Step away from the ledge. Carolina is who we (and everyone else) thought they were.  What’s that you ask? A top 10 basketball team. So how should you feel? How should you react? That’s up to you, but we’ll give you our opinion.

It’s ok to be disappointed about this loss.  State came in 4-1 in the ACC and has been playing all-around good basketball. What I was hoping to see was a competitive game with an NC State team that had complete confidence and stone-cold focus.  What we saw was a team that looked shell-shocked and taken back by the talent and intensity of their rival, North Carolina. There was very little focus and while there’s no doubt this team wanted to win, it seemed like nothing went according to plan.  Carolina punched and while the Wolfpack swung back, they didn’t land a single blow.

So now let’s get into the constructive  criticism. State looked shaken, scared, unsure for most of the game. Credit Carolina for taking away most of what the Pack wanted to do and putting them in a situation where it was as if there was nowhere to turn. I think State played hard, but didn’t play smart. Carolina, man for man, is a more talented team. They had the ability to take away State’s strengths just by playing their everyday game. The Wolfpack came out and tried to play their game, match up man for man and attempted to say ‘if we execute well, we’ll win.’ I have my doubts about that style of thinking. There are some that say you play your game and play it so well that even if a team knows what you’re doing, they can’t stop you. I believe that works in most cases and on most days is the advice a coach should give his team, however sometimes you face an opponent that has the talent and ability to negate even your best execution because of size, strength or athleticism. I think it’s important to know who you are and be comfortable with that. State is good at things that Carolina struggles with and Carolina is dominant in areas that State lacks. I think playing to strengths and shying away from perceived weaknesses is what needed to be done.

Lorenzo Brown couldn't get things going for NC State as they fell to the Heels 74-55

I thought State needed to outthink Carolina on this night. UNC spent all week preparing for the Wolfpack’s style of play that they’ve seen on film all year. It’s like studying for a test that you have all the answers to and already being a straight ‘A’ student. The Wolfpack needed to give them the answers to the test they’re expecting to take and then give them an entirely different test. What I mean is, the Wolfpack needed a specific game plan and I don’t doubt that Gottfried and staff had one, however it was not executed in the Dean Dome last night. For instance, I felt as if the Wolfpack never fully exploited Kendall Marshall. Sure, you’re not going to get by him every time and he was sagging a bit on the ball, but Brown is quicker than him and should have seen more opportunity for  isolation. He’s crafty, but you  need to be craftier. I don’t think State lacked heart or hustle, but I do think they lacked creativity.

I think instead of going right at John Henson the Pack should have used their bigs differently. Back down Henson, but never attempt to shoot over him. If he’s on your back, kick it back out. When you do shoot over him and you do get it off, it’s almost always an altered shot. The bigs needed to be much more selective, much more physical, and way more creative. If you’re going to try to muscle Henson you need to choose your moments. You need to have him off balance. The only way to score on him is if you’re taller than him or you’re just as tall and stronger than him. State doesn’t have anyone that can match that description and when the bigs tried their normal post moves they were rendered helpless. The Wolfpack bigs also needed to do a better job of sealing their man and receiving that high post pass. That entry pass needs to be made to get the Wolfpack moving and cutting on offense. UNC was ready for it and didn’t allow State’s big men to catch it in their comfort zone.

But let’s be real.  None of this matters if you’re not hitting your shots. State was shooting blanks last night and it allowed the UNC bigs to sit tight and wait in the paint. Bullock did a good job of reading and reacting to screens against Wood and Zo couldn’t hit from outside, which made their only option to attack the rim…right where Henson and Zeller were waiting.

This is not a knock on Gottfried whatsoever, because I’m more than positive he explained these things to his team, but I believe State underestimated the sheer talent that UNC has and found themselves in a hole they weren’t able to get out of. I’m also not saying that this opinion or style of coaching would win the game. It wouldn’t. Not if State wasn’t hitting their shots.

StateFansNation put it well last night when they said “Don’t get down on State because you were too high on them to begin with.” This is supposed to be a rebuilding year. Mark Gottfried has the same team that Sidney Lowe had last year and we all know how that ended up. This team is leaps and bounds better, they’re playing the game the right way on most nights, but sometimes when the going gets really tough you resort to old habits and that’s what happened last night. State lost focus, went back to the way they used to do things and quickly saw why Gottfried has been forced put this transformation into motion in the first place. Look at this as a small relapse, but according to every licensed counselor, relapse is to be expected when attempting to break an addiction. The true test of whether you’ll break it or not is how you mentally handle that relapse. I think State will forget about this loss and move forward as if it never happened. I think that because I think they have a good leader and a clear vision of where they want to go and how they have to get there .

Be passionate, be critical, but be true to your team. State hasn’t arrived yet, but they’re on their way. Giving up on them this quickly should be a shot at your fanhood. This is a young team that is putting in the work, taking the lumps and learning how to become a winning PROGRAM one game at a time. State will regroup as a team and be back ready to take on Virginia tomorrow. The fans should have the same responsibility. Regroup and get ready to move forward…this team needs you.

photo: Richard Byers