CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Miami didn't exactly look impressive in its win against N.C. State, but the 63-50 victory will nonetheless advance the Canes into the quarterfinals to face Virginia Tech tomorrow.

The Wolfpack trailed by as many as 17 but kept gunning until the end and pulled within 11 in the final minute. Needless to say, that was not nearly enough to make up for 39 minutes worth of absolutely dismal offense. State's starting five combined for the same point total (13) as turnover total (13).

Continue reading "ACC: Hurricanes move on" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Wolfpack looked like they just might be making a game of it after cutting Miami's lead to 10 a few minutes ago on a 3-pointer. But Miami guard Jack McClinton scores, well, whenever he wants to. At least that's what it looks like. Back-to-back buckets by McClinton -- the second a gorgeous floater -- have the Canes up by 14 with less than four minutes to go.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Nothing like some good old mock applause. We just got some courtesy of the N.C. State fans in the house after a tip-in brought the Wolfpack to a whopping 27 points. If you're keeping score at home, that means the Pack has scored 10 points this half. Wait, there goes another one in, thanks to a goaltending call.

Miami is still up 15 though, with under eight minutes to go, and you get the sense that if they can get a few stops and buckets, they'll break the Wolfpack's spirit for good.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - I'm sitting next to an N.C. State beat writer, who posed this interesting question to me as we watched the Wolfpack on offense: How many different adjectives are there that mean "terrible?" It's a good question, and one that might come into play as this game goes on.

Seriously, Miami should be up at least 20 right now. But it's not, so give the Pack credit for that, I guess. Right now, the Canes are up 36-23.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - To call this first half between Miami and N.C. State underwhelming would be, well, an understatement. The Hurricanes go to the locker room up 24-17, and frighteningly, that's only the second-lowest halftime total I've witnessed the Wolfpack put up this season (the low being 13 against UNC, a half in which State shot 17 percent).

Clearly, the Pack has some problems on offense. In the second half, Miami should be able to take advantage and pull away. If State shoots 22 percent again like it did in the first half, Miami might not have to do much of anything.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - As if suddenly awakened by N.C. State's mid-half comeback, Miami has turned the heat up, going on a 9-0 run, capped by a Lance Hurdle 3-pointer. The Canes lead by eight with under four to go in the first half, and the Pack just keeps missing shots, even inside.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Well, the Wolfpack made short work of that early Miami lead. After barely doing anything on offense for the first eight minutes, N.C. State finally started scoring while also shutting the Hurricanes down. With 7:32 to go in the half, NCSU trails by just one and will have a chance to take the lead on free throws after this TV timeout.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Miami is playing to solidify its NCAA Tournament resume with a first-round win, and the Canes are making it tough on N.C. State at the start. We're eight minutes in, and the Pack only now just got to four points, courtesy of a pair of J.J. Hickson free throws.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Fifth-seed Miami will be looking to avenge a narrow loss earlier this season, which No. 12-seed N.C. State won on a stolen pass and layup by Gavin Grant. But Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe has his lucky red sportcoat on, and last year that helped State advance all the way to the tourney final.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Coming off its final non-conference game Wednesday against UNC-Asheville, No. 1 North Carolina had no problem demolishing in-state rival N.C. State Saturday afternoon, as the Tar Heels surged out to a 30-point lead at halftime and finished with a dominating 93-62 victory at the Dean Dome.

It's UNC's biggest win over the Wolfpack since a 104-58 victory on Feb. 6, 1993, and the 13 points given up by UNC in the first half is the fewest allowed in a half since Virginia scored 12 in the second half on Feb. 11, 1998.

The Tar Heels, in the meantime, are 17-0 for the first time since 1997-98, as Roy Williams improves to 14-1 (9-1 at home) against N.C. State as a head coach.

Deon Thompson tallied a career-high 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, and Danny Green had one of his best games of the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds (a career-high), six assists and four blocks.

Tyler Hansbrough passed four players -- Duke's Art Heyman and Grant Hill and UNC's Phil Ford and Sam Perkins -- in ACC history for free throws made (7-for-8 today and 564-for-736 for his career) as the junior power guard posted his ninth double-double of the season and 25th of his career with 13 points and 13 rebounds. To this point, Hansbrough has tallied 1,647 points and ranks 17th all-time in school history after moving past Kenny Smith (1,636) this afternoon.

In the backcourt, Ty Lawson set a career-high with four three-pointers and finished the game with 16 points, five assists, two steals and no turnovers, while Wayne Ellington, who was the hero in the Tar Heels' last-second win at Clemson last Sunday, dropped in 13 on 4-of-9 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two assists and three steals.

For N.C. State, junior guard Courtney Fells led the way in making seven of his 14 shots for 16 points and added three assists and two steals to his stat line. Freshman forward J.J. Hickson was the only other Wolfpack player to tally double-digit points, recording 14 on only 5-of-16 shooting in addition to eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Now that I've given a run-down of the numbers, I'll have a more in-depth look at the game and both teams in Hang Time, so make sure to look for that column over there. And of course, we'll be back tomorrow night from Cameron Indoor Stadium as we watch No. 9 Duke open up ACC play against Virginia, so make sure to stop back here for all your in-game commentary and analysis.

Until then, have a pleasant afternoon and evening everyone.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- With one minute and change left, the reserves have just entered the game for North Carolina as Tyler Hansbrough and the rest of the UNC starters get a standing ovation from the Tar Heel faithful.

Right now, it's North Carolina reserves 3, N.C. State 0, as J.B. Tanner hit a three from the left wing that got the crowd roaring as time winds down here at the Dean Dome.

With the buzzer sounding, it's No. 1 North Carolina with a 93-62 win.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- With about four minutes remaining in this one, North Carolina fans are heading for the exits with their team extending its lead to 33 over N.C. State at 86-53.

The Tar Heel mascot, in the meantime, is crowd surfing in the student section near the floor, and the band continues to play the UNC fight song.

Roy Williams has yet to take out his starters, but you can bet that they'll be coming out shortly with the Wolfpack standing no chance against a deeper and more talented team.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- We're at the eight-minute mark in the second half here at the Dean Dome, and it's North Carolina still holding on to its 30-point margin over N.C. State at 73-43.

While you can add another one to the win column for the Tar Heels, which will improve to 17-0, the only thing that's left to see is how many baskets the Wolfpack can make before the final buzzer sounds.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Courtney Fells knocked a three from the right corner to cut the lead to 63-35, but Ty Lawson came right back down the floor and answered with a three of his own.

J.J. Hickson, meanwhile, just air-balled a jumper, but the Wolfpack have started to get things together with a layup and dunk on back-to-back possessions.

Maybe I spoke too soon, as Wayne Ellington just hit a wide-open three in the corner to put Carolina back up by 30.

So much for the nail-biter that at least some of us were expecting today...

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- N.C. State just matched its entire first-half output at 16:16 in the second half, as No. 1 North Carolina leads, 55-26.

The Wolfpack have started to make some shots early on, and that should bode well for Sidney Lowe's team, which, to borrow an old NBA Jam saying, couldn't buy a bucket in the first half.

And if they keep it up, they just might be able to reach the 43 points that UNC put up on them in the first half.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- We're at halftime here at the Dean Dome and inside the media room you can overhear the banter going back and forth between us reporters about the pathetic first-half shooting from N.C. State, which trails No. 1 North Carolina, 43-13.

As I mentioned before in my previous post, the Wolfpack couldn't get anything to fall, going on a 11 1/2 minute-drought as North Carolina rattled off 23 unanswered points.

Looking at the scoring sheet that was just handed out, it's sophomore forward Deon Thompson who is leading all scorers with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Tyler Hansbrough has tallied nine to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, and we'll probably see the junior from Poplar Bluff, Mo., getting his usual double-double.

In the backcourt, Wayne Ellington has dropped in eight points, with four of them coming from the charity stripe, and Danny Green has tallied seven in addition to eight boards.

Ty Lawson surprisingly has been held scoreless despite taking four shots from the field and getting to the basket at will, as North Carolina holds a 31-17 rebounding edge.

For N.C. State, freshman stud J.J. Hickson is leading the way with a meager five points on a dismal 2-of-9 shooting, and it wasn't much better for the entire Wolfpack team, which shot 17.6 percent (6-of-34) in the first half. UNC, on the other side, knocked down 42.9 percent of its shots -- hence, the 30-point lead at the break.

But enough with the numbers as we get ready for half No. 2, and we sure hope that N.C. State can at least make this one somewhat respectable.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- You can all but chalk up a win for No. 1 North Carolina with three minutes to go in the first half as the Tar Heels lead, 39-11, over N.C. State at the Dean Dome.

One of my colleagues sitting next to me just mentioned that it's been 23 unanswered points (at the moment) for North Carolina, as N.C. State has not scored a point since J.J. Hickson's jumper from the left wing at 11:33.

The Wolfpack finally just scored at 1:10 left on a basket from Courtney Fells, and the Tar Heel faithful cheered almost as loud as they do for a UNC basket.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- N.C. State has really struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter in this first half at the Dean Dome, and the Wolfpack currently trail No. 1 North Carolina, 23-11, with 7:42 left in the first 20 minutes of play.

Here's a little trivia that they just threw up on the scoreboard for the fans:

Who did Carolina defeat to earn Dean Smith's record-breaking 877th career win?

a. Duke
b. Colorado
c. Kentucky
d. Michigan State

My gut wanted to tell me that it was Kentucky, but after a little research (thank you Google), I found out it was Big 12 foe Colorado.

On the court, N.C. State continues to have its problems taking care of the ball, while North Carolina has remained persistent in attacking the rim and getting easy looks inside for Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson.

After a pair of Wayne Ellington free throws at the 6:14-mark, it's North Carolina in control, 29-11.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina has put a little distance between itself and N.C. State with 12 minutes left to go in the first half, as the Tar Heels lead, 16-9.

In looking around the stadium, it's hard to find an open seat, as this one is certainly sold-out. In fact, while walking up to the Dean Dome, I took notice of all the scalpers hoping to sell a ticket for God knows how much. There were, however, plenty of UNC fans standing outside the arena looking for tickets, as we all know that down in the Tar Heel State, there's nothing more exciting than a little rivalry game between two premiere college basketball programs.

But back to the game, where Danny Green just picked up a loose ball at the other end and hit Marcus Ginyard in transition for a layup and foul. Ginyard hit the free throw and the Tar Heels lead, 21-11, with 10 minutes remaining.

Timeout N.C. State.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Both teams have really gotten after it in the early going of this ACC matchup, as the score is knotted at 5-5 with 17 minutes remaining in the first half.

Preseason Player of the Year favorite Tyler Hansbrough has struggled early from the floor, missing one of his two free throws and missing a jumper from the left wing.

N.C. State, in the meantime, hasn't been able to finish around the rim, but neither has Hansbrough, who's going up against a quality big man in freshman J.J. Hickson.

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- We welcome you from the Dean Dome, where today No. 1 North Carolina takes on in-state rival N.C. State in an ACC showdown.

The Tar Heels are coming off a 93-81 victory over UNC-Asheville Wednesday night and are looking to go 2-0 in conference play after surviving against Clemson last Sunday on a last-second three by Wayne Ellington. With a win today, UNC can tie the 17-0 start that the 1998 team had. The perfect 15-0 mark in non-conference play, meanwhile, is only the fifth time in the last 50 years at North Carolina that a Tar Heel squad has run through its preseason slate undefeated.

Roy Williams has said that his team has been fortunate to win all of its recent games, and UNC will certainly need to play well against the Wolfpack, who is still learning to cope with the loss of starting point guard Farnold Degand. The sophomore was averaging 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 28.6 minutes for Sidney Lowe's squad until tearing his ACL and that will leave Javier Gonzalez and Marques Johnson to share the point spot today against the Heels.

The Wolfpack have won their last seven games after a 75-69 loss to Conference USA bottom-dweller East Carolina on Dec. 8 and the 54-29 thrashing over N.C. Central Wednesday night should have Lowe and his players feeling a little more confident coming into such a hostile environment.

As they always say, it's never easy playing on the road in college basketball, but especially in the ACC. Anyway, here's the tip...

Posted by Josh Herwitt at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- In a matter of mere seconds, Gavin Grant managed to have not one but two flashbacks to games earlier in N.C. State's season.

First, he drew a foul with four seconds to go and calmly banged home a pair of free throws to give the Wolfpack a 66-65 lead. It was an instant reminder of when he nailed two of three free throws with four-tenths of a second left to give State a one-point win over Villanova on Nov. 25.

But the next flashback was a little scarier. As Stephen Curry's halfcourt shot arced toward the basket at the buzzer, Grant couldn't help but think of the banked 3-pointer by New Orleans' T.J. Worley that sunk the Wolfpack in their second game of the season.

"It would have been a heartbreaker for us if that had gone in," Grant said.

But it clanged harmlessly -- albeit dramatically -- off the rim, and N.C. State survived with a 66-65 victory at the RBC Center.

Continue reading "N.C. State Win Is Double Flashback For Grant" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- With 1:08 to go -- and right off a timeout -- N.C. State's Brandon Costner lost the ball out of bounds with his team holding a two-point lead. And then Stephen Curry rediscovered his shooting stroke.

Curry buried a three-pointer to give the Wildcats a 65-64 lead with half a minute to play. But at the other end, after a couple of offensive rebounds, Gavin Grant drew a foul on Davidson's Thomas Sander (his fifth) with 3.9 seconds remaining. Grant rattled the first one home and then did the same with the second to put the Pack back on top.

A halfcourt bid at the buzzer from Curry just barely missed and State hung on for a 66-65 win.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- If Stephen Curry could hit any shots right now, N.C. State would be in big, big trouble. But while Curry has failed to find his stroke, his teammates are getting it done with tough defense and now trail the Wolfpack, 64-62, with two minutes remaining.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The building is pretty wild right now. Davidson just got a traveling call on the possession immediately following a breakaway two-handed windmill dunk by Courtney Fells that pushed the N.C. State lead to 59-52. Each team is finding weapons off the bench, with Ben McCauley (a starter last year) doing work around the basket for NCSU and Bryant Barr hitting a couple of big threes for Davidson.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Remember how we said turnovers have been killing N.C. State all year? Well, that doesn't appear to have changed tonight. After racking up eight in the first half, the Wolfpack has given the ball away numerous times already in the second half, in the process squandering opportunities to send Davidson rocking back on its heels.

Instead, the Wildcats have taken advantage of a few miscues, including one that translated to a Stephen Curry three-pointer to make it 47-42 State with 13 minutes to go. But Courtney Fells answered with a three of his own to push the lead back to eight with 12:11 to go.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A pair of big baskets near the start of the second half finally had the crowd here at the RBC Center showing some life. First Brandon Costner had a big one-handed slam, then Gavin Grant drew a foul while scoring on a layup to give the Wolfpack a 35-29 lead. Of course, true to the nature of this game, it didn't last very long: Davidson came down the floor and bagged a three-pointer to erase Grant's old-fashioned three.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Usually steady Davidson point guard Jason Richards seemed to lose track of the clock at the end of the first half, holding onto the ball too long before finally dishing to Stephen Curry too late. Curry couldn't beat the shot clock, which came just seven-tenths of a second before halftime, and the Wildcats went to the locker room trailing 30-26.

Considering the Wildcats shot just 38.5 percent in the first, they should probably feel lucky to be that close. And 15 of those points came from Curry, who shot 5-for-9 and hit three three-pointers. The Wolfpack shot almost 43 percent, which leads us to the most amazing stat so far tonight: Despite 28 missed shots between the two teams, there is only one -- that's right one -- offensive rebound in the stat sheet, and that belongs to N.C. State's J.J. Hickson.

Neither team has been dazzling so far, which is the story of their respective seasons, so it's appropriate. If someone can get on the offensive glass in the second half, it might mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Each time it looks like N.C. State is about to put a little more distance between itself and Davidson on the scoreboard, the Wildcats respond with a stop and a bucket. Davidson has been unable to hit a whole lot of shots but is playing good defense, forcing the Pack to fight for baskets. Slowing the pace of the game down has paid off so far for Davidson, which trails by three with 3:55 to go in the first.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH -- After the last update, it took nearly five minutes for either team to get another basket, and that team was N.C. State. That allowed the Wolfpack a bit of breathing room, though no one is lighting up the scoreboard too much right now. But Davidson has gone forever without a bucket, and a State score to make it 22-15 forced Davidson to call timeout with 8:42 to go in the first.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- While N.C. State has done a bit of scoring from the outside -- including a three-pointer from Brandon Costner while half out of his shoe -- the Wolfpack has to keep an eye on Davidson sharpshooter Stephen Curry to make sure he doesn't start getting too hot. Curry has already hit a pair of threes in the first five and a half minutes as the Wildcats lead, 13-11, and the sophomore seems to have never met a shot he didn't like.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. - Talk about a pair of disappointing starts to a season. Both N.C. State and Davidson were considered Top 25-caliber teams when the year started, yet the schools have already combined for eight losses before Christmas.

Continue reading "Wolfpack, Wildcats looking for jump start" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Now the game is over.

Michigan State walks away with a 81-58 beat down that was never really even that close.

Here are my game awards.

Continue reading "Michigan State-N.C. State Post-game Recap" »

Posted by Kevin Wright at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - There's a minute left, and the fans are filing out of the Breslin Center.

All of the starters are now out of the game for Michigan State, and the Spartans have picked up a convincing win at home in ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Well, I guess it isn't technically over yet...

Posted by Kevin Wright at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Suton just got a little too excited.

After forcing a steal on the defensive end, Suton got the ball on the wing. He rose for the dunk, but forgot to dribble before he took two quick steps to the basket.

Pretty much the only thing Suton's done wrong this game.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Izzo might be the only person in the Breslin Center still taking this game seriously.

He just called a timeout looking disgusted after N.C. State's Dennis Horner hit a wide open three pointer in the corner.

And he added another timeout with just under six minutes left after the Wolfpack just converted on a rare fastbreak after Neitzel went an even rarer 0-for-2 from the line.

It's 71-49, but that's too close for Izzo.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State has to go and put it back out of reach.

Spartan freshman guard Chris Allen just hit a three pointer to stem the short and sweet N.C. State run. The Wolfpack had cut the 28 when Allen hit a three as the shot clock expired to extend the Michigan State lead to 31 with just more than eight minutes left.

Really, it's hard to find interesting aspects of this game at this point. N.C. State may not be as good as its 4-1 record indicates, while Michigan State may be the team to beat in the Big Ten.

Continue reading "Just when you think it's a game again" »

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Any chance the Wolfpack had at getting some momentum after the break is officially over.

N.C. State is trailing 66-35, which pretty much puts this game out of reach for the visitors from the ACC.

Still, there is 11:43 left on the clock, and Lowe's squad needs to find some cohesiveness while the Spartans tear through them even with Neitzel getting some rest on the bench.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - This is exactly the kind of game the Spartans needed from Drew Neitzel.

The star point guard isn't lighting it up on the scoreboard - he does have 13 points - but he's being the captain of the team.

He's made all of the right passes. He's pushed the ball up court and sliced the N.C. State defense in transition. And when he needs to, he'll show the flashes of the scorer he is, like when he hit a beautiful baseline floater a minute ago.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Sidney Lowe is probably trying to find some kind of positive to motivate his team at the first media timeout of the second half.

He can try this one out if he can't think of any.

Continue reading "Time to rethink this one" »

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Suton is pretty much doing it all for the Spartans.

After he airballed a jumper from the top of the key, he hustled and threw the ball off an N.C. State defender. Michigan State converted on the hustle play with a Neitzel three pointer, and Sidney Lowe had to take a timeout.

The Wolfpack are down 53-26 with 16:04 left in the game. This isn't going to get any better for N.C. State.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- It's been a brutal first half if you're a N.C. State fan.

Sidney Lowe's squad has 19 points at the break, seven of which came in the last four minutes. The Wolfpack trail 41-19 and were simply rattled by the speed of Michigan State and raucious environment in the Breslin Center for most of the first 20 minutes, and they allowed the Spartans to dictate the pace of play.

Michigan State has looked impressive if not dominant with 41 points on the scoreboard and a relentless transition offense.

Both Neitzel and fellow guard Travis Walton have pushed the ball whenever possible, and Suton, among others, has been the recipient of beautiful passes to convert for easy lay-ups.

Right now, Lowe has to convince the Wolfpack that they do need to dribble when they plan on moving with the ball. Turnovers, mainly in the form of traveling, have stymied any kind of flow N.C. State could establish on the offensive end.

For the Spartans, they just need to keep on doing what they're already doing. Keep up the pace and continue to pound the key and the offensive glass.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Spartans are running N.C. State out of the Breslin Center.

Suton has 14 points, the latest four coming off the fastbreak. He's simply trailing the ball and getting the dish for an easy lay-up.

Continue reading "Breaking away" »

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Hey, N.C. State finally broke into double digits.

It only took the Wolfpack 16 minutes to do it. They trail, 31-12, with 4:04 left in the half.

Oh yeah, and N.C. State was called for another traveling violation a few minutes ago. Really, it's not that hard to dribble.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Suton is simply killing N.C. State in the post.

The forward already has 10 points against an undersized Wolfpack team, and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has kept the ball going into the paint to feed his big man.

N.C. State won't have any chance of making this a game if it can't get defensive rebounds and push Michigan State's forwards out of the key.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Apparently, the Wolfpack forget they have to dribble when they have the ball.

N.C. State has already been called for four traveling violations, and the first half is barely halfway done. Simply unacceptable when you're playing on the road, and Lowe can't be too happy about that statistic.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - I guess it could be worse for N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe.

His team has had no offensive flow. The Wolfpack haven't gotten back on the defensive end in transition. And Michigan State is getting open looks at the basket nearly every time down the court.

But...

Continue reading "N.C. State hanging on" »

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Good news for N.C. State. Suton finally missed after hitting his first three shots.

Bad news is the Wolfpack don't look like they have a clue out there. Maybe they're intimidated by the hostile and loud Breslin crowd, but they've taken a couple of ill-advised deep three-pointers and haven't had any open look at the basket since N.C. State took a 2-0 lead.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- At the first media timeout, Michigan State has started what has the makings of a real blowout.

The Spartans are up, 10-2, and Marquis Gray is on the line, hoping to convert an and-one attempt.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State forward Goran Suton has dominated the early minutes of this game. He's scored the first eight Spartan points of the game to give Michigan State a 8-2 lead just four minutes into the game.

The Spartans are pushing the tempo and getting out in transition, where Suton has been the recipient of several nice dishes by Neitzel and Travis Walton.

N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe was forced to call a timeout to calm his team down and get them to get back on the defensive end.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Well, it's about two minutes to tipoff, and the Breslin Center here at Michigan State is already getting pretty loud.

The crowd is filing in hoping the Spartans can put another 'w' on the board for the Big Ten this year.

Michigan State will need its floor general Drew Neitzel to have a good game and manage the flow of the ocntest in order to take care of a feisty N.C. State team.

Posted by Kevin Wright at 07:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- N.C. State's Gavin Grant somehow found a way to catch a 50-foot pass, somehow found a way to get a three-pointer off and somehow found a way to get fouled during a 1.8-second span that decided the game.

After that, making two of three free throws was a piece of cake.

N.C. State (4-1) needed all of that to happen to top Villanova 69-68 for the Old Spice Classic Championship on Sunday at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Continue reading "N.C. State Edges Villanova For Old Spice Title" »

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A full recap of North Carolina State's thrilling 69-68 win is on the way, but first, here's the All-Tournament team.

Michael Beasley, Kansas State
Will Thomas, George Mason
Jason Thompson, Rider
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Courtney Fells, N.C. State (MVP)

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Gavin Grant got fouled while trying to put up a desperation three-pointer for N.C. State.

With .4 seconds left, he got three free throws and made the final two to put the Wolfpack up 69-68.

Villanova called a timeout, but there's no way they can get a makeable shot off in .4 seconds.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Oh wow, Dante Cunningham is the MVP tonight.

He just made a put back after Corey Stokes missed a lay up to put the Wildcats up 68-67 with 2.2 seconds left.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Jay Wright just called a timeout with 15 seconds left.

Villanova has the ball, down 67-66 after Degand made one of two free throws.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- N.C. State totally whiffed on its possession and lost the ball, but luckily a loose-ball foul was called on Villanova's Reggie Redding.

Farnold Degand is shooting free throws for N.C. State, the game is still tied, with 20 seconds left.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It's 66-66 after Villanova's Reggie Redding and N.C. State's J.J. Hickson traded baskets over the last minute.

N.C. State has the ball with 28 seconds left on the shot clock, so whatever happens on this possession, Villanova will get the final shot.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The announcer at The Milk House stuttered for a second when Villanova's No. 31 entered the game with 6:37 left.

He must have looked at his box score and seen no No. 31 on the Wildcats' roster. There wasn't even a name on the back of the jersey.

The announcer quickly realized, however, that No. 31 was forward Dante Cunningham, formerly No. 33.

Cunningham had left the game earlier, and must have bloodied his No. 33 jersey so much that he had to switch uniforms.

Anyways, with 3:53 left, Cunningham is back with a bandage over his left eye, and Villanova trails N.C. State 64-62 in what is becoming an edge-of-your-seat affair.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Villanova, playing without Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham, has managed to go on a seven-point streak to tie things up with N.C. State at 57-57 with 7:28 left in the Old Spice Classic Championship Game.

Clark is likely done for the game with some sort of hamstring injury, while Cunningham went out a minute ago and is still being tended to for a cut above his left eye. I expect Cunningham to return by the next TV timeout.

Clark and Cunningham are Villanova's second and third scorers behind Scottie Reynolds, so winning without them would be a major accomplishment.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It continues to be a see-saw battle here at The Milk House.

N.C. State took the lead back from Villanova with the score 49-47 with 11:55 left.

J.J. Hickson came off the bench to start the second half just as he did the first, but he has scored six points since entering the game this half.

He has 11 points for the game.

If Hickson continues his strong play, I think N.C. State just might be able to hang on. But Villanova could wake up at any time and go on a run, especially if Scottie Reynolds can get hot again.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Shane Clark is not on the floor for Villanova to start the second half, but that doesn't seem to be that big of a deal.

Villanova just went on a mini six-point run to take a 43-42 lead with 15:58 left in the game.

Jay Wright has opted for a three-guard lineup in Clark's absence, subbing in Corey Fisher to work with the starting five.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The chants of Wolf!-Pack! are reverberating here at the Milk House as N.C. State hushed Villanova to end the first half.

The Wolfpack scored the final 11 points of the half to go up, 38-33. It's too bad that time ran out, as N.C. State was certainly on its way to a double-digit lead.

Villanova coach Jay Wright may be without forward Shane Clark in the second half. Clark went down with what appeared to be a left thigh injury with 1:39 left in the half and spent the rest of the half on the bench with trainers surrounding him.

Clark is Villanova's second leading scorer and top rebounder, so Wildcats fans have to be very concerned.

Here are some halftime stats:

N.C. State somehow leads despite giving up 16 turnovers and only causing eight from Villanova.

Luckily, the Wildcats are shooting 61 percent from the field, with guard Courtney Fells leading the way with 14 points. Center Ben McCauley added 10 points and five rebounds.

For Villanova, Scottie Reynolds has 10 points and three assists and Dante Cunningham has eight points and four rebounds.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 07:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Villanova point guard Scottie Reynolds and N.C. State center J.J. Hickson, a pair of underclassmen, are playing like they're used to the national TV stage.

Reynolds has come on in the last few minutes, getting a steal for an easy layup and feeding Dante Cunningham for a slam to keep Villanova ahead, 28-23, with 3:58 left in the first half.

After coming off the bench, Hickson has provided a nice inside presence for N.C. State. He just scored his first points while getting fouled, but he also picked up a goaltending call on the other end.

I'd still say Villanova is playing better basketball.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Guard Corey Fisher has come off the bench with a spark for Villanova, scoring five straight points to give the Wildcats a 20-16 lead.

It seems that the Wildcats have gotten into a groove after a slow start, and N.C. State is having trouble matching them in strength and speed.

There is 7:40 left in the first half.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe has brought star freshman center J.J. Hickson off the bench, but that didn't stop Villanova from making a run.

The Wildcats cut the deficit to 12-11, and we are now 8 minutes into the game.

Hickson started the team's first two games and led the Wolfpack in scoring, but he has not been in the starting lineup at the Old Spice Classic because of disciplinary issues.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Neither Villanova nor N.C. State has wowed early on, but the Wolfpack have been just a bit better shooting the three-ball.

The Wolfpack lead, 9-4, with 15:28 remaining in the first half on the strength of a couple of early threes.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The stadium here is a little bigger than your average high school gym, and it's only half-filled, pretty sad, but to be expected with no local teams and it being Thanksgiving weekend.

Here are the starting lineups:

Villanova
Scottie Reynolds
Shane Clark
Dante Cunningham
Casiem Drummond
Reggie Redding

N.C. State
Brandon Costner
Gavin Grant
Ben McCauley
Farnold Degand
Courtney Fells

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The George Mason-South Carolina consolation final went a little long on time (George Mason won it 69-68), so the N.C. State-Villanova game will not start until approximately 6:55 p.m. ET.

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Wolfpack and the Wildcats are readying to close out the Old Spice Classic with the winner gaining some serious momentum heading into the rest of the non-conference season.

Continue reading "N.C. State-Villanova Preview" »

Posted by Nick Zaccardi at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)