NC STATE vs FLORIDA STATE Preview

Time: 9:00pm
TV: ACC Network
Announcers: Tim Brando, Mike Gminski
Officials: Jamie Luckie, Ray Natili, Michael Stephens

Wow they are tall, FSU is the 2nd tallest team in the nation. Once again Hamilton has himself another highly efficient defensive team, that is the second best in the nation at 2fg defense and 17th in shot blocking. There is one area where everyone on this team struggles…turnovers, they have an inability to hold onto the ball.

Probable Starters:
#1 Devon Bookert (6-3 185 SO) Guard – Behind Miller, Bookert is FSU’s biggest three point threat.
#32 Montay Brandon (6-7 216 SO) Guard – Nothing screams special about Brandon, he does his job and produces even if it’s not above average. A solid player any team needs.
#10 Okaro White (6-8 204 SR) Forward – White, IMHO, is the biggest threat facing the Pack not named Miller. White does everything well, too many to list.
#14 Robert Gilchrist (6-9 220 SR) Forward – Gilchrist doesn’t do a whole lot and he’s not that good at what he does, so he’s up for the latest “unknown player has career day against the Pack.”
#15 Boris Bojanovsky (7-3 235 SO) Center – Ahhh the battle of 7 foot foreigners. Boris shoots the ball well around the rim (.635) and is a quality shot blocker.

Bench:
#30 Ian Miller (6-3 198 SR) Guard – Miller is the Seminoles leading scorer and leads the team in possessions, all without starting a single game this year. While his average ORtg of 106.1 doesn’t scream ALL ACC he’s their heart and soul. No telling where he’s going to score from since he’s taken just as many shots inside the arc as outside.
#25 Aaron Thomas (6-5 195 SO) Guard – Thomas comes off the bench but he plays a lot of minutes, 70% of them to be precise. Expect to hear his name a lot because while he may not shoot a lot from behind the arc, he’s effective there, but he’s very active around the basket and gets to the FT line a lot and shoots them both very well.
#50 Michael Ojo (7-1 292 SO) Center – He’s not much of a scorer and has a sub-90 ORtg but he’s a strong rebounder and shot blocker.
#5 Jarquez Smith (6-9 225 FR) Forward – Uhhhhhh…He’s the only freshman that plays. That’s about all I got.

Series Notes:
– NC State leads the series 28-22.
– Current Streak: FSU = 1
– Last 5 Games: FSU has won 4 out of the last 5 meetings.
– Last game in Raleigh: Feb. 19, 2013 – NCSU won 84-66
– Last Meeting: March 9, 2013, Tallahassee – FSU won 71-67: Florida State’s Devon Bookert scored a career-high 18 points and Michael Snaer added 17 as Florida State fought back from an eight-point deficit in the second half to defeat North Carolina State 71-67 on March 9, 2013 at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee in the regular-season finale for both teams. A pair of free throws by Bookert gave the Seminoles their first lead of the second half at 57-55. He then added a jumper with 2:01 left to snap a tie at 62 with 2:01 left and three free throws in the final 1:23 of the see-saw contest featuring nine lead changes and nine ties. Snaer broke away and caught a length-of-the court pass from Okaro White for an uncontested dunk that gave Florida State a 67-63 lead with 32 seconds left after both teams suffered turnovers in previous possessions with the lead on the line. Richard Howell’s 3-point play with 21 seconds left got the ‘Pack to within 67-66. He scored off a missed 3 by Wood and was fouled on the put back.

Who Has The Advantage?

It’s never a good sign when everything that equates to actually putting the ball into the basket the other team is better at defending then you scoring. Lots of facepalms tonight. Remember when I’ve talked about Shot Blockers make the worst Rebounders?

Once again defensive rebounding will be key. I do wonder one thing, do you really have an advantage when you suck less than the other team?

Predictor:
KenPom likes FSU by 4. It’s going to be tough for the Pack to get a decent shot around the basket and if we can’t hit jumpers it’s going to be a long night. I say the Noles by double digits.

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 vs FLORIDA STATE Preview

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 272 total)
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  • #38841
    1.21 Jigawatts
    Keymaster

    Time: 9:00pm TV: ACC Network Announcers: Tim Brando, Mike Gminski Officials: Jamie Luckie, Ray Natili, Michael Stephens Wow they are tall, FSU is the
    [See the full post at: NC STATE vs FLORIDA STATE Preview]

    #38843
    Fastback68
    Participant

    The current 6 through 10 seeds are Clemson, FSU, State, Maryland and UNX. There have been only two teams to finish with a .500 league record in the last five years but there have been multiple tie ups at the 9-7 mark. Wins against FSU (27 RPI) and Clemson are critical for tiebreaker status to add to Maryland. Nobody knows where State is headed but I did watch 9 players score and get rebounds, along with 6 guys making assists and 6 making steals against GT. Isn’t that the definition of team without a head case. Home games against WF, UNX, Miami, BC and at Clemson, Miami and VT are winnable. We have chances, although slim, at signature RPI wins with FSU, Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Get to .500 at a minimum or 10-8 in ACC play with crucial wins over FSU, Clemson and Maryland and let tiebreakers propel us to the six or seven seed. State will need 2-3 victories in the ACCT.

    I hate to say it but UNX replaces Wake Forest as the current fifth seed by regular season end. The top four remain in place. UVA doesn’t fade until the ACCT and/or NCAAT. In the mean time, win tonight GT. State find a way to beat FSU.

    #38844
    Texpack
    Participant

    Win this and we can have a bubble dream until at least Saturday. If we lose this one the goal will be to avoid Wednesday at the ACCT and try to make the NIT.

    #38845
    VaWolf82
    Keymaster

    So far this year, Leonard Hamilton has been channeling his inner-Sendek. 0-3 against the top 1/3 of the conference and 4-0 against the bottom 2/3.

    State might get blown out at home (again), but FSU is usually much tougher at home than on the road. I remember one game against FSU during the Sendek years, where State went something like 7-8 with six 3-ptrs to open the game. Hit ’em early and hope that they collapse.

    #38846
    ILPackfan
    Participant

    Wow, that is a tall team at FSU. On paper, the Seminoles definitely have an edge. Here’s hoping they left it in Tallahassee.

    #38847
    PapaWolf
    Participant

    “…do you really have an advantage when you suck less than the other team?”

    Great line! And one that keeps the Pack faithful pondering year after year.

    We need to get this one, but it’s hard to see it happening for me. We barely got by GT (the last second shot by the opposition balance had to be restored).

    I’ll be one of the few, the proud, the obnoxious tonight at PNC. But I expect to go home angry and discouraged.

    #38849
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    As above, two pretty evenly matched teams going head to head….
    this battle will be won or lost “between the ears” and “in the paint”….

    We GOTT to have the VANDWAGON gassed up and full of his guys tonight.

    Do not sell the Demon Deacons short….
    … the “Upset Meter” tonite in the Joel is reading 50%….

    This could happen.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #38853
    JohnGalt78
    Participant

    A win against UNCheat is not a signature win this year, is it? Conversely, a loss to them looks really bad, right?

    #38854
    maverick_ncsu
    Participant

    ^ I don’t know if it says much of anything either way. They aren’t great, but they at least knew how to beat a lesser team at home in Clemson. We barely escaped GT and I don’t see us matching up well with FSU because we don’t have any shooters. I think that game at *NC doesn’t mean as much as it has in years past (in terms of resume. It always means something to beat them).

    #38855
    the_phisherman
    Participant

    I expect both teams to shoot a lot of free throws tonight thanks to the zebras. That doesn’t bode well for us.

    #38856
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    A win over UNC would not be a signature win. Part of the problem with the NCAA chatter is we only have two more chances in the regular season of collecting one of these big wins: Cuse and Pitt. And Pitt may fall a bit as they really haven’t played anyone all year out of conference. It is a down year in the ACC, and we are doing our part in cementing that perception of the league we play in.

    #38857
    Prowling Woofie
    Participant

    If Luckie holds form, all our bigs will be saddled with two fouls early in the first half, so FSU will build an insurmountable lead by halftime. We’ll chip away at it, but ultimately our inability to make FT’s will prevent us from making a serious charge…

    #38859
    WolfWiz11
    Participant

    This is the part of the season where the games we let slip away (Mizzou, Pitt) will really start to hurt us. Would have been nice to have those W’s on our resume . . . .

    #38863
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    Ah…but Luckie has been quite good this year. It has been Sean Hull on the baseline with the whistle that does indeed, have the ability to blow itself.

    If FSU’s bigs show quicker than State’s, we will go zone quickly.

    #38866
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    ^…. and lot’s of ZONE it will be….

    It will also be, shall we say…. interesting … to watch tonite’s episode of “How the World Turns” from the guard position.

    that is…Who’s going to do what to whom or with whom as the case may be.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #38873
    ILPackfan
    Participant

    Slightly off-topic, but SLAM has a nice capsule write-up today about future Pack forward Abdul-Malik Abu. I like the attitude he expresses about wanting to play with a chip on his shoulder.

    PUNKS: SLAM 175

    ADMIN EDIT: Next time put stuff like this on the forums, that’s what it’s there for.

    #38883
    Rick
    Keymaster

    First time I have ever seen Luckie and good in the same sentence with out ‘for nothing’ following it.

    I do not expect us to win. There will not be any home court advantage, no one will be there. Too dangerous.

    It would be a nice win. They are huge and generally play good defense

    #38884
    LoCoPack
    Participant

    Does anyone have a link for the game? First Row is getting blocked by my anti-virus and I can’t even get it on ESPN FC due to local blackout. Our local ACC network is not showing the game.
    Thanks ACC.

    #38885
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Attendance is worse than I thought.

    Hopefully they point out why

    #38886
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Chuck it is coming it firing.

    Got to hit the free throws

    #38887
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Wow, are the roads that bad?

    #38888
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Wuf,
    I would never have considered going out tonight. The roads are not that bad but it is so cold ice will be everywhere

    #38889
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Damn…everybody’s gimping. Not good.

    #38890
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Barber and buckets both limping

    #38891
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Hehehe…I guess I should appreciate my sunny and mid 70s.
    It get’s boring after a while tho.

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