we’re toast.

    Last night was three hours out of my life I will not be able to get back. Just an unentertaining basketball game. I really was hoping a momentum surge into ACC play, and we just seem to only have one player, who fortunately, is one damn good player.

    That’s exactly how I felt. I usually really enjoy watching basketball under any circumstances, but last night just wasn’t fun. I left the arena wishing I hadn’t gone. Not something I usually experience.

    #95122
    Prowling Woofie
    Participant

    Saw a comment posted on the ESPN article last night, and the guy said State was “Cat and the Litter Box 6”. I thought that was hysterical, and highly accurate. If the team wins more than 5 conference games, it will be a miracle…

    #95126
    choppack1
    Participant

    Let’s face it – the surprise would be consistently good results and solid fundamentals. Again, we have seen this movie before – if we are lucky, it will end like it has the last 4 seasons with us ending up on the right side of the bubble. If we aren’t – it will end up like his last 2 seasons at Alabama.

    However, I am fairly confident we have seen the ceiling of the program under its current leadership. I would love to be wrong.

    #95130
    PackofMac
    Participant

    We have zero offensive talent (hell, or defensive) anywhere near the goal. No proven scorers on the perimeter other than Cat. Our perimeter defense is horrible, we likely won’t even see the NIT bubble. Hey, this is still far less painful to watch as opposed to previous years when we had talent yet struggled.

    #95131
    tractor57
    Participant

    Zero? Really? Inconsistent absolutely. Disappointing? Yes as well. But zero?

    #95133
    choppack1
    Participant

    PackofMac – I won’t count his teams out. I think this one has the most difficult road in terms of talent and depth – bit Gott’s history here shows teams that stumble a great deal for the first 2/3rds of the season, but recover enough to make the tourney.

    #95134
    ryebread
    Participant

    Getting this NC State squad into the dance will be a difficult challenge. We’re just not very good.

    We’re poorly positioned coming into league play. We’re currently 101 in the RPI with the 162nd ranked SOS. We really have no strong non-conference wins to hang our hat on and a middling 2-2 against Power 5 conference opponents.

    What’s worse is that league play isn’t going to bail us out. The ACC is currently the #5 ranked conference in the RPI. The only Power 5 conference lower is the Big 10, who beat us in the Challenge.

    To get to the tournament this year, the team would need to go 10-8, and notch 2 wins against the top 6 (UVA, UNC, Miami, Pitt, Louisville and Duke). Because of the league’s poor RPI, we’d probably need two wins in the ACC tournament (another one late against one of those top 6 teams). That’s a tall order for this squad.

    I’m not counting them out, but they’re behind the 8 ball. I hope that they collectively understand this.

    #95135
    13OT
    Participant

    Field goal shooting is somewhat variable from game to game, but the stat last night that should most concern Pack fans is the 13-26 from the FT line. This team simply cannot shoot the ball and I don’t think they’ll ever get much better at it on a consistent basis. Barber is a decent shooter from inside the arc, but most of the time he ends up with the ball in his hands at the end of the 30 seconds and has to take a long shot he obviously doesn’t want to take.

    I blame the 30-second shot clock for this. The talented teams should love the faster pace of a shorter shot clock, but the teams who struggle more to create shots will suffer.

    I am old school and hate the damned shot clock, which I think has ruined the NBA (along with its hip-hop attitude players), and is turning the college game into a miniature NBA. Problem is, teams like State who don’t have the talent to run up and down the court repeatedly can’t keep up with the teams who have top-tier talent.

    The women’s game is even worse with its 30-second clock. Most women’s teams can’t get into any kind of an offense with such a short time of possession, and it’s even worse in Division II and III. These players are being forced into a pace that assures a sloppy game.

    Shortening the men’s clock this season to me was a bad move, and I’m already seeing bad results just from watching State’s inability to set up their offense in a shorter time frame.

    #95136
    MrPlywood
    Participant

    In the immortal words of Coach Dale… “…the boys and I are getting to know each other. See who we are, and, uh… what we can be.”

    http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/320485/Hoosiers-Movie-Clip-This-Is-Your-Team.html

    #95137
    PackofMac
    Participant

    tractor57 at this point yes zero, may be I should have said zero-minimal offensive ability. Anyway, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Choppack1, I’m not counting anyone out, I’m also not expecting much either. It’s all good!!

    #95138
    ryebread
    Participant

    13OT: I don’t agree with respect to the shot clock. The college game has gotten worse and worse over the past 15 years, but the shot clock shortening was a good thing. They should take it even lower to 24.

    The vast majority of teams only run 8-12 seconds of real offense. The rest of it was just burning the clock by passing around the wing (with no actual intent to score) or walking the ball up. The game was awful when you watched a team like UVA milk the clock from the initial tip. It was just brutal.

    If you want to lament changes, I’d be all for complaints regarding the lack of the 5 second closely guarded call, the degradation of fundamentals, the uncalled travels, the inability of most players to make a mid-range shot, the hand checking, the one and done (let it be a free market), the monopoly that ESPN has on the coverage, etc.. I just don’t agree regarding the shot clock.

    We just need to adapt. Ever since HWSNBN, we’ve been slower than average in pace. Given we are a high major that typically pulls in a top 25 class year over year, we should be forcing tempo.

    #95139
    redisgood
    Participant

    The 5 second closely guarded rule was eliminated. The rationale being it is not necessary with a 30 second shot clock. I always hated that rule, so that is one change I support. I’d also like to see the shot clock go to 24 seconds.

    #95140
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    I am also in favor of the shot clock change. Forces you to get into an offense and not slow the game down to a boring crawl. Also makes it easier for teams to come back from a deficit late in the game. There’s better flow. The talented teams have/will adapt.

    Say what you will about the NBA – I know alot of folks hate it. But the ratings are pretty good, especially come playoff time. There are some truly phenomenal players in the game right now (Curry, LeBron, etc.). And some teams actually play team basketball. But you have to actually watch to catch it. Ever turn a Golden State game on? Fantastic offensive basketball.

    #95141
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    The ACC is currently the #5 ranked conference in the RPI.

    Yes, but fortunately the RPI is only a tool. The conference will get its fair share of bids.

    Just look at the top 25:

    5. UVa
    7. UNC
    13. Miami
    15. Duke
    16. Louisville

    Probably 5 locks right there. Pitt is not far off. FSU is having a good year. Don’t sleep on Notre Dame or Cuse. All of these teams are ahead of us right now. Wake may be a year away, but no question improving rapidly. Only teams I see us as better than are BC, VT and Clemson. It is going to be very tough sledding in conference play with what we have to work with.

    #95142
    tractor57
    Participant

    In some ways follows the pattern established in Gott’s tenure. Start slow and usually improve. In my opinion this year might be a bit tougher depending on Henderson’s status. Some say SSDD – fair enough. I say it is sort of neat to watch a team grow through the season. Yes frustrating at times but still worth watching.

    #95143
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    In some ways follows the pattern established in Gott’s tenure. Start slow and usually improve. In my opinion this year might be a bit tougher depending on Henderson’s status. Some say SSDD – fair enough. I say it is sort of neat to watch a team grow through the season. Yes frustrating at times but still worth watching.

    What drives me crazy is we never seem to ‘build’ from year to year with Gott. We get better in nearly every area as the year progresses and then the next year, we just start over at square one again. We finished with decent defense and bigs that could score last season. This season we’ve got next to no idea what we’re doing on defense, guys are committing ridiculous freshman turnovers, and our bigs are completely absent.

    I get we’re working some new pieces in, but how does losing Lacey and Turner make our players toss a lazy pass at the top of the key that gets picked off about every other time, or make our bigs miss 70% of the bunnies they take?

    Like, Malik, who we needed to have a breakout year, is exactly the same only he commits more fouls, and is shooting a lower percentage.

    And Caleb started off shooting a great percentage, like a perpetual green light percentage, but he was 1-10 against USF (and so was GFK), 2-6 against HPU, 2-14 against Mizzou, and 1-4 against UNCG (GFK was 1-10).

    Caleb was shooting 40% (27/65) from three before USF, and has shot less than 14% (3/22) since.

    WTH.

    #95144
    tractor57
    Participant

    Paki that is the frustration. Maybe the coaching style or maybe the players. Either way on that I’m with you. I also usually see a better team in late season. Hoping so this year but not sure it will happen.

    #95146
    Tau837
    Participant

    In the immortal words of Coach Dale… “…the boys and I are getting to know each other. See who we are, and, uh… what we can be.”

    http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/320485/Hoosiers-Movie-Clip-This-Is-Your-Team.html

    Let’s hope Henderson is as good as Jimmy Chitwood.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 38 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.