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 10 posts - 276 through 285 (of 285 total)
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  • #37667
    Whiteshoes67
    Participant

    An old timer MLB baseball scout told me many years ago that guys like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, both 2nd round MLB picks, would either be picked much later, or in the case of Maddux, possibly not at all these days. His point was that everybody went for the hard throwers, body types, stamina, and didn’t look at the nuances of pitching. Same is true of basketball. Everybody thinks because some 18 year old has 4-5 stars beside his name, he’s polished and a guarantee to dominate at the collegiate level, a sure 1st round NBA pick. The coaching is bad, the game is bad, the play is bad. Lots of reasons for it. But the best coaches still recruit guys who understand the nuances of the game, not only have the body types or athletic talent. They’re also great teachers.

    #37676
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    ^Exactly… think Del Negro and Googs… just to mention two we all know….

    Cat Barbour WILL BE FIRST TEAM All-ACC his junior year at State.
    GOTT & Company and ANTHONY can make that happen.

    Until then he’s just ANTHONY… not Cat….

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #37679
    WolftownVA81
    Participant

    Our players do not seem to be progressing in their development. I’m starting to get concerned about what appears to point to coaching. Gott and company really need to get things turned in a different direction. We are young but too many fundamentals seem to be missing from our game. Leadership on the court is not evident and we really need to seem some strong leadership from the HC to right the ship. If this years continues in its death spiral, I would not be opposed to a change in direction. Three years should be enough time to know what we we’ve Gott, or don’t Gott.

    #37692
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    We’ve suffered two 30+ point losses in the past week. The worst teams aren’t even that bad. We’re bad. Plain and simple.

    #37736
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    We’ve suffered two 30+ point losses in the past week. The worst teams aren’t even that bad. We’re bad. Plain and simple.

    Yeah, that’s where I am at this point. Hard to break it down any further than that.

    #37744
    triadwolf
    Participant

    Player development doesn’t take place January thru March; it takes place primarily in the off season and Nov thru Dec. A couple of our young guys have hit a wall and the only cure is trying to play through it. There is a reason Freshman and Sophomores historically didn’t see much playing time, but it’s a new world now. The level of competition in conference games have hit the young guys square in the mouth; hopefully they can shake it off and get their heads back in the game.

    If we’re going to be successful it is imperative that Gott and his staff convince these kids to stay in the program for at least 3 years. That’s a tough job in today’s reality that everyone expects to get quality playing time and light it up from day one. There are only a handful of freshman that can come in and play at a high level right out of the gate and we are not getting those guys at this point. While we’re getting physically talented players, they all need to develop their game before they can have an impact. In particular it’s imperative that we keep Barber for at least 3 years, relying on freshman and sophomore point guards to run your team every year is an absolute recipe for disaster.

    Let’s hope these guys suck it up, shake the cobwebs out of their heads and start playing basketball again. Oh and can we please recruit someone that can make a shot from behind the arc!

    #37746
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    Triad… you GOTT it…

    Plus this….

    Considering the attitudes a lot of kids bring with them from high school…
    It takes a whole season… for them to “get humbled enough” to become willing to do the hard work to fix the necessary things.

    Our kids ain’t no different from Uncle Roy’s or Coach Rat’s or Calipari’s kids in this respect.

    This problem starts somewhere in the seventh grade.

    At least, as far as I know regarding this season, GOTT & Company don’t have a kid’s mama calling them daily to discuss her son’s playing time, or lack thereof, and the plays her kid is being asked to run.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #37757
    Tau837
    Participant

    Our players do not seem to be progressing in their development. I’m starting to get concerned about what appears to point to coaching.

    I disagree with this.

    Under the current coaching staff:
    – Howell, Warren, and Vandenberg all transformed their bodies significantly. It appears Anya will do the same, having already shed 30 pounds since arriving on campus.
    – Brown, Leslie, Howell, Warren, and to a lesser degree Wood and Vandenberg all improved their play. Certainly some of that is due to experience and maturity that comes with age, but the coaching staff also deserves some credit.

    I can only think of one rotation player who was in the program for more than one year and (so far) has not improved under the current coaching staff: Tyler Lewis.

    As someone else noted, most player improvements happen during the offseason, not in season. And particularly in the offseason between the player’s first and second seasons. I expect our current players will be better next season.

    #37760
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    … Agreed… which begs the question….

    Who, among the freshman or sophomores who are currently getting playing time, won’t be first or second ALL-ACC team before they graduate?

    If they will just do what GOTT & Company ask them to do… and baring injuries, methinks…. ALL of them.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #37767
    triadwolf
    Participant

    ^ I have to agree that all the underclassmen have the potential for some conference honors down the road, but I also have to say that I don’t see Lewis really competing at that level right now. Perhaps Gott will start him tonight and going forward that will get his motor jump started, but…

    @Tau87 – I agree with you on past player development. The only one glaring exception I see is CJL; he showed it at times, but I believe he got in is own way. I think he chose to work on the things he was already good at – which is not work at all – it’s working hard to improve your weaknesses that make the difference. I also did not see his body change at all in the 3 years he was here; anyone thinking of the NBA only has to watch one game to know they better hit the weights hard if they ever expect to play. You don’t have to bulk up and be a beast, but lack of strength will get you eaten alive.

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