Game talk – State sends Syracuse home (again) [Updated for highlights]

NC State ended Syracuse’s ACC season in 2014 by defeating the Orange in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in the Friday night session in Greensboro. So, it was fitting that the Wolfpack send the Orange home for the year with a loss again in 2015 as the Pack pulled away behind a 27-2 run and all certainly secured a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid with a 71-57 win over Syracuse. Mark Gottfried has now compiled a very impressive 6-3 record against Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame & Louisville since the former Big East powers joined the ACC.

While people will talk about Ralston Turner’s shooting and Cat Barber’s continued excellent play at the point guard position on Saturday — make no mistake that the difference in this team’s recent success (winning 5 of our last 6) from early season performance is that this team suddenly is interested in playing defense with intensity. (Of course, Cat Barber’s renewed confidence and strong play has to be mentioned as well). Credit also has to go to Coach Gottfried for settling on what looks to be an optimal substitution pattern with his depth. Saturday’s game was made a little trickier as Gottfried appropriately gave senior Dez Lee some minutes in the first half that might have otherwise gone to a Martin; but, he seems to understand what he wants to do and when & how.

The Wolfpack has secured the 7th seed of the ACC Tournament and will play the #10 seeded, Pittsburgh Panthers, at 7pm on Wednesday night. The winner will play Duke at the same time on Thursday night. Pitt has been in a tailspin over the last couple of weeks and has put itself in a position where it may need to win the entire ACC Tournament to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. Interestingly, NC State has won at least two ACC Tournament games in each of Coach Gottfried’s first three seasons as NC State’s coach.

State finishes the season 19-11 overall and tied for 6th at 10-8 in the ACC having competed against one of the 5 toughest schedules in America as ranked by the RPI. This is a very successful season for a team picked to finish 9th in the ACC and lost the conference’s play of the year, TJ Warren. Gottfried is now 38-31 in ACC play with three winning seasons and one .500 season.

Saturday’s game was fun to watch, so these highlights will be a lot more fun than those Clemson ones from earlier in the week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Giglio talks…so I listen:

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14-15 Basketball

Home Forums Staats Battle late 3 leads Pack past

Viewing 25 posts - 76 through 100 (of 155 total)
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  • #78254
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Ingram is inanely talented but as skinny as any payer I have ever seem

    #78255
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    He makes daJules look like KH.

    #78257
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    TW… but it’s only three miles to Cary from the PNC…
    Weather not a factor.

    Rick … can Ingram be roommates with BJ ?

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #78258
    ryebread
    Participant

    Good win by State today. I couldn’t see it, had hoped to see it on replay and then realized it was a CBS game. Oh well… I’ll get to bed earlier tonight which is good given the Spring forward.

    This team has really come on strong at the end of the year. The talent has always been there, but whatever was holding it back is seemingly sorted. I think the more consistent rotation, the emergence of Cat, Turner getting healthy, Abu’s more aggressive play and Anya staying out of foul trouble and better FT shooting have been the magical combination. That’s a lot of things that have come together, so the staff has to get a lot of credit.

    If we win on Wednesday, I think we get a 7 seed. There are 7 teams going from the ACC this year, and Miami will be the lowest seed. Granted, we could get 8, but that’d take a miracle run from a lower team that I don’t see happening. I can’t point to any of them that might be able to string that many wins together, much less against the top teams in the league.

    As for Boeheim and Syracuse, I find it interesting that fans in the ACC are just waking up to what a classless bunch that is. People thought that about Maryland and Gary/Fridge, but I have been to many Maryland games, and several games involving Syracuse. Syracuse, its fans and JB have always been worse. I also lived in the northeast growing up as a kid and Syracuse and the Big East was king, and JB was the jerk on the throne. He’s getting what he has always deserved.

    I also love that we’ve won 2 out of the last 3 against Syracuse. I know a lot of big time Syracuse fans, and they really gave me a ration of @()* when Herb and Sid choked away home wins against the Orange.

    It will be interesting to see what happens to Syracuse over the next 5 years. I’m guessing they’ll sign the full allotment this year, which means the next four years, they’ll be limited. Granted, most teams really only have 10 scholarship players anyways, so it’s not that much punishment. The question I have is whether JB flies the finger to the NCAA and retires now, whether he decides to stick out the whole set of sanctions to turn over a better situation to the next coach, or whether he coaches one more year and hangs it up. If he does the first or the latter, I suspect Syracuse will struggle a bit to find a successor.

    #78260
    TeufelWolf
    Participant

    I do hope the ‘Cuse fans start calling loudly for fair punishment of the Smurfs now that the hammer is being dropped on them.

    #78261
    RedReid
    Participant

    Looks like it’s going to be Pitt. Could be a tough game. Let’s put the NCAA aside and focus on the Acc. Loved the way Cat played today and I love our chances of making a good run in G’BORO. Looks like a win gives us another game with Duke! Love the opportunity here!

    #78262
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Looks like it’s going to be Pitt.

    It has already been announced. Winner gets Duke on Thursday night.

    #78263
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    WufPack….

    Interesting. We are supposedly #7 (tied with Miami…but they have the Tie Breaker) and will play on Wednesday night’s 7:00 game. The rankings on ESPN are based, we think, on the overall W/L percentage. If you go to the ACC.com site, they have the three teams ranked differently.

    Wednesday’s Bracket is as follows….

    Game 3 – #8 (Clemson) vs #9 (Pitt) – Noon (see the ACC.com standings for the ranking).
    Game 4 – # 5 (UNC) vs Game 1 Winner (Tuesday) – 2:00 or so

    Game 5 – #7 (NCSU) vs #10 (FSU) – 7:00
    Game 6 – #6 (Miami) vs Game 2 Winner (Tuesday) – 9:00 or so.

    The ACC Order is as follows….and it appears to be based on the “Tie Breakers” or whatever rules….and NOT the Overall W/L %

    #1 – UVA
    #2 – Duke
    #3 – ND
    #4 – Louisville (courtesy of todays win over UVA
    #5 – UNC (pity….)
    #6 – Miami (tied with NCSU….but Miami has the Tie Breaker)
    #7 – NCSU
    #8 – Clemson (tied with FSU & Pitt)….but this is the order listed….not W/L %
    #9 – Pitt
    #10 – FSU

    That is how we did it. How did you do yours?

    Thanks….

    #78264
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Theacc.com is showing we play Pitt Wednesday at 7, with the winner getting Duke. ESPN reporting the same.

    #78265
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    GoPack.com also showing us drawing Pitt.

    #78267
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    No argument now….Had not gone to those sites. Was doing it from the seedings bracket and TheACC.com “standings” page. If you go to TheACC.Com and click on Standings….they have it…

    Clemson
    Pitt
    FSU

    And if you look to the W/L on the right….they are no in order.

    But….the Tournament Area….has it like you say…..as does a bunch of other sources….and Wiki has the records.

    So much for Consistency….typical of TheACC.com. We have seen the records wrong before….and the N&O prints the “Official” (or news feed) standings….now,

    So, we play Pitt and we’ll be there…..

    #78268
    13OT
    Participant

    Maybe we’re in regardless at this point, but if we enter Selection Sunday at 19-13 and Miami is 22-12 or especially 23-12, I’ll be worried.

    In that situation, I don’t see a lock.

    #78269
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    We are a lock. Chill.

    #78271
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    We are a lock. Chill.

    Agreed. And far enough in that even if ‘Canes do pull a horseshoe in ass scenario, it won’t be us they bump out.

    Conference affiliations, just like conference records (at least as a standalone) have no impact on selection. ie there is no ‘last’ ACC bid for them to take from us.

    That honor would go to the Indianas, Purdues or Tejas’s KStates of the world this year.

    #78272
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Our resume is far superior to Miami’s. But it’s not coming down to that. I don’t know where OT gets his info. Everybody has us firmly in the field, and the only question is seeding. Could be as high as a 7.

    #78273
    mak4dpak
    Participant

    Was so sick of the Cuse fans yelling lets go or ange, and I always thought it was one word. Must spell it differently in NY.

    #78274
    Wufpacker
    Participant

    Agree with you totally, Wulfpack.

    OT isn’t alone though. There are misconceptions about selections that are no longer true, as well as some that never were.

    X number of bids from a conference is one that seems to persist for some reason.

    #78276
    mak4dpak
    Participant

    Heels lost at home, but their worst home loss this year was at the hands of the Wolfpack. Go State!

    #78280
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    First of all, we ain’t competing with MIAMI for the league’s 6th bid. This isn’t like European soccer qualification.

    Second, overall records isn’t anywhere close to the driving force. We have huge resume bonuses, most notably the two late-season road Top 25 wins. And the simplified “who did you play, who did you beat?” is answered really, really well for us.

    Pitt would in no way be a bad loss. Our floor is now a non-play-in 10 seed, which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. If you want to be nervous, worry that a Wednesday win and Thursday loss leaves us on the 8 line opposite Kentucky.

    I can see that argument either way: Scenario A: Wednesday win = 7 seed, loss = 8/9. Scenario B: Wednesday win = 8 seed, loss = 10.

    #78282
    nav
    Participant

    Based on the strength of our full resume, I’m feeling a win on Wed=7 seed. Loss=8/9. The selection committee really likes sos, what have you done recently, and big wins. In all categories we are looking really nice.

    If the bb gods are in our favor and we beat Pitt and Duke, we could be looking at a 6 seed.

    #78285
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    I don’t think a win or loss to Pitt will mean much at all seeding wise. Now if we go on to beat Duke a second time, yea, that could easily catapult us up the charts.

    #78296
    FergusWolf
    Participant

    If the current Lunardi (espn.com) bracket where the final bracket, it would be a Dream/Nightmare scenario for the Pack.

    According to Joe, we would get the #9 seed and could potentially…
    – Face Archie Miller’s Flyers (the #8 seed)
    – Face Kentucky (#1 seed) (assuming they beat a play-in winner)
    – Face Carolina (#5 seed) if they make it to the Sweet 16
    – Face Notre Dame (#3 seed) if they make it to the final 8
    – Face Sean Miller’s ‘Zona team in the final four
    – Play either Duke or UVA for the national championship.

    Hell of a bracket, it won’t happen, but hell of a bracket.

    #78297
    choppack1
    Participant

    I don’t want any part of Kentucky until a bit farther down the road.

    Dance card has us @ 30. That’s definitely 8-9 territory…2 of the other popular models have us in the top 40. Depending on how we do in the tourney we can be anywhere from a 6 to an 11. Losing to Pitt won’t submarine our RPI like losing to BC did. Still – I think we need to beat Pitt to avoid the perfect Storm. (I will be watching today as Illinois state takes on northern Iowa.)

    #78298
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    I have succumbed to my inner fatalist and decided we are fucked regardless of whatever happens Wednesday. The powers-that-be are out to get Calipari, or at least make him sweat for good TV ratings. So we will be an 8/9 facing the Shadow Pack ™.

    So mellow out with some true beauty for all senses this fine Spring Sunday (skip ahead to 1:05):

    #78299
    Tau837
    Participant

    The question I have is whether JB flies the finger to the NCAA and retires now, whether he decides to stick out the whole set of sanctions to turn over a better situation to the next coach, or whether he coaches one more year and hangs it up. If he does the first or the latter, I suspect Syracuse will struggle a bit to find a successor.

    My understanding is that they have already identified Boeheim’s successor. His assistant who handled the press conference, Mike Hopkins, is the head coach in waiting.

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