Apr23
I saw this video on YouTube and it only had 15,000 views. That is about 3 million less than it should have, so hop in your hot tube time machine and enjoy a little flash back to the 80′s at NC State.
The Wolves' Den
The Strength of the Wolf is in the Pack
Jan24
While it has been all sugar cookies and lollipops in ACC play thus far in Mark Gottfried and the Wolfpack, the real games begin this Thursday as NC State will travel the 25 miles down I-40 to visit Roy Williams and the Tar Heels in a game that could prove to be pivotal as the ACC race unfolds.
Entering the game 3-1 and a half game out of first place in the ACC, North Carolina will have to face life without Dexter Strickland for the first time. While he is not the scorer that is Harrison Barnes and he does not create for his teammates like Kendall Marshall, Strickland was a key member of the Tar Heel rotation providing exceptional perimeter defense and serving as a passable backup to PG Kendall Marshall. Now the Tar Heels will turn to sophomore Reggie Bullock and freshman PG Stilman White to fill the void created when Strickland tore his ACL last week.
UNC Keys to the game
1. Keep Kendall Marshall out of foul trouble. While foul trouble is not something Marshall typically struggles with, this is the one piece to Carolina’s puzzle that they can ill afford to lose. If Lorenzo Brown can get into the lane and draw some cheap fouls on Marshall it would go a long way to helping the Wolfpack to beat UNC for the first time since 2006.
2. Feed Tyler Zeller. NC State does not have the height down low nor the depth to handle Tyler Zeller. All three of NC States bigs have had problems staying out of foul trouble at some point this season, against Miami both Richard Howell and CJ Leslie were banished to the bench for stretches because of foul trouble. If UNC can take one or both of those guys out of the game for the Wolfpack it would all but clinch the game for the Tar Heels.
3. Get Bullock involved early. Reggie Bullock will enter the starting lineup for the first time this season, and while he has seen a decent amount of playing time he has not had to shoulder any pressure. Getting Bullock involved early with a few shots could prove to be vital down the stretch as NC State will likely use some double teams to contain Barnes and Zeller, leaving Bullock open to do some damage from the perimeter.
NC State enters the game against Carolina riding their best ACC Start since the 2003-04 season, but the Wolfpack has played a lackluster ACC schedule thus far with their best win coming this week against Miami and their lone loss coming against a Georgia Tech team which has struggled mightily on offense all season. If Mark Gottfried and the Wolfpack want to take the next step in the rebuilding process and knock off the Tar Heels they will have to improve their late game execution and cut down on the mental mistakes in the last four minutes of ballgames.
State keys to the game
1. Keep Richard Howell out of foul trouble. Richard Howell worked hard this offseason to improve his conditioning so that he can play longer stretches at a time, but that has all been for not as Howell is constantly in foul trouble. Against the Tar Heels the 6’ 8” Howell will be responsible for defending one of Carolina’s seven footers, Tyler Zeller and John Henson. The tremendous height differential will mean that Howell will need to avoid dumb fouls and keep the twin towers away from the basket.
2. Get Wood early. NC State is at their best on offense when they can work both the inside game with Howell and Painter and get Wood involved from the perimeter. With NC State giving up at least 4 inches to UNC in the paint it will be essential that Scott Wood hit some shots early to loosen up the Tar Heel defense and give NC State a chance to get the bigs involved.
3. Limit the turnovers. Just like every Carolina team for the past 10 years, the 2012 Tar Heels like to get easy points in transition. If Lorenzo Brown and CJ Williams cannot limit unforced turnovers it could be a long night for the Wolfpack as Kendall Marshall turns a turnover into an assist and dunk about as well as anyone in the country.
For the first time in a long time, UNC and NC State will face each other with more than bragging rights on the line, that alone is a victory for Mark Gottfried in his first season, but the Wolfpack should not be content. The 2012 Wolfpack basketball team is a better team than last year, but they are still not a good team to take that next step NC State needs to learn how to close out opponents on the road and they need to play big in big games. On Thursday the Wolfpack will get the opportunity to do both of those things and if they are successful they will not only be a good team but they will be in first place in the ACC.
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Dec05
Semisonic’s “Closing Time” has been a pop classic for over a decade now and after this past week has found a new meaning. It is the anthem for State Basketball. After blowing two late 2nd half leads, Gottfried and crew will be jamming out to this tune throughout the holidays. The album’s title, ”Feeling Strangely Fine,” is something that I’m sure the Pack felt in the closing minutes of both games. You could see it in their faces and body language.
I’m all for cutting up and enjoying yourself on the court but not at the expense of productivity. The Pack became complacent late in both games. They became satisfied with contested jumpers and sloppy turnovers. One particular stretch stood out to me during the Indiana game, from the 9:51 mark to 8:26. 80 seconds of basketball that would have altered the outcome.
Up 58-56 CJ Leslie creates then steal and transitions into the fast break (which I love him doing). Leslie reminds scouts why he’s not ready for the next level with a no look, through the legs pass to Johnson that quickly turns into a turnover. Less than ten seconds later, Alex Johnson creates a turnover and fast break but miscommunication leads to Leslie knocking the ball intended for Howell out of bounds. 4 points squandered on turnovers. Following an inbound off a Hoosiers’ foul, Wood jacks up a contested jumper that had a better chance of landing in the upper deck than in the hoop. The series concludes with C.J. Williams flashing through the lane and missing an easy dunk opportunity because he elected for the Highlight Reel dunk.
Count it, eight points in 80 seconds lost. State would eventually stretch the lead to five with six and a half minutes left. While 13 points is not an insurmountable lead, with six and a half minutes left it certainly would not have been a walk in the park for the Hoosiers. Semisonic’s tune has one real morale of the song, it’s chorus. “I know who I want to take me home.” The Wolfpack aren’t necessarily looking for women at the end of the game (even though they probably are) but who can lead them to that final whistle, closing time.
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