Team Effort Kills Bugs Dead NCSU 86 – Georgia Tech 65

08-09 Basketball General99
NCSU (14-9) 44 42 86
GT (10-14) 33 32 65

raidbugsA team effort today in Atlanta yielded the first back-to-back conference wins of the year for NC State in a surprisingly easy victory despite 20+  Wolfpack turnovers.

Box Score

Please post your postgame thoughts here.

08-09 Basketball General

99 Responses to Team Effort Kills Bugs Dead NCSU 86 – Georgia Tech 65

  1. Alpha Wolf 02/14/2009 at 4:03 PM #

    Win four out of three and go to the Championship Game in the ACC tournament and we are .500 in conference.

  2. Rochester 02/14/2009 at 4:03 PM #

    Sid has officially reversed the death spiral. If we go 3-3 in the last six and finish 7-9 after the media picked us for 10th to last, does he get some support for coach of the year? Maybe he shouldn’t, because we left some wins on the board, but I detect a heartbeat.

    Regardless, it will be nice from this point forth to just talk about what happened and not talk about how horrible we are. Sure we could have won a few more this year and could be an official “bubble” team right now. But we’re no longer in the ACC’s bottom tier. I see signs of progress.

    As for Derrick Favors, if Paul Hewitt gets his walking papers after a 1-15 finish, does he rethink that commitment? Come to Raleigh, big guy!

  3. wufpup76 02/14/2009 at 4:03 PM #

    I will say this for Georgia Tech, there is enough talent on that team to scare the sh*t out of whoever their first round ACC tournament opponent

    We actually beat them worse than anybody really has in the conference season … They are 1-10, but this was only their 3rd double digit loss in the league (and easily the highest margin)

    I do not envy their first round opponent if that opponent is actually on the bubble

  4. TOBtime 02/14/2009 at 4:03 PM #

    ^wb, we were up by 10 at least on Duke and just could not hang on. Duke is not a top 10 team but will keep going until they find a weak spot.
    Good effort and really does seem to show some confidence from these guys. Maybe the VT game was needed for a mental break through.
    Wonder if Favors will reconSIDer when Hewitt gets fired?

  5. Afterglow 02/14/2009 at 4:07 PM #

    I say this in reference to how they have played in the past and not how they played the last two games-just for clarity.

    I kind of wonder if their “lack of focus” is because Lowe shortened the bench so late in the season. It’s seems this team lacks an identity. I’ll say lacks based on the year and not on the emotional high of the last two games. I guess time will tell if indeed, this team has found themselves.

  6. Rochester 02/14/2009 at 4:07 PM #

    By the way, if we cut our turnovers in half we probably score 100 and put this one in the “laugher” category. We need to do a much better job against the press. Why everyone doesn’t press us every game is a mystery.

  7. BJD95 02/14/2009 at 4:07 PM #

    We are in a very good position now, but we can’t get complacent. We certainly should handle UVA and Maryland at home, but could easily lose if our heads aren’t screwed on right.

    It would be nice to somehow play our way into the #7 seed so we avoid the Holes if we win our Thursday game.

  8. redfred2 02/14/2009 at 4:09 PM #

    Just too many weapons.

    Wait, did I really say that?

    But seriously, like I said in the game thread, there has been overall improvement in players who weren’t especially welcomed when they were receiving PT earlier in the schedule.

  9. BJD95 02/14/2009 at 4:09 PM #

    When you usually play 4 forwards at a time (as we do), TOs will happen. The key is to make up for that with offensive efficiency – since our guard-heavy lineups are not offensively efficient.

  10. Wolfpack_1995 02/14/2009 at 4:13 PM #

    Good win.

    I think the VT loss was part of a progression.

    What has impressed me was how the players have responded after that devastating loss. Good job Sid. These guys have not mailed it in.

    If we can somehow convince BC to return next season I say we continue to improve.

  11. jay95 02/14/2009 at 4:19 PM #

    A GREAT game by the Pack today, with the exception of the turnovers a very well played and coached game all game long!! Now we have to limit turnovers, shoot better from the free throw line and not have a let down against Carowhina!!! I am beginning to be optimistic about the future of Pack basketball, and that scares me a bit.

    GREAT GAME PACK!!!!

  12. PAJ 02/14/2009 at 4:24 PM #

    As the point guards have improved, so has the team. I also think Fells is more comfortable at 2 than 3. Tracy Smith is showing why he was a top 50 recruit. NCAA is not out of the question but it will take some more impressive road work and no lapses. This group could get to 9-7 (I concede a defeat in Chapel Hill) and be one of the hot teams.

    Credit to Sidney for getting his message across about attacking / punishing the press. His half court offense, when executed, is deadly. We get so many high quality shots when we don’t make turnovers.

  13. Alpha Wolf 02/14/2009 at 4:36 PM #

    As for Derrick Favors, if Paul Hewitt gets his walking papers after a 1-15 finish, does he rethink that commitment? Come to Raleigh, big guy!

    Hewitt isn’t going anywhere. A lot of what’s gone on down there is out of his control — guys unexpectedly leaving for the NBA, grade problems, etc. Plus he has a solid class coming in and a Final Four to fall bacl on.

  14. choppack1 02/14/2009 at 4:49 PM #

    I couldn’t be more pleased w/ the game and effort today.

    Super job once again by staff and players.

    Guys, Wednesday’s game against UNC is pretty big now. Now that we’ve won two straight, some folks will be paying attention. If we play well – even if we lose – it should raise the right eyebrows. And we’ll see our RPI increase regardless of outcome.

    One of the keys – and I have give the credit to the staff here – is that we’ve rebounded well. We’re going to have spans where we turn it over – however, if we are rebounding well, we’re a pretty tough team.

    Offensively, we have some skilled guys out there. We have guys who can shoot the 3 and guys who can operate inside.

    Great win today – I’m going to savor it.

    As I’ve stated before, if we can somehow go 7-9, and win a game or two in the tournament, it could be real interesting (if disappointing) on selection sunday.

  15. jwrenn29 02/14/2009 at 4:50 PM #

    If we could get some consistent PG play, we’d be pretty good! Right now we’re a good team, but we play other good teams with good PG play.

    But a good win, nonetheless!

  16. SMD 02/14/2009 at 4:50 PM #

    What I find particularly pathetic is that if the guys are playing this way now, they had the *capability* to play that way earlier on. *To me*, that speaks to coaching because you’re not getting the utmost from everyone the whole season.

    So this team can turn it around enough for an NIT bid. Whoop-de-freakin’do. Isn’t irrelevancy fun?

  17. Alpha Wolf 02/14/2009 at 4:56 PM #

    ^ A lot of the improvement through the year has come from younger players making important contributions in key moments.

    For example, C.J. Williams came in and had some high quality minutes in the first half, giving NC State a nice working cushion which they needed when Tech made their second half run. Julius Mays sank a three pointer to win a game in OT a few weeks back.

    I would honestly say that those guys coming on has made our depth quality depth and that it has made a big difference.

  18. dtwncsu 02/14/2009 at 5:00 PM #

    We are playing good basketball, but we went back into tunrnover mode today. The game wasn’t the best looking; however we got the win. I hope we show up and at least compete with the heels next week.

  19. transylvania 02/14/2009 at 5:16 PM #

    When was the last time we won an ACC road game by 20+ points?!! I’m thinking it was a long, long time ago…

  20. wolfpackbball 02/14/2009 at 5:18 PM #

    ^^^I don’t think we had the ‘capability’ earlier in the year. Look at how much the PT of the younger guys earlier in the year have helped them as the season progresses.
    How about relax and enjoy a win. There is absolutely no way the coaching can be called into question after today’s win. We all know Lowe is OTJ training, and he seems to be finding his place. And after last season’s debacle, no way will I shun NIT as ‘whoop-de-doo’.
    Shoot, Alpha already made my point.

  21. ncsslim 02/14/2009 at 5:22 PM #

    The most positive aspect of this team, versus the crazily similar record (at the some time) of the previous “administration” is that this team is putting points on the board.

    To be successful in college bball, you must be able to score over the long run; not continually squeak out 50-to-something ugly ass wins. They are fools gold. We are scoring which keeps us in games, even during dry spells. We still have occasional “Herb Droughts” (he should have patented; would even be a richer SOB), but still able to put a load of points up. At least at the moment.

  22. old13 02/14/2009 at 5:34 PM #

    As far as I’m concerned, we didn’t lose to VaT; VaT was given the game by VERY biased and/or incompetent refs. We played well enough to win that one, and not by a small margin either. The high school refs with an obvious bias just gave VaT the game. I certainly hope that Sid & Co. let the ACC know about the ridiculous officiating in that one; and I hope that the ACC has the gumption to do something about it! (But based on the past ACC idiocy, I doubt it!) In any case, the Pack played well today for the most part, the only overall concern being the (usual) large number of TOs. We’ll see what happens for the next few games.

  23. kevirose 02/14/2009 at 5:39 PM #

    I’m freakin loving Tracy Smith’s play recently. Even in the UNC game when he kept missing two footers, you could see he is a beast to handle. I’ve already forgotten the dude’s name, but who was the thick kid for BC that was so tough to handle down low (Jeff Allen or something like that)? That is Smith for us.

    And who woulda thunk Javi would start playing well at this part of the season. Sid’s gotta get some credit for that resurgance.

    Go Pack, Beat the Holes!

  24. wufpup76 02/14/2009 at 6:04 PM #

    ^Allen plays for VT … you may be thinking of Craig Smith from BC from a few seasons ago

  25. wolfonthehill 02/14/2009 at 6:09 PM #

    You make me smile, non sequitur…

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