Second Half Offensive Meltdown Dooms Pack

Stop me if you heard this one before – but after building a solid first half lead, the Wolfpack offense goes into a coma for the entire second half, losing 72-64. At least it was just shitty and braindead play, not effort (unlike the Maryland game).

State will be seeded 10th, and square off against Maryland unless VT wins tomorrow and the Terps lose later today. For the rest of the weekend, here’s what you should want as an NC State fan:

1) Maryland to beat Virginia. If the Cavs win, you are looking at 3 ACC teams projected to fall into the NIT (Maryland, Miami, Virginia Tech) ahead of NC State. Although there is no hard and fast rule, the only reason I saw for leaving Wake out of the NIT last year was that 3 ACC teams were already in the field.

2) UNC to beat Duke. From a “hoping for a miracle” matchup standpoint, we need to avoid UNC for as long as humanly possible. Perhaps someone else (I’m thinking FSU) can beat them for us.

3) Wake to beat Clemson. Coupled with a Duke loss, this would put the Deacs in the #2 slot, and Wake is by far NC State’s best possible Friday matchup.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

08-09 Basketball General

142 Responses to Second Half Offensive Meltdown Dooms Pack

  1. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 7:29 PM #

    It looks like there will be another automatic NIT qualifier tonight as 1 seed Jacksonville is getting hammered in the 2nd half by 2 seed ETSU (of Les Robinson fame) in the A-Sun championship game.

    The spots are filling up … UT-Martin last night from the OVC and Jacksonville tonight.

    Bob Valvano is working the Jacksonville – ETSU, btw.

  2. EdMar 03/07/2009 at 7:36 PM #

    Hang on just a little longer and our pain will be over for another season. Our hopes will grow during the off season when we read: that this player is stronger, this other one is faster, another is taller and the team is committed to playing better….then another season will start and the results will be ???????

  3. Wulfpack 03/07/2009 at 7:42 PM #

    As a Wolfpack fan, there is ALWAYS next year. Hell, that’s close to being all we have. Getting a bit old for this young pup. I can’t even begin to imagine what our veterans are feeling.

  4. BSIE80 03/07/2009 at 7:47 PM #

    Degand sucks. Time to go to Mays as the backup.

    We lost this game because Degand gives nothing, and Tracy and Ben did not score enough in the paint.

    They had the ball, but either missed good opportunities or Tracy walked by forcing the play.
    There were several plays where he needed to take his time, pump fake and dunk it. He looked like he did early in the year, versus the last several games.
    Ben just could not make a shot. His normal baseline jumper was off, his inside work was off- it just wasn’t his day. He did do an excellent job rebounding, etc. But just could not make a shot.

    Costner came alive some, but still inconsistent.

    We also got ripped by the refs, but I don’t think this stopped us from winning the game. They do suck, and something needs to change with this intentional foul/excessive roughness rule. We have been burned on it twice.

    Good to see Fergs play. He did well. I don’t really care to see Fells play any more. Lets go with Fergs and CJ at the 2. We saved 4-5 turnovers today by Fells not playing.

  5. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 7:51 PM #

    Score of the day:

    Iowa 75 – Penn St. 67 2OT

    DOUBLE OVERTIME

    2 Overtimes and these teams barely get to 65 points. Unbelieveable.

    HOT Big 10 action that resulted in a particularly bad loss for bubble PSU.

  6. wolfonthehill 03/07/2009 at 8:05 PM #

    And I really could give a damn if we make the NIT. I’m not wasting a second of my time worrying about where we stand on the NIT bubble.

    We’re out of the tourney, and the season was wasted. Nothing else to see here.

  7. thekind 03/07/2009 at 8:19 PM #

    Fowler,
    You suck. How much longer are we stuck with this jackass?
    It is obvious that Sid is in over his head. We are the worst defensive team that I have ever seen at State.
    Fire Fowler now!

  8. BJD95 03/07/2009 at 8:31 PM #

    Outside of some garbage time 3s, Javi also sucked in the second half. Ball pressure really disrupts all of our PGs. Which is why, yes, we certainly would take John Wall and his entourage in a heartbeat.

    I want to make the NIT so that we can at least see the games on TV. Being in an untelevised post-season tourney would be pretty embarrassing.

  9. BJD95 03/07/2009 at 8:35 PM #

    Plus, I have good reason to hope SFN might receive another visit from “Stan, the NIT Goodwill Ambassador” – should we make the field.

  10. BJD95 03/07/2009 at 8:54 PM #

    Xavier losing in the A-10 quarters again. Might gobble up another NCAAT bubble slot.

  11. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 9:02 PM #

    ^BJD, that game was actually @ Richmond.

    The A-10 tourny starts this coming Wednesday. Xavier’s seed is taking a beating though, having also lost to a pretty awful Charlotte team recently.

  12. redfred2 03/07/2009 at 9:13 PM #

    Besides the other things that weren’t clicking in the second half, I thought that Fergie’s bad pass to Costner, that was tapped away and then turned into a layup, and soon after Javi’s spin and dribble the ball off the foot at the FT line, both plays producing TO’s, were two key plays that set the 2nd half tone for yet more offensive imcompetency. I think both of those sloppy plays happened pretty early in the half when Miami was pumped, exerting pressure, and when they were trying create their own momentum swing. They did.

    We looked out of sync from then on.

  13. redfred2 03/07/2009 at 9:19 PM #

    Rick, I don’t have it recorded, but I’m almost certain that on at least one occassion, if not two, Smith was in the act of dribbling the BB when he was called for the shuffle/walk.

    Am I wrong about that?

  14. blpack 03/07/2009 at 9:35 PM #

    We can’t go 12 minutes without a bucket and expect to win, that said the refs stunk again today. The worst year I can remember for officiating. When doing a good job they are hardly noticeable, like a good AD. When they are such a large part of the game you know the stripes are having too much of an affect.

  15. Coach Abatemarco 03/07/2009 at 10:03 PM #

    Austin Peay may not win, could be another NIT seed!

  16. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:04 PM #

    ^That was an awesome play in that Morehead St. / Austin Peay game.

  17. Coach Abatemarco 03/07/2009 at 10:06 PM #

    not over yet my friend

  18. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:07 PM #

    Make that back-to-back awesome plays in that game … wow.

    Going to overtime!

  19. Coach Abatemarco 03/07/2009 at 10:07 PM #

    wow, all we need is a chicken nugget platter and some beer!!!!!!!!!great game between morehead and the governors.

  20. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:13 PM #

    ^You said it, Coach. A chicken nugget platter from Chick-fil-a (and plenty of peanut m&m’s) during tournament time … Tradition. Maybe some IBC Cream Soda too.

  21. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:15 PM #

    Put the camera back on the blonde please.

  22. Coach Abatemarco 03/07/2009 at 10:16 PM #

    chick filet opens uo down here next week just in time for tourney time!!!!grand opening come on down!

  23. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:17 PM #

    ^I may have to do just that 🙂

  24. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:18 PM #

    That’s some free throw disparity in that game …

  25. wufpup76 03/07/2009 at 10:19 PM #

    Tough call.

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