Well…here we go!! As the calendar turns to 2015, Wolfpack fans need to make no mistake about the high level of importance that this week has on NC State’s 2015 basketball fortunes! NC State will find significant opportunity to build an NCAA Tournament worthy resume with TWO home games in the coming five days!
I don’t know about you…but, I find it hard to REALLY follow all of the moving parts of the college basketball landscape until the calendar turns over into conference season. So, despite the fact that we aren’t even half way through the basketball season quite yet, I thought you might be able to use this entry as I did and glean some information to get your mindset in the mode.
The author of this entry is taking a stab at projecting ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament (as if the season started today). The only major whiff I see at this point is the inclusion of Miami at a #10 seed but NC State as a #12. Look at the resumes and tell me how that is remotely an ounce of sense? The only reason for this is early season bias where people propelled Miami too far into their rankings; so, what you are seeing is a reluctance to ‘drop’ them too far too fast. An objective analysis between the two resumes at this point of the season doesn’t leave much room for debate — while both teams have three Top 100 wins, NC State’s ‘bad loss’ was a 2 possession game on the road at a Big Ten school while Miami lost by 28 points at home to Eastern Kentucky. State is some 23 spots AHEAD of Miami in the RPI having played the 53rd toughest schedule in the country vs Miami having played the #111th schedule in the country. How is this even a discussion?
Locks
(77) Miami (9-3) (0-0) Projected Seed 10
Last 10 – (7-3)
Good Wins – * (51) UNC-Charlotte, * (51) UNC-Charlotte, (56) Illinois
Bad Losses – (122) Eastern Kentucky
Notes – That’s the bubble Miami is rapidly approaching. Beating the College of Charleston is must this week. Then there is a big game with Virginia at home that Miami could use to boost their resume.
Bubble But In
(54) NC State (10-3) (1-0) Projected Seed 12
Last 10 – (7-3)
Good Wins – * (40) Boise St., (57) Richmond, (91) Tennessee
Bad Losses – (146) Purdue
Notes – NC State beat Louisiana Tech this week, so I’m sliding them into the Big Dance this week. NC State has a couple of huge home games this week. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh come to Raleigh. The Wolfpack really need to win both.
Bubble But Out
(41) Georgia Tech (8-3) (0-0)
Last 10 – (7-3)
Good Wins – *(53) Rhode Island, * (28) Georgia
Bad Losses – * (159) USC-Upstate
Notes – I would have left Georgia Tech in, if they could have won at Dayton. Georgia Tech is in decent position at the moment, but they don’t have the look or feel of an NCAA tournament team. They have given themselves a chance though. This week is critical. They need at least a split UNC-Charlotte and Notre Dame. Either would be a quality win.
(79) Pittsburgh (9-3) (0-0)
Last 10 – (7-3)
Good Wins – None
Bad Losses – (143) Hawaii, (110) Indiana
Notes – Pittsburgh needs some quality wins badly… Holy Cross was a decent win, but that’s not enough. Florida Gulf Coast, and a bubblicious road game with NC State are this week.
(82) Syracuse (7-4) (0-0)
Last 10 – (6-4)
Good Wins – None
Bad Losses – (154) Michigan
Notes – Syracuse has the same problem as Pittsburgh… ZERO quality wins. Syracuse needs to go 3-0 this week against Long Beach State, Cornell, and Virginia Tech. They have no margin for error.
