NC State (8) vs LSU (9), Thurs approx 9:20pm TBS, [Updated 9:45pm]

14-15 Basketball102

NC State is seeded #8 in the East Region and will play 9th seeded LSU in Pittsburgh on Thursday. With the tournament bid, Mark Gottfried becomes the first coach in ACC history to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in each of his first four seasons and moves within one of the school’s all-time record of five straight.

Interestingly — NC State senior, Ralston Turner played at LSU for two seasons before transferring to NC State three years ago.

LSU was 22-10 on the year against the 97th toughest strength of schedule in the country; while NC State (20-13) finished the year at #39 in the RPI against the 9th toughest schedule in the country. The Tigers lost to Auburn in the SEC quarterfinals this weekend.

LSU went 3-2 against the Top 50 while NC State went 4-8. LSU’s three T50 wins were against Arkansas (#20), West Virginia (#24) and Georgia (#38).

LSU defeated West Virginia (74-73) on the road on December 4th…right around the time the Mountaineers manhandled NC State in Madison Square Garden. LSU also lost in November on a neutral floor to Clemson by three points. LSU also manhandled Tennessee in Knoxville in February, a Volunteers team that NC State also defeated relatively easily in December.

NC State has opened as 1.5 point favorite in Las Vegas.

The Sporting News has their preview up right now and is available by clicking here.

Storylines

— With ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren, N.C. State beat Xavier in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament to move into the field of 64, but lost an overtime battle to St. Louis in the second round.

— The Wolfpack was on the wrong side of the tournament bubble in early February, but wins over Louisville and North Carolina within 10 days of each other vaulted them back into the Tournament discussion.

— Gottfried has taken the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four seasons in Raleigh, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2012.

— Quarterman and junior guard Josh Gray each average four assists per game. The Tigers have four players averaging double-digit scoring, and Mickey has averaged a double-double for the season. The Tigers average nearly 74 points per game.

— LSU is in the tournament for the 21st time in program history, reaching the Final Four in 1953, 1981, 1986 and 2006. LSU’s lone national title came in 1935, before the first NCAA Tournament in 1939.

— The Tigers have steadily improved under Jones, who has LSU in the Tourney for the first time since 2009. Jones previously took North Texas to the Big Dance in 2007 and 2010.

If Wolfpackers have much about which to complain it would be having to be in the same bracket with two ACC brethren – Louisville and Virginia.

CBS’s Clark Kellogg thinks that LSU will make it to the second weekend by defeating NC State and Villanova, but Doug Gottlieb followed up with a counter point that he thinks NC State is the team to watch.

I tend to agree with ESPN’s Jim Calhoun who states that he looks NOT at ‘how a good a team did all year’, but instead at ‘how good a team is/can be.’ Calhoun then called NC State ‘immensely talented’. Ultimately, NC State was the 31st overall seed in the tournament and LSU was the 35th overall. See the entire seed list below.

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14-15 Basketball

Home › Forums › NC State #8 in the East — Plays LSU

Viewing 25 posts - 26 through 50 (of 103 total)
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  • 03/15/2015 at 7:14 PM #80074
    Packzingo
    Participant

    Hey Chop, not sure but I think Dayton and Boise are in and play each other. UCLA not so lucky….

    03/15/2015 at 7:15 PM #80075
    wufpup76
    Keymaster
    TheAliasTroll wrote:

    I just not seeing how we don’t get blasted if we get past LSU.

    Let’s get there and at least find out 😉

    03/15/2015 at 7:16 PM #80076
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Funniest thing Cal said was they forgot to cut the nets down today.

    03/15/2015 at 7:17 PM #80077
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Villanova doesn’t have star talent, and they haven’t really been tested by a super athletic team like us in a long time. They won’t overwhelm us. If we keep our defensive discipline, they won’t run away and hide. And we will see how they handle that.

    Villanova in many ways reminds me of an East Coast Gonzaga. Built for the regular season, tight down the stretch in the tourney when tested.

    03/15/2015 at 7:17 PM #80078
    wufpup76
    Keymaster
    Packzingo wrote:

    Hey Chop, not sure but I think Dayton and Boise are in and play each other. UCLA not so lucky….

    ^He actually means that Dance Card had those teams as ‘out’ and they all got in. Dance Card usually doesn’t miss more than 1. Of course, some of these seeds are pretty wacky so …

    03/15/2015 at 7:20 PM #80079
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Just 70 minutes until the NIT Selection Show!

    03/15/2015 at 7:22 PM #80080
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    I’m just glad I didn’t feel the need to sh*t my shorts when I saw this guy’s face on the selection show:

    03/15/2015 at 7:24 PM #80081
    Trout
    Participant

    Half of all the ACC teams in one region? Has that ever happened before?

    03/15/2015 at 7:26 PM #80082
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    To clarify, I’m not saying we’d be favored. But I’d give us, say, a 25-30% shot to beat Nova. That’s pretty awesome, as far as a draw goes for the 8/9 line. Especially when Kentucky loomed.

    Combine that with an EXTREMELY favorable matchup in the 4/5 line, and this draw presents one of those “once in a decade” opportunities, in terms of the field opening up for you. This is how special moments can come to pass. It’s a CHANCE. Nothing more, nothing less. But this is why it is SO IMPORTANT to keep fighting and clawing to make it again and again. So these wormholes open up for you.

    Guarantee that Gott sees it that way, too. Play that hand well, Coach. We got your back, win or lose.

    03/15/2015 at 7:28 PM #80083
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    03/15/2015 at 7:28 PM #80084
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Plus, imagine all that 1983 voodoo of Wahoowa in the Elite Eight. Ralph Sampson would watch at home, and totally shit his pants. V and Lo would smile in heaven (“Here’s what we do when Lo makes these free throws…”)

    03/15/2015 at 7:29 PM #80085
    Trout
    Participant

    Our path to the Final 4 would be LSU, Nova, L-Ville and UVA. Tough, very tough. Some damn good coaches after LSU.

    I love NC State, but if I were betting, I’d take UVA out of that region. If I were a UVA fan, I would be very happy tonight.

    03/15/2015 at 7:29 PM #80086
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    Dayton was the very last team in … Had UConn beat SMU …

    03/15/2015 at 7:30 PM #80087
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    03/15/2015 at 7:30 PM #80088
    Heelh8r
    Participant
    BJD95 wrote:

    We got your back, win or lose.

    Awesome. That’s what I like. This could be fun.

    03/15/2015 at 7:32 PM #80089
    BJD95
    Keymaster
    Trout wrote:

    Our path to the Final 4 would be LSU, Nova, L-Ville and UVA. Tough, very tough. Some damn good coaches after LSU.

    I love NC State, but if I were betting, I’d take UVA out of that region. If I were a UVA fan, I would be very happy tonight.

    Really? They have to fight through Sparty then Oklahoma just to get to us or Nova. Their half of the bracket MUCH tougher than ours.

    03/15/2015 at 7:35 PM #80090
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    I don’t like our Final Four chances b/c I think Oklahoma would murder us. But Wahoowa…the voodoo would be too strong.

    03/15/2015 at 7:36 PM #80091
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    UVa may not get past Michigan State, again. They are trying to figure out how to work Anderson back in. He is no threat offensively with the bad paw.

    Louisville does not scare me in the least. I would welcome that opportunity. If we find a way to get past Nova, this thing really opens up.

    03/15/2015 at 7:36 PM #80092
    Trout
    Participant

    Neither are disciplined enough to beat UVA. But of course, I’m assuming Justin Anderson will be healthy for UVa. If so, I stand by my prediction.

    03/15/2015 at 7:38 PM #80093
    Trout
    Participant

    Well, in the NCAAT, good coaches shine. That is what worries me about L-Ville and Nova. (and UVA, although Bennett isn’t as tourney tested). And, to previous points, UVA needs to be worried about Izzo. He is a damn good tourney coach. Krueger, I don’t think so. He did get Florida to a Final 4, but he doesn’t scare me.

    03/15/2015 at 7:40 PM #80094
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Anderson is NOT healthy. Did you watch the ACC Tourney? Can hardly make a pass. And Michigan State was disciplined enough to beat them last year. I would think the same this year. That’s a good club that can play UVa’s game. Izzo relishes that.

    03/15/2015 at 7:40 PM #80095
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    I like how the guys immediately reacted to Ralston once they found out they’d be facing LSU 🙂

    Ok, Ralston – light ’em up.

    03/15/2015 at 7:42 PM #80097
    Heelh8r
    Participant
    BJD95 wrote:

    Just 70 minutes until the NIT Selection Show!

    A chance for Purvis to shine!

    03/15/2015 at 7:42 PM #80098
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    I made a point to watch more Big 12 hoops in Feb and during the conference tourney. I’m a believer, particularly in Iowa State (the team I think we/Gott want to be when we grow up) and Oklahoma. Sparty is too like UVA, but less skilled. Think Wahoowa likely gets past them, but Okie beats them pretty solidly and rolls past the Nova/State winner.

    03/15/2015 at 7:45 PM #80100
    Trout
    Participant

    I love Iowa State. They are a real Final 4 threat.

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