NC State 72, Delaware State 70 -- Season-Killer Averted

by Akula Wolf on Dec 22, 2010 11:01 PM EST

Four Factors	NC State	Delaware St
eFG%	50.0	50.9
Turnover Rate	20.2	17.1
Off Reb Rate	35.5	31.4
FT Rate	52.9	35.2

	Pts	Poss	OFF_EFF	DEF_EFF
DSU	70	64.4	108.7	111.8
NCSU	72	64.4	111.8	108.7

Box Score

I don't know that there's anything new to mention here. Delaware State scored almost 1.3 points per possession in the second half while beating the Pack in all four factors. They shot 54%, grabbed 41% of their misses, and went to the line 19 times. You play with fire long enough and this shit is going to happen. The Hornets have a pair of legitimately good outside shooters; naturally, we lost track of both from time to time and paid for it. Those two happen to be DSU's only two outside threats, so you wouldn't think it that difficult to account for them.

Ultimately, because we couldn't focus long enough to get rid of them, it became a four minute game. Anything can happen in four minutes. A career 25% three-point shooter can hit a three to tie the game at 68, for instance.

We caught the last second break this time. Sid's final play didn't quite go the way he drew it up and Ryan Harrow fired another blank from beyond the arc, but Scott Wood was in the right place at the right time to grab the miss and score his only bucket.

Lord knows what Sid's thinking as he glances at that scoreboard. Aside from I can breathe again, that is.

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There are specifics worth talking about...

Just don’t have the energy. Howell got playing time at the five. V-berg logged just one minute.

Backing The Pack

by Akula Wolf on Dec 22, 2010 11:13 PM EST reply actions

Welcome to life under Sid, without Tracy Smith

Better get used to it. Seems a lot like Chuck without PR. That didn’t go so damn well, either.

Difference is – Chuck made bowl games with PR…

by wolfonthehill on Dec 23, 2010 6:22 AM EST reply actions

i saw this as

another nail in Lowe’s coffin-so to speak. three players were not ready to play. Wood, Gonzalez and Brown. there was a reason Wood shot so poorly. his mind wasn’t really on the game.
i really felt sorry for Lowe. has the team tuned him out? we know from last year that recruits and players read the blogs-remember Harrow’s open letter to Wolfpack fans? with many wanting Lowe to be fired, just like last year, the players have to know it. when Tom Reed was the football coach one player stated that the team was torn between trying to win and just losing so that Reed would be replaced. true here?
something i have been thinking about lately is how much is the team hurt by the transfer of Josh Davis, Johnny Thomas and (egads!) Julius Mays. Certainly Josh Davis played really hard all of the time, and Johnny Thomas at the end of last year was playing well and making strides to overcome the problems with his knee. both of these players could push Wood and replace him when he dosen’t show up mentally.

by sbas2 on Dec 23, 2010 6:26 AM EST reply actions

Agree that Josh would help this team a LOT

He brought energy, which we’re sorely lacking.

by wolfonthehill on Dec 23, 2010 6:35 AM EST up reply actions

Just from the box score, my thoughts are....

1 – Harrow can’t play 16 minutes without an assist. Regardless of our shitty offensive game plan (or lack thereof), it’s his job to penetrate, create, and dish.
2 – We made our free throws – so yay.
3 – Leslie is really good against high school competition like he faced last night. His problem is when he suits up against college players and still THINKS he’s both taller and quicker than everyone on the floor.
4 – Brown’s our best player… and he scored 5. That can’t happen.
5 – Wood 0-for-5 from three? That can’t happen, either.
6 – Thank God we grabbed our misses, or we lose this one.

by wolfonthehill on Dec 23, 2010 6:34 AM EST reply actions

Since I didn't see the game

All I can say is that none of this surprises me. As soon as I read in Steven’s preview that they were a slow paced team, I knew we were in for a close game. This team just does not have the forcus on defense or offense to execute anything for more than about 10 seconds.

by PACKHOOLIGAN on Dec 23, 2010 8:50 AM EST reply actions