State loses (ugly) at Virginia

Box Score (ESPN)

Zo Brown — the ACC’s best point guard and leader in assists — missed the final 30 mins with an ankle injury, and State lost another ugly, poorly-officiated weeknight road game, 58-55.

State managed only five points in transition. Despite Brown’s absence, State led 47-42 with 8:15 remaining, but then managed only two field goals and a total of seven points over the final 7:23.

State falls to 5-3 and fourth place in the ACC, with undefeated Miami looming Saturday (4pm, CBS).

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97 Responses to State loses (ugly) at Virginia

  1. Gene 01/30/2013 at 1:02 PM #

    ” Lewis as a freshman just isn’t ready and hasn’t been groomed properly. ”

    I think Lewis did a solid job of running the offense last night, from what I saw.

    It wasn’t a spectacular job, but we didn’t turn it over and build a 4-5 point lead.

    I was satisfied with what I saw from Lewis last night.

    He’s probably not going to be a first round draft pick, like Brown, but I think he can be a very good college player for us.

  2. MISTA WOLF 01/30/2013 at 1:21 PM #

    I think Tyler Lewis played excellent. We need to remember that he is a talented PG in his own right, just not on par with Zo’s play. He can push the ball and he did so last night on a few occasions but I was most impressed witht the fact he pulled the ball out up top and set up the play and ordered the players to get in their right place. Work in progress. Hope Zo is fine and ready to go for Saturday but if not we will be forced to learn on the fly. What might seem like a crisis at the moment could be a blessing after it all plays out.

  3. budfox88 01/30/2013 at 3:31 PM #

    I have to spell it out for the people who think there is a correlation b/t losing Zo and 5 trips w/o points. We beat the ball around the rim down low several times and none of them fell. We got putbacks that didn’t go in. Hell, CJL had the ball under the goal with a couple secs left and lost it on the dribble. Shooting air balls from 3. Missing open shots in the paint. This cannot be blamed on losing Zo…we’re just not good enough…yet. And if you think we shouldn’t win a game just because Zo is not playing in it, why did you even watch the last 30 mins knowing we would lose? Again, how many points did we score in the last 7 minutes? It’s not because we didn’t shoot, and certainly not because we didn’t have an opportunity. The ONE thing that this team is really good at is creating opportunities, they just spazz out of control and force up shots that have low percentage of going in, thus not capitalizing on the given opportunity. I believe in this team and think they have talent but they simply must develop some consistency and chemistry, esp at the end of the game. I’ll say it again…USE THE BACKBOARD AROUND THE GOAL and MAKE FREETHROWS!!!! We could have won 3 more games this year if we simply made better shot choices and make FTs during the game. 3 GAMES…6 POINTS!! DAMN!!! I love Zo’s ability and he is no doubt awesome, but team success cant depend on one, or even 2 players. Gott’s gotta figure out why they shoot 31% (Md) in one game, and 51%(Dook) another. Refs don’t matter in a game you lose by one shot…unless you shot 100% from the floor that night!

  4. Hawkeye Whitney 01/30/2013 at 4:18 PM #

    Add a Deshaun Painter or maybe even a Tyler Harris last night, and I think we have enough depth to win. The fall-off in defensive intensity in the second half on the road (and at home vs. the Heels) is a worry. The only explanation I can come up with is that we run a little low on energy. But it is still better than watching God-awful Herb-ball. Keep trying to score in triple digits boys.

  5. Wulfpack 01/30/2013 at 4:20 PM #

    Media beating us up pretty good on losing focus after a big win. Gott has to figure out a way to get through to this team in late game situations. That has been lacking. Lack of a bench will not cure itself this season. It is what it is. We still remain one of the most talented teams nationwide, no question.

  6. BJD95 01/30/2013 at 5:20 PM #

    It’s such small sample size bias. There was only one real “letdown” performance – Wake. We deserve blame for that one even though the tight whistle exascerbated things. The other two just happened to be bad matchups for us, especially on the road.

    Not having Zo is crucial because he sets up easy shots (for others and himself). He’s also the only one who’s really good at creating his own shot (Purvis will get there but not yet). We don’t have such a great FG percentage because we are deadly marksmen. It’s what Zo sets up.

    Did WBS have an assist, or even a near-assist? I don’t remember one. He still should play more, though. And be encouraged to shoot.

    I hope MG develops a better rotation and depth situation once he’s had a cycle of his own recruits. Putting all our eggs in the Amile basket is biting us on the arse. Hard.

    But I can’t be too critical in Year Two. Premature, I think.

    Remember also success is usually two steps forward, one step back. None of the growing pains should really shock anyone.

  7. JeremyH 01/30/2013 at 5:38 PM #

    BJD95, I think one of the main concerns is that this is supposed to be one of our best team in decades, we are in the middle of the ACC standings, and we are losing four starting players next year. A lot of the teams that are stinky due to maturity are going to be heaps better next year; will we take their place at the bottom?

    One could argue that the only top 10 caliber team in the ACC right now is Miami. But that may be off the deep end. Conference slates have always been about in conference foes, often neighbors, beating up on each other, rankings aside. Look at Louisville recently.

  8. JSRy2k 01/30/2013 at 5:58 PM #

    What happened w/ Warren & Howell? I was unable to watch. Don’t know how it went down, but a senior getting in the freshman’s face might be a good thing.

  9. JSRy2k 01/30/2013 at 6:00 PM #

    JeremyH, only from the lips of a New Zealander have I heard the word “heaps” used as you used it? Are you one?

  10. fullmoon1 01/30/2013 at 6:22 PM #

    Lewis a talented player and will be valuable but he seems not quite ready for prime time. He forces it too often and panics and picks up his dribble when facing pressure. I’m reminded of when Atsur was thrust into the point guard role and then injured eventually everyone on the team had to play point guard. Injuries are my biggest concern when the refs “let em play” as the announcers seem to like to affectionately call it.

  11. fullmoon1 01/30/2013 at 6:25 PM #

    Painter is missed but Tyler Harris? Meh.

  12. ADVENTUROO 01/30/2013 at 6:54 PM #

    This is 24 hours later and I’m listening to Gott on the radio. I watched the Kentucky game last night. After watching our meltdown or lack of ability to close the deal, I wonder what (and that is asking hypothetically) would have happened if we had had Mays or Harrow. They certainly helped Cal last night….

    BUT, we may have NOT developed our current talent if they had stayed.

    One more funny of the day…..I THINK that the announcers last night said that when Hairston hit the floor, that Karl Hess was looking at the video to see if it was a Class 1 or 2 flagrant foul on Strickland…..then the other ref’s told him that he could not call a foul on another member of the team in an accidental collision.

    Hess will be in Raleigh on Saturday….or at least I would give odds.

    Need StateFans to kick in here and tell us what the rumor mill has on the refs….

  13. Wulfpack 01/30/2013 at 6:55 PM #

    At Bama, Gott got em in the NCAAs. He recruited very well, and won a bunch of big games. However, the criticisms were lack of focus on the road in a bad SEC, and poor late game execution. It appears some patterns are developing here.

    As BJD indicated, it is only year 2. He doesn’t have all of his guys. So that must be factored. However, this is an extremely talented team, and to date it is performing marginally. If we make another March run, then no hill of beans. I am most confident we can and will. But I do want to begin seeing a championship mentality being developed. You can’t consistently beat the good guys and then lose to the mediocre to bad. That is not what championship programs do.

  14. mak4dpak 01/30/2013 at 9:17 PM #

    eas I have to agree with your observation of Leslie give it to me and let me win it by myself mentality. And did he? Sometimes I just don’t understand his thinking. This is a team sport.

  15. vtpackfan 01/30/2013 at 9:35 PM #

    We obviously need Zo to go- if not at 75% or better then rest em up for some quality W s on the road.

    I don’t mind being an 8 man total squad. Deeper squads are for scheme coaches like Bennet @ UVa and the crap at BC and GT. Wanna recruit for real than show these 5* studs than show them the minutes.

    Tyler Harris sucked, and Pringles ( as much as some of you’ll adored him ) just wanted somewhere his Sr year to huck up shots and turn some NBAD league heads.

    We have three simple problems:
    1. Zo’s ankle
    2. Rodney and TJs overconfidence.
    3. Lewis under confidence

    If a couple of this three issues resolve then the season will be interesting to follow. If all resolve then we a friken dynamite considering how weak ass the whole national field. If only one or none work thru then wake me up for Greensboro for a day or two and call it a year.

  16. JSRy2k 01/30/2013 at 9:53 PM #

    Nobody means more to our team than Zo. We are thin and therefore vulnerable. Let’s also remember that, good as they have been at times, TJ & Rodney are only freshmen. Consistency from them will come in time.

  17. Wulfpack 01/31/2013 at 8:18 AM #

    Miami comes in at 7-0 following a win over VT. Brown likely out.

  18. gumby 01/31/2013 at 9:54 AM #

    My two cents:
    1) Media, being lazy as usual, focuses on State losing after big games like it’s a uniquely State thing – how about doing some homework to prove that? My gut tells me that plenty of other teams with similar records fall in the same trap
    2) ACC officiating this year favors the home team. That helps us at home and hurts us on the road. The team should be mentally prepared for 5 on 8 on the road.

  19. Ed89 01/31/2013 at 10:07 AM #

    ^^^^Refs don’t matter in a game you lose by one shot…unless you shot 100% from the floor that night!

    That’s some deep stuff there….whew.

    This team will be fine.

  20. Gene 01/31/2013 at 10:45 AM #

    “if we had had Mays or Harrow. They certainly helped Cal last night….”

    We would not have Mays this year. He’d have completed his 4 years. He was in the same class as CJ Williams.

    Something about transferring and sitting out a year seems to have gotten him one more year of eligibility. I’m not sure how it works, but if he’d stayed at NCSU he’d have finished his 4 years.

  21. RednWhite4life 01/31/2013 at 11:25 AM #

    Inside source says Zo will not play Saturday. He sprained his ankle pretty bad. Damn

  22. oceanman 01/31/2013 at 7:24 PM #

    The team will grow out of adversity. Other players get valuable playing time and the bench gets a little deeper. Be patient with this team, the season is still young and there is only one tournament that really counts. With Zo in the UVA game he would not have allowed them to lose. The sub guards did an admirable job, but they are not possibly the best point guard to ever play basketball at NCSU.

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