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After a fourth ACC loss, NC State has their backs against the wall and head coach Mark Gottfried knows what the problem is.

“It is real simple. We scored enough points to win the game tonight. You get 76 points at home in an ACC game you ought to win the game, but this group right here, they better figure it out real fast because right now we have got to figure out how to get a little tougher. We have got to decide if we want to play some defense.” said Gottfried.

At the end of the day, when you get hit in the mouth, there are two types of people. One type lays on the ground, pouts, makes excuses why he got hit and then walks away. The other one gets up with blood on his lip and fights harder than he ever has before.

Right now, NC State is on the ground pouting because they got hit in the face. They have gone limp. They are letting other teams do whatever they want to them with no repercussion. That’s basically the unadulterated breakdown of what you’ve been watching.

Playing defense is about having pride. When your man scores on you, it should sting. Every single possession is a battle, and every time you give up a bucket, you lose. Players should be held accountable for each and every defensive breakdown. This takes team accountability. Right now, you see none because this team has no on-court leadership, thus no one is providing accountability.

With the defense we’ve seen, it should pain you that there is not more on-court bickering. Players should be yelling at teammates if they take a play off or are out of position defensively. Instead, it’s become a culture where no one wants to point a finger or get in somebody’s face. That is a major problem.

We could come on here and talk about specific plays, and how guys didn’t fight over a screen or failed to communicate on a switch. Or how someone was out of position, or late on a help and recover, but at the end of the day it comes down to desire. It comes down to pride. It comes down to someone taking leadership and demanding accountability.

Part of this falls on Gottfried. While he can’t be out there on the floor playing defense or diving for loose balls, he obviously hasn’t made it clear that stopping your man is mandatory for getting court time. Until that happens, until players understand that they can score 30 points per game, but if they can’t stop anyone they sit, then you will continue to have guys that don’t play with grit and passion on that end of the floor.

When they don’t feel hurt or embarrassed when their man scores there is a problem. When they are not in each other’s faces barking at each other about missed assignments or lack of effort on the defensive end, then the coach has not gotten his point across.

Gottfried will never be a defensive coach. He never has been and he never was supposed to be, but he can control effort. He can control minutes, and with the depth he has, that’s what he has to do. Take a bad shot. Sit down. Miss a defensive assignment. Take a seat. The season, at it’s current trajectory, is going to be a loss, so taking drastic measures and a hard line on discipline and teamwork might be your only shot.

Gottfried is pissed off right now. The question is, can he get his guys to channel him against Pitt on Tuesday night? We’ll have to wait and see.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

“Gottfried will never be a defensive coach. He never has been and he never was supposed to be”

If this is true then we got half a coach. We should pay him half his salary. If he does like defense, then why did he not hire an assistant that did? There has always been two parts to the game. We got suckered.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

Sorry, doesn’t like defense.

Ian
Ian
7 years ago

Well said. Good write up. I only hope Gott and leadership above him is thinking the same thing because this year feels like a broken record.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Time to get a new coach.

packbackr04
packbackr04
7 years ago

too little too late. this discussion should have happened after Creighton, or Illinois not 5 games into conference play.

wornoutstatefan
wornoutstatefan
7 years ago
Reply to  packbackr04

And definitely after UNC….

Ian
Ian
7 years ago

Yes. I mentioned in a post, my inability as fan to see the world around me and make “decisions” based on everything in all directions, not just what’s in front. It’s hard, in season, not to become myopic a feel a sense of doom after a loss or or several. But it’s nice to see level headed responses to our situation. Like you said, “I guess we’ll see.”

NC State Basketball

An NC State Win Over Marquette in the Sweet 16 Would Be…

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Awesome. Obviously.

#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette tomorrow night in the Sweet 16. What would a win mean for the Wolfpack? Many things, but here’s just a few:

It would give NC State 25 wins on the year (25-14), which would be the most wins since 1982-83, when the Wolfpack went 26-10, winning the National Championship.

It would mark the 12th time in school history that NC State has won 25+ games in a single season.

1982-83 – 26-10 

1973-74 – 30-1 

1972-73 – 27-0 

1954-55 – 28-4 

1953-54 – 26-7

1952-53 – 26-6 

1950-51 – 30-7 

1949-50 – 27-6 

1948-49 – 25-8 

1947-48 – 29-3

1946-47- 26-5

It would be the 7th time NC State has advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.

1950

1951

1974

1983

1985

1986

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NC State Basketball

NC State has Won 5 ACC Championships this Year

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NC State has won 5 ACC Championships this year, which is the most of any athletic program in the conference this year.

The Wolfpack has won ACC Titles in Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics.

The last time NC State won 5 ACC Championships in one year was 1979-80.

As far as I can tell, here’s a look at the Wolfpack Conference Titles from 1979-80:

Football
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Men’s Tennis

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NC State Basketball

NC State is 1 of 4 Schools to Have Both Men & Women’s Basketball Teams in Sweet 16

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NC State is 1 of 4 schools to have their Men and Women’s Basketball teams BOTH advance to the Sweet 16, along with Duke, Gonzaga and UCONN.

NC State and Duke are the only two schools in the country to send both Basketball teams to the Sweet 16, and also send the Football team to a bowl game.

This marks only the third time in school history that BOTH teams made the Sweet 16.

Years NC State’s Men & Women’s Teams Made the Sweet 16

1985
1989
2024

Despite the fact that the Men’s team has made the Elite 8 six times (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986), and the Women have made it 2 times (1998 & 2022), in the three occasions they both went to the Sweet 16 in the same year, neither team advanced to the Elite 8.

In 2024, Why Not Us?

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NC State Basketball

#3 seed NC State Holds on Against #6 Seed Tennessee, Defeating the Vols 79-72 to Advance to the Sweet 16

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#3 seed NC State held on last night, defeating #6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Reynolds Coliseum to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in the last 6 tournaments.

The Wolfpack led by only 1 after the 1st Quarter, but they looked like they had things under control at halftime, leading by 18 points.

At one point, NC State led by as much as 20 points in the 3rd Quarter, but the Lady Volunteers weren’t about to give up.

With 4:19 left in the 4th, Tennessee cut the lead to 2 points, but NC State might have bent, but they wouldn’t break.

Junior Guard Aziaha James led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, which were both team highs. She scored 7 points in the final 3.5 minutes, helping to squash tue Last Vols’ comeback attempt.

Junior Guard Saniya Rivers had 20 points (6-14 FG) and 6 boards.

Freshman Zoe Brooks was clutch off the bench, chipping in 16 points and 6 boards.

This marks the 16th time the NC State Women’s Basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16.

The Wolfpack will play #2 seed Stanford on Friday night at 7:30pm on ESPN in Portland.

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