ACCT Gameday & State-Maryland pre-game Entry (Updated Noon)
For those people that want to interact and ‘converse’ more during the day – why don’t you give our chat function a try? Today appeears to be a good day for it. You can access it at the very top of the page at the link for “StateFansNation Chat”
BJD Comments
Well, it’s finally here. The ACC tournament (see our preview here). 12 teams in search of glory, redemption, or both – no matter how much Ol’ Roy pretends it doesn’t really matter, it does. 8 start today, kicking off with a pitched battle between desperate Miami and even more desperate Virginia Tech. Man, is the winner ever going to be disappointed (if not surprised) to see Ty Lawson in the starting lineup.
Good news for those you who have to pretend to work today – Raycom will stream the games live for those who live within its geographical territory.
Speaking of redemption, this morning’s N&O looks at the Wolfpack’s need for it after a sorry effort against the Terps a few weeks ago. Keep your fingers crossed, because it sounds like maybe that even got Courtney Fells’ attention. Friend of the blog J.P. Giglio also has his ACCT edition of Foul Shots out, complete with a shout out to Billy Packer. It’s nice to know someone will miss him this March other than me. The old crumudgeon probably isn’t even watching.
To get mentally prepared for a weekend of despair, my wife and I went to the Morrissey concert last night at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Great venue for a concert, and easily the best live performance I’ve ever seen. Highly recommended for any fans who live near one of the other stops on this brief American tour. I hope SFN commenter Girlfriend in a Coma made it there. If Morrissey lived here and gave a damn about college sports, he would definitely be a State fan.
Jeff’s Comments
- We discussed earlier in the week that State’s battle with Maryland helps commemorate the 35th anniversary of the greatest college basketball game ever played (Link for entry and video).
- And, nobody will forget that Sidney Lowe’s previous ACC Tournament appearance in Atlanta in 1983 resulted in a Championship.
- But, today’s opening round game against the Terps also helps commemorate the 20th anniversary of one of the league’s biggest upsets when Bob Wade’s 8th seeded Terrapins defeated the ACC’s regular season champion, NC State – also in a game played in Atlanta. (Ouch) The Wolfpack’s loss marked the first time that a #1 seed lost to an 8th seed on the first day of the ACC Tournament.
- I know it is a pipe dream, but the potential path that lies in front of NC State in Atlanta this weekend couldn’t be more ‘tradition-filled’. IF State were to run the table, the Wolfpack would probably battle the program’s four most prominent conference rivals in actual order of ‘prominence’ – (4) Maryland; (3) Wake Forest; (2) Duke; (1) UNC-CH. How memorable of a run would that be? Just an interesting observation.
- Pack Pride has posted the Sports Information Department’s “NoteBook” (bullet points) here.
Media Items
(1) Caulton Tudor picks the Wolfpack in the two and a half minute preview video below:
(2) WRAL’s focus on the Greivis Vasquez angle of today’s game:
(3) WRAL focuses on State’s search for a better ACC Tournament than last year’s miserable experience.
History
Our comments section included the following historical comments that deserved elevation:
1973: NC State beats Maryland in the ACCT finals. NC State completes the season 27-0, but stays home due to bullshit probation. Maryland goes to the NCAAs, representing the ACC.
1974: Really, nothing needs to said here. Greatest game in college basketball history.
1975: Maryland wins the Regular Season title, but NC State takes down the Terps in the ACCT semis.
1978: I think its still the only triple OT game in ACCT history. Maryland beats NC State 109-108.
1982: One of the ugliest ACCT games ever. NC State beats MD 40-28.
1984: Maryland beats NC State in in the first round on route to Lefty’s only ACC Tournament title.
1989: Hard to type this – NC State wins the ACC regular season, loses badly to a 1-13 Maryland team, 71-43. IMO, Jimmy V’s worst game as NC State coach.
1993: NC State’s first appearance in what would be labeled the “Les Robinson Invitational” – Maryland #8 beats #9 NC State.
1997: Herb’s magical run to the ACCT title game, NC State beats MD in the semi-finals.
2002: NC State beats #1 seed Maryland in the ACC semis. It would be MD’s last loss of the season, and they go on to win the National Title.
2004: Another hard one to type. NC State is crushing MD in the semis by 18 at the half and by as many as 21 in the game. A bizarre technical called by Larry Rose on the NC State towel boy who is wiping sweat off the floor in the backcourt while the ball is in play at the other end of the floor. Gilchrist goes crazy and MD comes back to beat State, and then beat Duke for the ACCT title. (Just as they did in 1984).
- One week later Sendek’s Wolfpack went on to collapse in a similarly unprecedented manner in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Vanderbilt. The loss was so egregious that it made this list of the Top 10 comebacks in NCAA Tournament history. (Link)
- For more on Rose you can click through this entry.
Graham and Thompson (VT) are just about to mix it up … Graham is playing his usual “thug-ball” and got away with pushing Thompson to the ground while still in the air on a dunk attempt
This is one of things I hate the most about ACC refs, they constantly let stuff like that go even when they see it … Naturally, they went and got in Thompson’s face after he got upset and just let Graham dottle about
ACC refs: Justice in Action! (or inaction, whichever you prefer)
grrrrr
It’s 38-30 VT at the under 16 timeout of the 2nd half
^^Roger that, SFN – I’ll hang it up for a while (sorry!)
SFN: NO APOLOGIES NEEDED!!! I’m in the office and chat is blocked…so I am loving the scoring updates! That wasn’t a hint for people not to post…it was just an idea for people who wanted to interact a little more. THANKS!
None of the real coeds were beautiful but some would have looked OK — if they had shaved.
My time was right at the end of that period. Sometimes the talent on campus simply astounds me.
Then again, there was the ole saying:
If you want Saint go to Peace
If you want a piece go to Saint
and if you want a wife go to Meredith….
One of the ugliest ACC tournaments ever. That was the first tournament I ever attended. I was bored silly and spent most of the time just wandering around…talking to popcorn vendors (I was 9). A complete and total waste of time.
The ACC tournament finals that year featured UVa and UNC…#1 vs. #2. Ralph vs. Worthy. EPIC….snoozefest.
Dean took the air out of the ball and won 7-4 (or something like that).
Actually, if you were bored, those games were fine because there was no stoppage of play. For anything. It was just a point guard standing 35 feet from the basket looking as bored as the people in the crowd.
This was a year or so after the owner of the USA network put together his made-for-TV basketball league, the Big East. They had St. Johns with Chris Mullin, Syracuse with Leo Rautins (and soon to have Pearl Washington), Georgetown with Ewing, Providence was coached by Rick Pitino.
So, the ACC huddled up and came out with the 30 second shot clock and the 17-9 three-point-line for ACC games in 1983. Non-conference opponents had the option of choosing to use ACC rules. I don’t really remember many of our opponents opting for them. UNC-W did (Dinky Proctor hit a bunch of threes in mopup duty). But Notre Dame, Memphis, Louisville, Mich. State, and Notre Dame didn’t.
Good picture quality on the Raycom streaming. Miami looks like dogshit.
“Dean took the air out of the ball and won 7-4 (or something like that).”
^Yep, he was a real innovator. Destroying the game is quite an innovation.
And you are correct about the majority of the non-conference opponents not choosing the ACC rule adoptions.
I always thought you were close to my age, Noah. Your knowledge of ACC history is so good I thought it first-hand.
Goodbye, Miami.
You did not show well today. Good luck Jack McClinton – glad you won’t be lighting us up anymore.
VT-Holes tomorrow.
War on, Greenberg.
Man I was wrong about VT. I thought VT would choke their bid away.
1968 ACC Tourney. State vs Duke, semifinals. Duke led at the half, 4-2. State wins a thriller, 12-10.
VT still might choke tomorrow. They need to beat the Holes to punch their ticket, at least.
Go VT!!!
They Beat the Holes.
ACC Championship = VT vs State
ACC Champion- State
Oh how i wish would happend
Yeah, I know. If TV contracts had come along at a better time, DT would have played with a three-point line and shot clock.
Someday I’m going to get motivated enough to write out the role that television contracts have had in shaping the ACC. I could do 10,000 words on that without breaking a sweat.
Does anyone else remember the absolute disaster of a pay-per-view service called “Season Ticket” that got rolled out in ’84? When the Dook-UNC game wasn’t televised, it caused a wee bit of an uproar. It didn’t offer any additional games…it just kidnapped half of the schedule and held it for ransom.
Baylor over 1 seed Kansas in the Big 12 quarters …
The Bears probably still need to win that tournament to get in, but it probably makes the bubble teams sweat that much more.
here’s a happy thought… only a few more hours and we can focus all chat on the upcoming football season!! all the talk about how vastly improved this team is will all be moot. oh, and wait till next year!
Maybe this gets Baylor back on the NIT bubble. Damn it.
Good I hope baylor does awsome to finish the year, Pulls Wall away from memphis, joins a bad baylor team, then he flops there not even making the NIT.
At the same time Lo Brown gets ACC fresh year award and is a projected top 10 in draft pick… which he turns down to return to school…..
That would be a state fans dream
“Come on, at this point is anyone optimistic about NC State getting a bye to Friday’s action within their lifetime? Maybe my future grandchildren will.”
Instead of playing our way out of the Les Robinson Invitational we made it so 7 other teams had to join us.
BTW Miami looked like pure poo.
Miami has looked like crap for the last month….
Everyone should have seen that coming
Not sure how many are watching, but GT is putting up a pretty good fight in the first half down by 1 late …
Anyway, the last play before the under 4 timeout was a loose ball that a GT guy dove on the floor to get and Booker did not … It wound up being a jumpball, but they cut over to Purnell’s expression on the Clemson sideline and he had pretty much the most dumbfounded look on his face that I’ve ever seen. Then he rolled his eyes just before they went to the break – classic. Very funny stuff.
I think McClinton got ink poisoning from all his tattoos and it slowly ate away at him until all he could do was hit free throws.
I do think Miami has the highest ink to player ratio of any team short of the NBA.
As I expected, the Bees are giving Clemson fits.
WTF Kansas??? I had them pegged as a surprise Final 4 team. So much for that.
VT looked good today, but I still predict they get blasted by UNC tomorrow, Lawson or no Lawson.
Clemson has turned into crap here lately.
Vasquez is of my favorite players in the conference. I dont think hes being a jerk. If I was a player, I would be saying the same things he has said. Hes a baller and a fighter, you gotta respect that.