With the game in doubt under two minutes State needed a boost. In steps Trevor Lacey! The ball is rotated over to him on the wing and he sees daylight and darts into the lane to convert a difficult reverse layup with 1:05 remaining. Not to be outdone Lacey hit his signature pull up over Boise State big man Nick Duncan with 25.2 seconds left to ignite the Wolfpack faithful in attendance and seal the victory for the Pack!

Boise State posed a number of difficulties for the Pack; however, it was an excellent opportunity for Gottfried and his staff to experiment with different lineups to solve the unique 5 out offense that Boise State ran. Ball movement and dribble drives put immense pressure on our big men early which gave way to State using a much smaller line to defend on the perimeter. The line up used in the waning minutes of the game included Lennard Freeman, Caleb Martin, Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey, and Cat Barber. This particular unit used its quickness and ball pressure to make things difficult for the Broncos.

Traditional basketball and line-ups went out the window and is why this was an important game that could prove to be a great lesson to recall come March! In the NCAA Tournament you have to play 2 games in 3 days, which does not leave much time to prepare. State has had a hurried first 6 games of the season that has put them in the situation of playing 2 games in 3 days; this is by design! Everything Gottfried does is geared towards March.

What hit the mark?

Crunch Time = Lacey Time

 Much of the game Trevor deferred to his teammates looking to get others into the groove, while being cautious to call his own number. Make no mistake about his passive nature early as him not being dialed in! I could see it in his eyes when the game was on the line he wanted the ball in his hands, he knew he could get his shot at the end and convert!

I loved the way Trevor took the ball to the paint with confidence with a minute left and used excellent body control, as well as the rim to protect the ball from being blocked by his defender! Then moments later the ball found him again, this time with a big man on him only to take one hard dribble to pull up right in the big man’s face! Splash nothing but net! After that possession Lacey grabbed a rebound where he soared over not only 3 Boise State players but also 3 of ours as well to secure the victory. Trevor is becoming a star and a leader for this team!

Versatility:

NC State has a group of players that have very diverse skill sets and strengths that will be great assets as the season marches on! Tonight we were able to play small ball while still out-rebounding the Broncos to the tune of 38-33 on the glass! This speaks volumes for the desire and effort that our team is displaying night in and night out. Another strength of our team is ball handling. In any given line-up the Pack has four guys capable of jumpstarting the fast break, this is a luxury that Gottfried loves as he is notorious for having a lethal fast break.

Rim Protection:

I am starting to see that the Pack is gaining a reputation of protecting the rim! Officially State only blocked 4 shots on the night; however, I could see uncertainty in the Broncos as they drove to the basket. This caused the Broncos to hesitate and forced them into much more difficult shots due to them looking over their shoulders. In the post game conversation with Bronco’s Head Coach Leon Rice mentioned the fact that his team was not confident taking the ball to the rim because of the reputation the Pack has at blocking shots! This will pay great dividends as the season goes on!

This was a great win for the Wolfpack against a veteran team that will be a major factor in the Mountain West this season, don’t be surprised if this team punches a ticket for the big dance. I was proud of how our guys defended and played with confidence down the stretch.

State will hit the road for the first time this Tuesday as they travel to Purdue to represent the ACC in the Big Ten Challenge. Purdue will put the Pack’s rim protecting at center stage as they have twin towers in Isaac Hass (7-2) and A.J. Hammons (7-0). The Boilermakers beat BYU in their last contest 87-85!

Tip-Off is scheduled for 9PM and can be seen on ESPNU