NC STATE at DUKE PREVIEW

Time: 2:00 pm
TV: CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Bill Raftery

This isn’t your traditional Duke team, they have a huge offensive punch but lack the shutdown defense that has come to be expected of a Duke team. Plus they lack any height inside, that is where they are vulnerable, if you take advantage of it.

If State can pound the ball inside and somehow avoid foul trouble then I think the Pack can make a game of this. Of course if the “tendencies” are called then the game is already over.

There’s no sugar coating this, the Pack sucks on defense. In fact it’s my biggest problem with Gottfried, none of his players every exhibit basic fundamental defensive principles, just a lot of standing and reaching in while no one ever talks to each other. “The legs feed the wolf” and the defense feeds the offense, it’s that simple and yet we can’t seem to grasp this notion. It’s going to be a long day on defense, at least we won’t have to worry about the Pack’s bad defensive rebounding since Duke won’t miss many shots and even if they do I’m sure a “foul” was committed.

Prediction:

KenPom likes Duke by 14. I think this game will be over in the first 5 minutes but the Pack will find a way to give us just enough hope to keep watching.

Watchability:

Attending a One Direction Concert. Look, this will likely make your eyes bleed. Turn it on and find something else to do while it’s on in the background.

NEWS CLIPS:

Joe Giglio (N&O)
NC State has ‘big’ advantage against Duke

“In previous games, we haven’t been as aggressive as we should be,” Anya said. “We were more aggressive at Wake and I think you’ll see more of that the rest of the year.”

The Wolfpack’s interior success came against Wake’s man defense in the first half, and that’s how the UCLA system is supposed to work, with the offense flowing through the bigs, who have to be aggressive.

Getting his young post players to be assertive has been a challenge for Gottfried, whose first two N.C. State teams were driven by the post production of C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell.

“Our young guys, they’re good,” Gottfried said. “For our team to develop into the best we can become, our big guys need to develop.”

Before the season, Gottfried knew his quarter of inexperienced post options — even Vandenberg, a fifth-year senior, played sparingly before this season — wouldn’t match the production of Leslie and Howell, the two leading scorers from the 2012-13 team. Leslie (15.1 points per game) and Howell (12.7) accounted for 35.9 percent of the Pack’s scoring last season (27.8 of its 77.4 points per game).

Through 17 games, the quartet of Vandenberg-Anya-Washington-Freeman have combined for 16.8 points per game or 23.2 percent of the team’s 72.5 points per game. That’s not enough, not in a system predicated on the production of its forwards.

“Our bigs need to touch the ball more,” Gottfried said. “It’s something that we’ve tried to make a point of emphasis, I thought the first half (at Wake Forest) we did a great job of that.”

Luke DeCock (N&O)
Wolfpack looks for first win against Krzyzewski at Duke since ’88

It has been years – decades – since N.C. State last beat a Duke team coached my Mike Krzyzewski in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

There isn’t a player on either team who was even close to being born. Some weren’t born in 1995, when Krzyzewski stepped aside for Pete Gaudet and N.C. State was one of six ACC teams to beat Duke in Cameron.

1988.

“Wow,” Duke guard Quinn Cook said. “We would definitely like to continue that streak.”

The Wolfpack appears to have two of the ingredients needed to upset Duke this season: A perimeter penetration threat and inside scoring. That formula worked for Notre Dame and it worked for Clemson, although both games were on the road. (Duke’s two other losses, to Kansas and Arizona, were on more even terms.)

For the Irish, that was Michigan State transfer Garrick Sherman (14 points) on the inside and Eric Atkins (19 points, 11 assists) on the outside. For the Tigers, it was K.J. McDaniels (24 points) on the inside and Rod Hall (11 points, four assists) on the outside.

N.C. State’s two best players just happen to be 6-foot-8 forward T.J. Warren, who leads the ACC at 22.2 points per game, and speedy freshman point guard Cat Barber, who excels at blowing past defenders and getting to the rim.

Stephen Schramm (fayobserver.com)
ACC Basketball: Three to know for N.C. State at No. 23 Duke

1. In need of a lift

Duke comes into today’s game looking to nurse some fragile momentum while the Wolfpack just hopes to start some.

On Friday, Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon called Monday night’s dramatic 69-64 victory against Virginia as a “must-win.”

He has a point. If the Cavaliers had been able to hold on to their slim lead in the final minute, it would have dropped Duke to 1-3 in the ACC and turn the slight unrest created by road losses to Notre Dame and Clemson into a full-on panic.

But down by a point, Sulaimon hit a clutch 3 and Amile Jefferson hit a pair of free throws to give Duke the win.

“After the game, everybody felt good personally and collectively as a team about the team that we beat and the fashion that we beat them in,” Sulaimon said. “It was definitely a confidence boost for us and we know if we play like that, we can continue to string up wins.”

Meanwhile, N.C. State is in dire need of something to feel good about. Starting with a Dec. 28 loss at home to Missouri, N.C. State has just two wins in its last four games, and one of those victories was a shaky one at UNC-Greensboro.

The Wolfpack showed some signs of progress on Wednesday night at Wake Forest, overcoming an early deficit and leading for most of the second half. But a late layup by Codi-Miller McIntyre ended up dealing the Wolfpack a 70-69 loss.

3. Lewis questionable

N.C. State could be thin at point guard as the status of sophomore Tyler Lewis is in doubt.

Lewis played six minutes early but missed the second half against Wake Forest due to illness. He was so uncomfortable that he briefly left the bench.

Stephen Schramm (fayobserver.com)
N.C. State’s big men must step up against Duke

After Thursday’s practice had wrapped up, N.C. State forward Lennard Freeman was surrounded by a cluster of reporters, barely containing his excitement for today’s trip to face No. 23 Duke, saying it’s been something he’s looked forward to.

Meanwhile, fellow freshman BeeJay Anya lurked largely unnoticed just behind the cameras, trying to distract Freeman with a mischievous smile.

In that moment, it was easy to remember that the two are 18 years old and just 17 games into their college careers. But today, if the Wolfpack is to break nearly two decades of frustration at Duke and end its run of recent struggles, Anya, Freeman and the rest of the Wolfpack’s big men will need to play beyond their years.

With four losses in its last six games, N.C. State (11-6 overall, 1-3 ACC) has entered a period of reassessment. It knows that when it opens things up for sophomore forward T.J. Warren, the ACC’s leading scorer, things go well. When it runs into a zone defense, which slows down its high-post offense, limits Warren and exploits the Wolfpack’s suspect outside shooting, things usually don’t.

But Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried sees a solution.

In Wednesday night’s 70-69 loss to Wake Forest, the Wolfpack’s big men proved to be a reliable source of scoring. Anya, Freeman, fellow freshman Kyle Washington and senior Jordan Vandenberg combined to go 9 of 13 for 22 points. They also had 21 rebounds, helping the Wolfpack to a decisive advantage in points in the paint (36-24) and second-chance points (23-4).

While much of it is young, with five players that are 6-foot-8 or taller, the Wolfpack does have size. And against the Demon Deacons, N.C. State showed how effective it can be when it uses it.

“For our team to develop into the best that we can become, our big guys have got to develop,” Gottfried said. “We’ve got to get them the ball along the way.”

GoPack.com
919 Showdown: NC State at Duke On Saturday

Two of college basketball’s storied programs will take the court Saturday afternoon when NC State travels to No. 23 Duke at 2 p.m. The 238th meeting between the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils will be on CBS.

The two teams split last season, with the home team winning each contest. Wolfpack fans rushed the court after NCSU’s 84-76 win last January at PNC Arena. The victory in Raleigh came when Duke was ranked No. 1 and hadn’t yet lost.

NC State (11-6, 1-3) will go into Cameron Indoor Stadium with the ACC’s leading scorer T.J. Warren, who averages 22.2 points per game. Warren scored 22 in NC State’s last game, a 70-69 loss at Wake Forest that the Wolfpack led for most of the night. NCSU has won three of its last four road contests.

Duke (13-4, 2-2) is coming off a close win over Virginia, a team NC State played last Saturday. The Blue Devils are led by freshman Jabari Parker, who averages 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

After playing Duke, NC State has a quick turnaround before it hosts Maryland Monday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m.

1. SCHEDULING QUIRK
In a scheduling quirk, NC State will be playing its fourth game at Duke in the last five meetings between the two schools. The Wolfpack played at Cameron Indoor in 2011 and in the schools’ only meeting in 2012. The two Triangle schools played a home-and-home last season and now the Wolfpack is back at Duke for Saturday’s contest. Since 2008, six of the 10 meetings between the two schools have been in Durham.

About 1.21 Jigawatts

Class of '98, Mechanical Engineer, State fan since arriving on campus and it's been a painful ride ever since. I live by the Law of NC State Fandom, "For every Elation there is an equal and opposite Frustration."

13-14 Basketball

Home Forums NC STATE at DUKE PREVIEW

Viewing 25 posts - 226 through 250 (of 285 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #37595
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    Good to see their soccer guys could get some time against us

    #37596
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Well, that was….not pretty.

    Glad I got mid 70s and sunny outside.

    Later.

    #37597
    wolfpup44
    Participant

    I have been sitting here for 30 minutes thinking of something to say, but words cannot describe how I feel. The only consolation is I live at the beach in CA walking distance from a lot of alcohol to help me forget. Another 30 point loss.

    #37598
    vtpackfan
    Participant

    Gottfried the Guilded. It’s all external with no substance.

    Every game HAS to be determined by the other team and/or referees. It has to be….

    There is no style our substance to a Gottfried coached team-they just play monkey-see-monkey do to whatever the opposition/officiating makes them out to.

    He’s a fake-ESPN was a match made in heaven job.

    #37599
    redcanine
    Participant

    We fell down too much. Every time there was contact, it was one of ours who got off balance and hit the deck. Foul? Probably. Still, too weak.

    #37600
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    Smoke if you GOTT ’em….

    POP!

    Truth is, hard as it is to admit, that game went pretty much as expected….
    If you want to be the Best…. you GOTT to play with and against the Best.

    We GOTT a lot to learn and execute to be a Good Team.

    And FWIW, if Sid’s cupboard had been bare…
    We would have had this conversation two years ago.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #37601
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    LMAO, Doug Gottlieb telling it like it is.

    #37602
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    LMAO, Doug Gottlieb telling it like it is.

    Did I hear him right? Did he say that NC State is a terrible team?

    #37603
    bsly
    Participant

    The guy on the after game show on cbs just said it all. “NC State is a pretty bad team…”

    #37604
    WeAreCured
    Participant

    Doug Gottlieb: “Outside of TJ Warren, NC State stinks.” Awesome.

    #37605
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    I believe his exact words were….

    “Aside from TJ Warren, NC State stinks”

    Though maybe that was just my own voice in my head.

    #37606
    Rick
    Keymaster

    The truth hurts.

    We are am awful team. Youth is no excuse for this ineptness

    #37607
    packer74
    Participant

    The beatings will continue until morale improves. Wait til UMD knocks us off in Raleigh.

    #37608
    MrPlywood
    Participant

    This game was actually on broadcast TV up here, which quickly fell into the “be careful what you wish for” category. *sigh*

    #37609
    vtpackfan
    Participant

    My statement that he is ALL external, and that his coaching style has ZERO substance may seem a stretch, but ask yourself….

    Why has he never pointed the finger at himself?

    Why has he never outwardly displayed a reaction of displeasure with how HIS coaching isn’t meeting the demand?

    99 out of 100 big boy college basketball team HC’s would do that in some form once the 30+ blowout losses begin to reoccur.

    #37610
    budfox88
    Participant

    Is it possible that we could be last in conference in both football and basketball this year? Has that ever happened?

    #37611
    Wolfpac2014
    Participant

    Can’t wait for baseball season!
    That is the only team at NCSU that can be completive for a full season.
    How far State has fallen.
    Time to rethink writing that check ?

    #37612
    Wolfpac2014
    Participant

    Enjoy the beach.
    Here on East Coast lots of TarHole fans crowing.

    #37613
    eas
    Participant

    A friend of mine (Dukie) texts me during the game randomly and says:

    “Does State run any plays at all? It is just unorganized street ball. I didn’t really how bad the coaching was but dang that’s bad”

    Now he isn’t a basketball genius but just the point was striking. He isn’t a trash talker either. Anyway, as much as I hate to admit it we are so lost out there. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO unorganized it is hard to watch. I DO LIKE THIS TEAM and I think the potential is there. However, the progress to this point rests on the shoulders of Gott and Co.

    No more excuses,blaming the refs, youth, new system, shots not falling etc. We all know Gott has a free pass until next year but one has to think his seat is warming following such an awful FB season (I know they are seperate but that FB frustration can carry over to BB a good bit). Crap I don’t know what to say anymore. I just want to be relevant again and not be bottom dwellers.

    We should be better than we are (a lot better) at this point. Please Gott figure something out or at least try something new. Good coaches adapt to what they have even if it means a TOTALLY different style of play….at least for now.

    #37614
    patientwuf
    Participant

    The truth hurts.

    We are am awful team. Youth is no excuse for this ineptness

    Ageed! Will the truth set Gott free?

    #37615
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    Gentlemen…There’s a lot that could be said… but it might be best to wait for the 24hr cool off period to expire first.

    For now… I’m thinking …

    1. Coaches are doing the best they know how with what they have to work with…. and they will be the last man down with the ship.

    2. Players are doing the best they can ALL things considered.

    3. There’s a elegant balance in good recruiting between “taking those you can take” and “getting those you can get”.

    4. Making pre-season predictions of player and, more importantly, TEAM SUCCESS based on recruiting service ratings (stars) leads to grave mistakes in judgement and unnecessary physical stress, including substance abuse of various kinds. This rules applies equally to players, coaches and fans.

    ————-

    For some reason…. I’m thinking the jump from High School competition and AAU ShowBall (not real basketball) to Tobacco Road is about the same as from the local USMC recruiting office to Parris Island for every freshman roundballer within 20 minutes of I-40.

    There is an awful lot of RAW ABILITY, very little Talent (as defined elsewhere) and minimal BBall IQ in our young kids….
    and it’s going to take a couple of seasons for most of them to be the best they can be regardless of the color of their jerseys.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #37616
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    OK….before everybody starts tequila double shots…..

    We GOT GOTT for 4 more years….his original deal was 5. He somehow (fill in the blank) got to a sweet 16. BINGO….his ticket was punched for 2 more years…Automatic….no action on Yow’s part.
    his BASE is $750K….that is a $3,000,000. YOW ain’t GOTT that money…..and unless she invokes one of the “morals” clauses….aka Petrino, he ain’t going out the door….

    NOW, he DID get a raise in the fall of 2012. His “supplemental” went from $450K to $1,200K or a cool $750K increase. That has absolutely NO impact on the contractual obligation of his BASE times the years left.

    Maybe that WILL drive some to hit the hard stuff early….

    #37617
    Whiteshoes67
    Participant

    Look at Gottfried’s track record. No surprises anywhere. There were those that said the 2011 and 2012 were missing vital pieces. That was a laugher. Those teams downright underachieved.

    Those teams ranked 33rd and 9th respectively in offensive efficiency. They had five skilled players at every position and could score from every place on the floor. Now, Gottfried has interior players and point guards with little experience, and no consistent shooters. This team turns it over more and is currently 95th in offensive efficiency, soon to drop some more.

    The one constant is terrible defense. Rankings of 78 (2012), 112 (2013), and now 124 in 2014 just don’t cut it. I’ve said it time and time again, that run in 2011 was keyed by much improved defense, and we still were an average to below average defensive team.

    Face it, Gottfried won at Murray State against average competition, he joined a very mediocre SEC, and excelled for a few years, only to be exposed in key games and NCAA competition for his weaknesses as a coach. He walked into a lineup that 99% of NCAA coaches would have dreamed about coaching. He underachieved then. He underachieves now. Only because the depths of this program had sunk so low during the Robinson, Sendek, and Lowe eras were we thrilled to watch two straight NCAA births. I had no misconceptions that we’d be a good team this year. I thought possibly, we could be a .500 team in conference, but after seeing this team early, I thought that would be a leap. We may very well be closer to .500 overall by year’s end, if that.

    #37619
    Prowling Woofie
    Participant

    State won’t win another conference game. Period.

    Any way to keep Gott as a recruiter, but find us a real coach ? Didn’t think so….

    #37620
    Wolfanatic
    Participant

    This season of State basketball is an example of diminishing marginal utility for me….so sad..

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