There’s an early (7:00) tip tonight, as the Pack takes on the Castrated Turkeys on ESPNU. Before the season started, you wouldn’t have been surprised that one team enters the contest in sole possession of third place. But nobody would have predicted Virginia Tech to be that team. After losing their best big man and 2 all-conference caliber guards, the Hokies entered 2007-08 as arguably the least talented and least experienced squad in the ACC. Yet there they sit at 5-3. Seth Greenberg is bringing a knife to a gun fight, but he’s still standing. Like Jim Grobe in football, he is finding success at a job that would be a wasteland for most coaches - and challenging for league supremacy when the right mix of senior leadership and opportunity collide (see Wake football, 2006 and VT basketball, 2006-07).
That said, the Hokies are eminently beatable. They have no real star-caliber player, and shoot poorly from the outside. They don’t have the multiple, dynamic guards that give NC State fits. And if last season is any guide, they don’t have the right mojo.
Relive the glory of three decisive Wolfpack victories here, here, here, here, and here. I can’t explain this rationally. But this kind of thing has historical precedent - Dean Smith struggled against Les Robinson. Paul Hewitt crumbled against Herb Sendek. And maybe - just maybe - Sid has Seth’s number. Or it could just be a small sample size. I suppose we’ll find out tonight - and the Pack needs this one badly.
On paper, we should have an advantage for the reasons Brad points out…but it seems like the on-paper victories have been the toughest ones this year…
With a second pass through the ACC that includes terrible BC and Virginia squads, our NCAA chances still pass the straight face test if we can make it to 4-4, with the three toughest road trips behind us.
Good article on ACC parity here:
http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=131
Regarding VaTech. I think we should match up well w/ this team. The key for us will be rebounding and TOs. VaTech is futile enough in the half court for us to run away w/ this one if we do these things well. In our last 3 games, we’ve allowed our opponent to get 40% of their misses. IMHO, these are the only ways - save an EPIC performance by the 6-5 gunner (I’m forgetting his name now) that VaTech beats us tonight.
The game is huge. Like BJD said, we need to go at least 5-2 vs. teams not named UNC or Duke. We win this game, it’s just 4-2. I’ve got our magic # at 6 right now - with 10 games left - only 2 of which will be against the best 2 teams in the conference - that sounds very doable. We lose this one - and we need to steal 2 games.
A win tonight with two winnable games on the road and this season could turn around. This is a big game!
Some stats about VT that stand out: defensive efficiency (especially in the paint) and rebounding.
(Pomeroy’s scouting report)
Hickson better step to the hoop with authority tonight.
Another must win. Two road games follow this at Maryland and BC, and then we get to host Clemson and UNC. We really need to win this one badly, if we have any shot at making to the NCAA’s. As competitive as the league is this year there are no “make up games” against teams “we should beat” coming up. Lose another home game against non-Duke and UNC schools and you can stick a fork in us, because we’re done, with regards to our NCAA tournamnet resume.
Along with rebounding and turnovers, we also need to hit our three point shots, to keep Va. Tech from packing in their defense.
keys to tonights game:
javi and MJ better get Hickson the rock tonight. he has been open several times and we just cant seem to get him the pill.
Also, it would be nice if Javi and MJ wouldnt get toasted off the dribble so much. that is forcing our bigs to come out of the paint to help defend the perimeter and then they are out of position for rebounds
I’ll take State by 5, please.
I doubt it’ll be a blowout either way, the turkeys suck on offense and so do we for the most part except for 3-5 minute spans. Deron washington is probably having his worst year of his career so far, so really you MUST defend the crap out of Vassallo and Delaney as they are the only 2 that can shoot worth a damn it seems.
Of course, we did have their number last year. Maybe Costner will remember the thrashing he gave them in our regular season meetings last year and remind us why we picked him for first team all-acc at the start of the year.
As I stated awhile back, T-Rev is going to play a very important role in State’s success this season. I’m well aware of how unpopular that opinion is, but my gut tells me tonight all of you will see just how right I am. State will struggle big time to score inside tonight which means we will see the coming out party gor one certain red head and his name ain’t Richie Cunningham.
Be there or be square.
Heeeeeey
If Little Jack Horner doesn’t do much of anything, it’s time for Sid to make him go sit in the corner. In a manner of speaking.
What chant are we doing tonight?
RAW^^ who is jack horner?
State by 12, why? Javi is getting better and better.
Jack Horner = Costner?
Horner=Horner duh
Does it matter who Jack Horner is? Sadly we have a few guys getting minutes, who don’t do much for us while they are on the floor.
I think this site needs to do a better job of screening applicants.
javi will show himself as a dominant player tonight… oh and HE is gonna dunk on Deron Washington also!!!!
yeah I know I am crazy… and I said the Pats were gonna loose the Super Bowl too. I need to be institutionalized.
Javi couldn’t dunk on me, and I’m old and fat. But this will be his night. And I can’t wait to see it, oops ESPNU, I mean listen to it
Javi dunk = automatic sportscenter material
Interesting that VT has already played and beaten UVA twice, in overtime each time.
I think our basketball season is/will be analagous to our football season in that we look much better when our schedule is much easier. Our basketball schedule is more up and down though.
This is a game to we should win and suddenly we’ll be 4-4 and tied for 4th in the win column.
Man I wish we’d won the GT game!
This will be Javi’s only chance to have both a size and weight advantage against the opposing PG, so who knows, the dunk could happen. And MJ will have a huge edge.
“And maybe - just maybe - Sid has Seth’s number. Or it could just be a small sample size. I suppose we’ll find out tonight - and the Pack needs this one badly.”
Doesn’t the Pack need them ALL badly?
It’s a shame that we lost to Georgia Tech. It seems like we OWN them lately, but we lost to them at home this year. That’s what scares me about the game tonight. We’ve owned Virginia Tech lately, too. And we haven’t lost (at home) to them since the 1940-41 season. It seems like teams and players always end their streaks against the Pack.
I’m not expecting anything. I’m just HOPING for the best tonight. GO PACK!!!
I predict that Javi and Fells will have good games tonight and that they will lead the Pack to a win. I say that because I expect VT to collapse into the interior to try to slow the bigs (Hickson and McCauley.)
I also think we just might see Costner have a decent game shooting from the outside. VT will have a hard time defending the outside shot and hopefully Sid will invert the offense early in order to slice through the VT D. Somewhere, somehow The Diesel (Costner) needs to get it in gear. Maybe this is the game.
I do have a good feeling about this game. One thing that concerns me is they might come in REALLY fired up over losing all three matchups with us last season. But I really don’t think they have the firepower to come in here and win tonight. But neither did New Orleans. This is State’s game to TAKE. I just hope we don’t have one of those nights where we play miserably. I don’t think we will.
GO PACK!!!
I’ve pretty much written off the Diesel for the year. What game was it, the Miami game, a few weeks ago when he was hot the first half (14pts), then down the stretch was riding the pine? I seriously believe that second half sent him over the edge. We are learning slowly, how to win w/o that big loaf. But gawd, I hope he finds it again.
Fergie is the missing link. If he can get some in-game confidence, he could seriously pick up at least some of the 3 ball slack.
Can’t wait to hear it all on the radio!!!
“Diesel” (Where did that nickname come from?) rode the pine in the 2nd half because he wasn’t defending. That’s actually why he rides the pine most of the time, Sidney doesn’t mind if you miss your shots, but if you suck it up on D he’ll bench you.
I believe Sid did yank “the diesel” after he airballed that one shot. Sometimes he will yank a guy for missing. Well, maybe not so much missing, but for making a bad decision in taking the shot to begin with.
I hope Javi starts instead of MJ tonight. I am getting tired of watching us get behind immediately with MJ walking the ball up the court and dribbling away the shot clock for the first 4 minutes. Then we have to play catch up the rest of the night. Start Javi, Sid and at least have chance for a quick start tonight.
BC is out for tonight,, brused ribs injured in practice.
Lopez gets the start….Costner on the pine in 6. Sid goes to zone 1/2 way 1st half…Ferguson hits 2-3’s plays his ass off in the zone ( 1-2-2 )despite what TV man calls it. We rebound better because we are in zone. Win at buzzer again.
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=pack_s_costner_to_sit_out_game&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
I think Sid pulls Costner for not busting his ass on D and on the boards. He is one of our best shooters, so if he’s hitting he almost balances the loss of production on the other end. If he’s cold he tends to loaf on the other end.
I see this being a FT parade for us, VT don’t have an inside answer and they foul frequently. They don’t press well, but they do run well. They scrap fairly hard in half court on D, but they struggle to run sets on the other end. If Washington is in a zone they can be dangerous. But I think Gavin is gonna attack him early, and he’ll have foul trouble all night.
We MUST focus on the boards on D, they absolutely live off the offensive glass. Might be a good game to use some zone, maybe box in 1 if Vasallo is hot.
“Lopez gets the start”
Jennifer or Javi?
I predict a dominating performance.
The team should come out still pumped up from the win over WF, a little jump, some quick inside scoring to open up the 3, some good bench play—–blowout AGAIN!
Off to B-dubs to watch the game…
RAWFS….niether…Hector ( See Yankees ‘58-’65 )
wow look there is a team sloppier than us!
can we calculate TO per total possesion? wowsers!
I can’t get the game…what’s the score?
8-2 us 13:35
keep the posts coming…..no ESPNUnavailable here, either.
they are having trouble getting anything going amongst our trees.
13-2 after a Jack Horner 3
from the corner?
More wing
you’ll have to ask the color analyst… according to him Costner is not only out because of bruised ribs, but also bruised emotions..
our defense looks tight so far
VT is sloppy than us. 16-4 state
tracy smith logging some minutes in the post..
we go zone, Washington slices in for 2: 16-6
Fells airball. cheap foul on JJ down court. easy layup VT 6-16
we turn the ball over so much
Shot clock violation Pack. Looks like the sloppy play is catchy. Turnover State again. Dunk VT. 8-16
i dunno, courtney fells i think has at least 4 turnovers at the 8:28 mark.
how the F** is VT third in the ACC. we need to claim that spot.
VT fouls Hickson, TV timeout. 16-8
we’re actually hitting open jumpers this game.
Ben from baseline….2! 20-8 7 minutes half
turnover VT, steal JJ. Gonza scores! 23-8 Another turnover VT. Hickson fouled.
free throws good. VT miss. Grant turnover. Grant steals it back…….dunk ! 27-8
JJ owning them right now inside. oh look we just got 2 offensive rebounds in a row, when has this ever happened??!
8th turnover Pack, JJ walks. VT scores. 2 offensive rebounds state. Hickson fouled again. Good play and hussle by Pack. 28-12 with 4 minutes half.
Javi even threw out the runner going to second, no wait, that was an earlier rebound and bank shot he put back in. Good touch!
Horner fouled taking a three. TV timeout. 28-14 Didn’t mean to take over board.
This is particularly fun so far since one of my younger friends in one of the “blue suit” assistants sitting on the VT bench. He’d been an assistant under Dave Odom and went to VT this past summer.
all 3 free throws good. 31-14
Grant misses 3, VT fast breaks for 2. Horner bricks 3. Back comes Pack, Grant to basket….fouled and one !
we have never played this good.
Gonzo gets it stolen.. um nvmnd.
it’s like a clinic with bloopers mixed in.
Cheap foul Gonza. Pack really pressing on D. Vt for 2. GONZA for Three, wow. 37-21 State steal. Gives it back to VT, score. State holds for final shot. Turnover Pack..Fells walks. Halftime 37-23
State really hussling on D and ball movement good. Got some got play and scoring from bench. Horner and Gonza both scored. Fells has 5 turnovers. Overall a good half for Pack.
Was that Johnny Thomas on the bench cheering on JJ after he came out? I hope that guy that still jump.
I know the announcers said that it was Fells who walked at the end of the half but I’m pretty sure it was Hickson who had the ball and was driving, because I thought to myself, “Look at him move! Pretty good for such a big guy.”
We were right here just last week — up several possessions at the half and came out and layed a huge egg. Let’s hope it does not happen again.
it was our defensive intensity that put us in this position, which did let me towards the end, i think they probably played us even after the first 10 minutes.
Interesting ESPN did a One and Done piece on current college freshman. Naming those that should leave after one season, JJ wasn’t mentioned until game annoucers refered to him, saying he should unpack his bags and get comfortable at State. We can only hope.
all he needs is a crazy breakout against Duke or Carolina and he’s got Ced Simmons-like emergence into the first round.
I think that the announcers were quoting Calipari, who told his freshman phenom to “unpack his bags and get comfortable.” Maybe I am wrong though.
stat of the night: gonzo 3-4 FG
dwayne ballen doing the play by play for espnu. wasn’t he a local sports guy on the evening news around here before?
Does anyone want me to keep posting score updates or stop? 2nd half starts.
well we finally ran into a team that value’s possessions as much as us ; ]
Gonza hits a three………eleven pts !
pack turnover, VT scores. 44-27
Another Pack turnover…VT scores again. Sidney calls timeout. 44-31
These lazy passes and/or not going to the ball is just killing me. It’s not just the pass, it’s catching it too, and we are too passive taking the passes when they’re thrown. Be aggressive!
Another turnover State coming out of TO. VT turns it over back. Foul against VT. Another tv timeout.
Another Pack turnover…..13 total. Getting sloppy.
Amen Rawfs, It’s like there some freakin’ short circuity misfire and contagious to boot
score, time left?
Another bad pass, turnover 14. 46-38